One-Pot Shrimp Linguine with Lemon Garlic Butter

This one-pot shrimp linguine is the dinner I make when I want something that feels like a proper meal without standing over two pots. The linguine goes in dry, straight into the sauce, and cooks the whole way through in the pan. No boiling a separate pot of water, no draining, no pasta water to reserve. One pan from start to finish.

What makes it different from most versions is what's in the sauce - Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream gives it creaminess without the heaviness, and lemon and Parmesan do the rest. The shrimp gets cooked first, set aside, and goes back in at the end so it stays tender rather than rubbery. Ready in 25 minutes, and the pan cleans up easily because there's no starchy pasta water disaster.

The linguine absorbs the lemon garlic broth as it cooks, so the pasta itself carries the sauce rather than just being coated in it. That's the real difference between cooking pasta in the sauce versus adding cooked pasta to a finished sauce - every strand tastes like it belongs there.

This is also the kind of recipe that works for a weeknight dinner and for guests. It looks like you did more than you did, which is always the goal.

If shrimp pasta is your thing, my Easy Shrimp & Pea Risotto is another 30-minute option that's just as hands-off once the rice goes in. And if you want something lighter, my Pesto Shrimp Gnocchi takes about 20 minutes and uses the same one-pan method.

For a non-pasta shrimp dinner, my Baked Potatoes with Shrimp and Garlic Butter uses a similar lemon garlic butter base and is done in under an hour with almost no prep.

💗 Why You Will Love This Recipe

• One pan, no separate pasta pot. The linguine cooks dry, straight in the sauce. You save time, you save cleanup, and the pasta picks up the lemon garlic broth the whole time it cooks.
• Greek yogurt, not cream. Creamier than a straight butter sauce, lighter than heavy cream. It doesn't split in the heat and adds a slight tang that works well against the lemon.
• The shrimp stays tender. Cooked first, set aside, and added back at the very end. Two minutes in the pan is all it needs - any longer and it turns rubbery.
• Works with what you have. Frozen shrimp, any long pasta, fresh or frozen spinach, any dry white wine or chicken stock.

What You'll Need

*See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

• Shrimp - Cooked peeled shrimp works, but raw gives you more control. I use large (21-25 count) wild-caught if available. Fresh or frozen both work - thaw frozen shrimp under cold running water and pat dry before cooking. Wet shrimp steams instead of sears.
• Linguine - Dry linguine, not fresh. Fresh pasta cooks too fast and turns mushy in the sauce before everything else is ready. If you only have spaghetti, it works the same way.
• Greek yogurt - Full-fat only. Low-fat or non-fat yogurt splits when it hits the heat and turns grainy. Stir it in off the heat or with the heat on low - never at a rolling boil.
• Parmesan - Grate it yourself. Pre-grated Parmesan has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly into the sauce. A block and a box grater takes 2 minutes and makes a real difference.
• White wine - A dry white like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. If you'd rather skip it, replace with an equal amount of chicken stock. The wine adds brightness, but the recipe works without it.
• Smoked paprika - This goes on the shrimp, not in the sauce. It gives the shrimp a subtle smokiness that makes them taste more complex than plain sautéed shrimp. Regular paprika works, but smoked is worth having.

👩‍🍳 How To Make One-Pot Shrimp Linguine

Step 1: Cook the shrimp with the garlic butter, smoked paprika, and lemon until pink and cooked through.

Step 2: Transfer the cooked shrimp to a bowl and set aside while the pasta cooks.

Step 5: Stir the pasta until the sauce is creamy and the linguine is fully cooked.

Step 6: Return the shrimp to the skillet, toss everything together, and finish with fresh parsley before serving.

*See the recipe card for detailed instructions. 

🥗 Serve This With

• Easy Devilled Eggs - a simple starter while the pasta finishes cooking
• Easy Focaccia - for mopping up the lemon garlic butter sauce at the bottom of the pan
• Crunchy Broccoli Apple Salad - something cold and crunchy alongside a warm pasta works every time
• Mediterranean Tomato and Feta Salad - keeps the Mediterranean angle going and takes five minutes to put together

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📖 Recipe

One-Pot Shrimp Linguine with Lemon Garlic Butter

Claudia Ciorteanu

Shrimp and linguine cooked in one pan with lemon garlic butter, spinach and Parmesan. No cream, no separate pasta pot.

5 from 39 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course / Entrée

Cuisine Italian-American

Servings 4

Calories 842 kcal

Video

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ ¾ pound shrimp peeled and deveined
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 2 teaspoons garlic minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ Salt and black pepper to taste
• ▢ Juice of 1 lemon wedge
• ▢ Red pepper flakes optional
• ▢ Fresh parsley chopped, for garnish

For the pasta

• ▢ 3 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 onion finely chopped
• ▢ 1 red chili finely chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon garlic minced
• ▢ ½ cup dry white wine optional
• ▢ 2 cups chicken stock
• ▢ ½ cup Greek yogurt
• ▢ 1½ cups fresh or frozen spinach
• ▢ 12 ounces dry linguine
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• ▢ Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

 

• Cook the shrimp: Add the shrimp, olive oil, butter, garlic, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes (if using) to a large skillet. Cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side until the shrimp are pink and cooked through. Remove the shrimp and set aside on a plate. Garnish with parsley.
  ¾ pound shrimp, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 teaspoons garlic, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, Salt and black pepper, Juice of 1 lemon wedge, Red pepper flakes, Fresh parsley
• Build the sauce base: In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and red chili and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  3 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 onion, 1 red chili, 1 tablespoon garlic
• Add the liquid and pasta: Pour in the white wine (if using) and let it simmer for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, Greek yogurt, spinach, Italian seasoning, lemon zest, and dry linguine. Stir to combine, making sure the linguine is mostly submerged in the liquid. Cover with a lid.
  ½ cup dry white wine, 2 cups chicken stock, ½ cup Greek yogurt, 1½ cups fresh or frozen spinach, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 12 ounces dry linguine
• Cook the pasta in the sauce: Cook over low to medium heat for 18 to 20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed into the sauce.
• Add Parmesan and finish: Stir in the Parmesan until melted. Squeeze over the lemon juice. Return the shrimp to the pan and toss everything together for 1 to 2 minutes until the shrimp is warmed through.
  1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Serve: Scatter fresh parsley over the top and serve straight from the pan with extra lemon wedges on the side.

Notes

Keep the heat on low to medium once the linguine goes in - too high and the liquid reduces before the pasta is cooked through. If the sauce thickens too much before the pasta is done, add a splash more stock.

Nutrition

Calories: 842kcalCarbohydrates: 80gProtein: 46gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 212mgSodium: 1069mgPotassium: 841mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 2184IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 477mgIron: 3mg

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