Baked Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Pasta

This Baked Lemon Garlic Shrimp recipe combines al dente pasta with Italian-seasoned baked shrimp and a simple yet luxurious lemon butter sauce. With layers of mouthwatering flavors and a quick 30-minute cooking time, this light meal will quickly become a favorite for busy weeknights! 

This is the type of recipe I wish you could smell through your screen! This quick and easy baked shrimp recipe is layered with savory garlic, fresh lemon, and lots of butter to give you a light yet indulgent weeknight meal that smells as good as it tastes! 

All of this in a 30-minute pasta dinner? Yes, please!

Why You’ll Love This Baked Lemon Garlic Shrimp Recipe

• Juicy shrimp is tossed with lots of garlic, fresh lemon juice, and Italian herbs and seasonings before being baked in the oven. If you’re a fan of shrimp scampi, you’ll love these familiar flavors.
• The light yet protein-packed shrimp, lemon butter sauce, Italian flavors, and cooked pasta make this meal feel light even though one serving will fill you up (although there’s no judgement if you go back for seconds)!
• It’s perfect for picky eaters! You can even put your own spin on it by adding vegetables, topping each bowl with grated parmesan, or customizing the ingredients to fit your dietary needs or taste buds.

Baked Garlic Shrimp Ingredients

This easy baked shrimp recipe requires just a handful of simple ingredients:

• Butter. Combining melted butter with lemon juice and pouring it over the shrimp creates the most indulgent butter sauce! As the shrimp bakes, it soaks in the sauce, and any leftover in the bottom of the baking pan leaves you with a rich sauce to toss with the pasta.
• Lemons, juiced and zested. Buy an extra lemon or two to slice into wedges and serve with the finished pasta.
• Garlic. Don’t be shy! Add lots of garlic to give this shrimp pasta recipe mouthwatering flavors.
• Herbs and seasonings. Fresh rosemary, dried oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes add Italian-inspired flavors, while salt and black pepper round out every bite.
• Shrimp. I don’t know about you, but I don’t love peeling and deveining shrimp, which is why ready-to-go deveined shrimp (large or jumbo size) is my go-to option. 
• Fresh parsley
• Pasta. Any type of pasta goes! I like long-cut pasta best, like spaghetti, linguine, bucatini (shown here), and angel hair pasta, but even short-cut pasta, like penne or farfalle, will also work well.

(full ingredient list and quantities in the recipe card below)

Street Smart Nutrition Tip: Both fresh and frozen shrimp work equally well for this recipe. I personally base the choice on what’s in my fridge or what’s on sale at my grocery store. Just remember to thaw the frozen shrimp in the fridge before patting them dry, tossing them with the seasonings, and baking.

Swaps and Substitutions

This baked shrimp pasta recipe has plenty of room for customization. 

Try these swaps or substitutions to make it your own:

• Swap the shrimp for another seafood you like. Scallops, lobster, crab, salmon, and white fish would all make for delicious substitutes. Just remember to adjust the cooking time based on what you use.
• Or, if seafood isn’t your thing, make this recipe with chicken. Cut two boneless skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, season them as normal, and bake in the oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until they reach a safe internal temperature of 165ºF.
• Add a pop of color here by baking fresh or frozen vegetables with the shrimp. Anything goes! Broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, spinach, kale, or bell peppers would all be delicious.
• Make this recipe dairy-free by swapping the melted butter for olive oil.
• For my gluten-free friends, use your favorite gluten-free pasta noodles instead of the regular noodles.

You can add a kick of spice with some cayenne pepper along with red pepper flakes and lemon slices as garnish.

How to Make Baked Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Pasta

This recipe transforms seasoned and baked shrimp and al dente pasta into an easy weeknight dinner. It’s ready to eat in just 30 minutes and after 6 simple steps:

1. Clean and peel the shrimp, then transfer them to a shallow baking dish or casserole dish in a single layer. Start preheating the oven so it’s hot and ready to go when you’re done with the prep steps.
2. Stir the minced garlic, lemon zest, rosemary, oregano, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt together in a small bowl. Sprinkle this seasoning mixture over the shrimp and toss until they’re well coated.
3. Melt the butter in the microwave, then set it aside to cool slightly. Juice the lemon into the bowl with the melted butter, stir to combine, and drizzle it over the top of the shrimp.
4. Bake the garlic lemon shrimp in your preheated oven until they are pink and opaque.
5. While the shrimp is baking, cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain the water and set the pasta aside.
6. Take the baked shrimp out of the oven and toss it with the cooked pasta. Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges, then serve.

Street Smart Nutrition Tip: Cooking shrimp can be tricky since it’s so easy to lose track of time. Overcooked shrimp can be tough and chewy. Trust the process, as this quick shrimp recipe doesn’t take as long to cook as other proteins.

What to Serve with Baked Garlic Shrimp

Serve the shrimp pasta bake while it’s still hot! Don’t wait too long or else the pasta will absorb the sauce and start to get soggy.

For a well-rounded pasta dinner, serve each bowl with a few vegetables or a simple salad on the side. Here are some side dish ideas to get your mouth watering:

• A simple mixed greens salad, massaged kale salad, or a classic Caesar salad.
• Roast or steam some broccoli, cauliflower, or carrots or pair with sautéed green beans.
• Don’t forget the garlic bread or a hunk of fresh crusty bread to soak up every last bit of the lemon butter sauce!

Baked Lemon Garlic Shrimp Storage Tips

The shrimp pasta is best enjoyed while it’s still warm and saucy but any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, zap as much pasta as you plan on eating in the microwave with a splash of water or a drizzle of olive oil until heated through.

I don’t recommend freezing the leftover cooked pasta and shrimp because the pasta tends to become mushy after thawing.

Baked Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Pasta

5 from 7 votes

This simple baked lemon garlic shrimp recipe combines al dente pasta with Italian-seasoned baked shrimp and a flavorful lemon butter sauce. With a quick 30-minute cooking time, this light meal will become a favorite for busy weeknights! 

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Print Recipe Rate Recipe Pin Recipe

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound shrimp, large or jumbo (16-20 ct), peeled and deveined
• 1 lemon, zested (about 1 tbsp) and juiced (about 1 oz)
• 6 to 8 garlic cloves, finely minced, about 2 tbsp
• 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary, stripped from the stems and roughly chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
• ¼ tsp coarse ground salt
• 4 tbsp salted butter, melted
• 1 tbsp parsley, chopped, for garnish
• 1 small lemon, cut into wedges or slices for serving
• 8 oz pasta, such as spaghetti, linguine, bucatini, angel hair pasta, or similar

Instructions

• Clean and peel the shrimp, leaving the tails attached if desired. Place in a shallow baking dish.
• Mince the garlic. Add to a small mixing bowl with the lemon zest, rosemary, oregano, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt. Add the seasoning mixture to the shrimp and toss to combine and coat the shrimp.
• In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a large pot of salted water on the stovetop and bring to a boil for the pasta.
• Melt the butter in the microwave using a glass or microwave-safe bowl. Once melted, allow to cool slightly. Juice the zested lemon into the bowl and stir to combine, then drizzle over the seasoned shrimp in the baking dish.
• Bake for 12-13 minutes or until the shrimp are vibrant pink and opaque. While the shrimp bake, cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente, 7-9 minutes. Once the pasta is cooked, strain and set aside.
• Remove the cooked shrimp from the oven. Toss with the cooked pasta, then garnish with parsley and lemon wedges. Serve hot and enjoy.

Notes

If using frozen shrimp, thaw fully before cooking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 416 kcal, Carbohydrates: 50 g, Protein: 24 g, Fat: 14 g, Saturated Fat: 8 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g, Trans Fat: 0.5 g, Cholesterol: 173 mg, Sodium: 885 mg, Potassium: 367 mg, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 3 g, Vitamin A: 698 IU, Vitamin C: 31 mg, Calcium: 110 mg, Iron: 2 mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean

Keyword: Baked Shrimp, Lemon Garlic Shrimp

Baked Lemon Garlic Shrimp FAQS

How can you tell when the shrimp is done baking?

You’ll know the shrimp are cooked perfectly when they curl into a ‘C’ shape and have gone from gray and translucent to pink and opaque. Try to avoid overcooking the shrimp or else they’ll be rubbery.

Can I make shrimp pasta ahead of time?

This dish is best when it’s served hot right after cooking. However, you can save a little bit of time by peeling and deveining the shrimp, making the garlic and lemon seasoning blend, and cooking the pasta a few hours before baking the shrimp and combining it with the pasta. Just keep everything in separate containers in the fridge until it’s time to cook.

Can I make lemon garlic shrimp on the stovetop?

Yes, there are many variations on this baked garlic shrimp recipe featuring sauteed shrimp.

Use a large nonstick or stainless steel skillet. Cook over medium heat, but note that the shrimp cook time will depend on which size shrimp you use. Extra-large shrimp need a little longer than medium shrimp or smaller. You can melt the butter in the hot skillet along with the shrimp, adding the lemon juice towards the end cooking.

I hope you enjoy this baked lemon garlic shrimp recipe! It’s a light and flavorful meal you can whip up any night of the week. I’d love to hear what you think, so leave a comment, review, and rating below!

And as always, thanks for stopping by the Street Smart Nutrition blog! For more simple dinners like this, follow along on social media (Instagram, YouTube, and all the rest). And don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter so you never miss a new recipe. 

Cheers to more fearlessly nourishing meals!

Disclosure: This post was originally published in December 2016. It has since been updated with an improved recipe and new photos.

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