I always love a bowl of pasta and this Shrimp and Lemon Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto is no different! Lots of garlic, lemon and butter over pasta with shrimp, parmesan and crispy prosciutto.
Shrimp and Lemon Pasta is a fairly simple recipe with lots of flavor. It’s a great recipe for weeknight dinners or date night!
Pasta is my go – to meal when I want an easy dinner. There’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of pasta. Everything ready to go in one bowl!
Make this dish gluten free by using a gluten free pasta.
Table of Contents
What kind of shrimp should I use?
I always buy raw shrimp, never pre-cooked. In general I use 16-20 or larger. Telling the difference in size can be a little tricky if you’ve never bought shrimp before.
The lower the count is, the larger the shrimp is. The count is the number of shrimp in a pound. So if you have a count of 16-20 vs 26-30, the 16-20 is larger and therefore there are less of them in each pound.
Normally I buy with the shells and tail on and peel them myself but you can also buy pre-peeled shrimp. Make sure they are deveined.
When deveining shrimp you are removing the black line that goes along the back of the shrimp. This dark line isn’t actually a vein.
It is the intestinal track of the shrimp that contains body waste, aka poop. If you’re buying peeled or EZ peel shrimp, chances are that has already been removed but definitely double check.
Ingredients for Shrimp and Lemon Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
- Spaghetti – Use your favorite spaghetti
- Shrimp – I like to use 16-20 count shrimp or larger
- Olive Oil – I always put a drizzle of olive oil in my pasta water
- Kosher Salt – Kosher salt goes in the pasta water and in the rest of the dish to bring out flavors
- Lemon – You can’t have Shrimp and Lemon Pasta without lemons!
- Lemon Zest – For extra lemon flavor
- Shallots – Shallots add a bit of extra flavor to the pasta and goes well with the lemon and prosciutto
- Butter – Unsalted butter so you can control the salt level by adding your own
- Honey – Honey balances the acidity and saltiness of the dish
- Black Pepper – I use coarse ground black pepper
- Prosciutto – Crisping up the prosciutto gives you little crunchy bites of salty deliciousness
- Garlic – Roast the garlic for a few minutes in the oven to bring out more flavor
- Parmesan Cheese – Use your favorite parmesan cheese to top this Shrimp and Lemon Pasta
- Basil – Fresh basil is the best way to go here
- Parsley – I love a little parsley with my shrimp, lemon and garlic
Equipment needed
- Large Pot – 1 large pot for boiling the spaghetti
- Sheet Pan – You’ll need a small or large sheet pan to roast the garlic
- Oven – For roasting the garlic
- Sharp Knife – As always a sharp knife
- Cutting Board – For cutting the basil, lemons, garlic, parsley and shallots. Large cutting boards with grips are my favorite
- Sauté Pan – For making the shrimp and sauce
- Tongs – When cooking the shrimp, sauce and spaghetti
Tips for the best Shrimp and Lemon Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
- Buy raw shrimp so you can cook it yourself, frozen or fresh is fine. Just thaw it out ahead of time if frozen
- DO NOT OVERCOOK the shrimp. They only need 1-2 minutes per side on medium-high heat
- DO NOT OVERCOOK the pasta. Nothing worse than mush pasta. Just follow the directions on the box/bag
- Use fresh basil instead of dried. It really makes a huge difference
- Cut a few extra lemon wedges. You can squeeze it right on top of your bowl before eating
- Let the prosciutto fry until it’s crispy then drain it on a paper towel. The crispiness really adds to the dish
- Cook the dish right before serving. Do not make it ahead of time, it doesn’t hold well
How to make Shrimp and Lemon Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
Preheat the oven to 450°F then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the peeled garlic cloves to the sheet tray then drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt and roast for 8-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, get a large pot of water boiling on the stove. Add a pinch of salt and drizzle of olive oil to the pot. Cook and drain the pasta according to directions.
Once the garlic is ready mince it as best you can then set aside until needed. Sauté the sliced shallots in a medium sauté pan over medium heat until slightly browned. Remove them from the pan into a side dish, then using the same pan crisp up the prosciutto.
Once the prosciutto pieces are crispy remove them from the pan then let them drain on a paper towel. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper then sauté them in the same pan for 1-2 minutes per side.
Remove the shrimp from the pan and set in the same dish with the shallots. Add the butter, roasted garlic and honey to the sauté pan and stir together. Stir in the lemon juice then add the shrimp and shallots back in.
Cook for 1 minute then mix in the zest. Place spaghetti in a bowl and top with the shrimp and sauce. Top the Shrimp and Lemon Pasta with the crispy prosciutto, basil, parmesan and parsley. Serve each bowl with a lemon wedge to squeeze over the top. Enjoy!
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Shrimp and Lemon Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
Equipment
- 1 sheet pan
- 1 oven
- 1 large pot
- 1 sauté pan
- 1 stove top
- 1 tongs
- 1 sharp knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 colander
Ingredients
For the Pasta
- ½ lb spaghetti cooked, drained
- water for boiling
- 1½ tsp kosher salt for pasta water
- 1 drizzle olive oil for pasta water
Sauce and Shrimp
- 5 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 drizzle olive oil
- ½ tsp kosher salt, plus 1 pinch divided
- 3 shallots sliced thin
- 3 oz prosciutto cut into ½ inch pieces
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
- ½ tsp black pepper coarse ground, divided
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp honey
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- zest of 2 lemons
- 1 oz parmesan cheese freshly grated or shaved parm
- 2 tbsp basil leaves chiffonade
- 1 tbsp parsley rough chop
Instructions
Roasting the Garlic
- Preheat the oven to 450°F then line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Add the garlic, a drizzle of olive oil and pinch of salt to the pan
- Bake 8-10 minutes until garlic starts to slightly brown then remove, mince and set aside to cool
Boiling the Pasta
- Bring a large pot of water with 1½ tsp kosher salt and a drizzle of olive oil to a boil
- Cook the pasta according to directions on box and drain
Making the Sauce
- Drizzle a small amount of olive oil into a sauté pan over medium heat and sauté the shallots until lightly browned. Remove the shallots from the pan and set into a bowl for later
- Fry the prosciutto pieces in the same pan until crispy. Remove from the pan and drain on a paper towel
- Still using the same pan, add another drizzle of olive oil then season the shrimp with ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper then sauté them for 1-2 minutes per side
- Set the shrimp into the same bowl as the shallots
- Then add the butter, roasted garlic and honey to the same sauté pan. If the pan is looking too dark you can use a fresh pan
- Stir in the shrimp and shallots then cook for 1 minute
- Stir in the lemon zest
- Place the pasta into bowls then top with the shrimp and sauce mixture
- Top each bowl with parmesan cheese, crispy prosciutto, basil and parmesan
- Serve with a lemon wedge
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