This lemon garlic parmesan shrimp pasta with white wine sauce is a healthy version of the oh-so popular shrimp scampi. Shrimp is cooked with lemon, garlic, white wine, mushrooms, spinach, and combined with linguine for a delicious date night meal!
I’m constantly trying to think of fun meals to make for date night and 9.9 times out of 10, pasta always wins. This time around, instead of making a typical pasta dinner, I elevated the flavors with simple ingredients that made this dish really *spark!*
I’m all about shrimp scampi when I go out to eat, but wanted to create a healthier, less heavy version to have at home and this lemon garlic parmesan shrimp pasta absolutely hit the spot. Now, it’s become a date night staple, and I just know you’ll love it too!
The mushroom, spinach, shrimp, and linguine pair wonderfully with the lemon garlic white wine sauce, and it’s deceptively simple to make!
Ingredients
- Linguine. Feel free to swap out for your favorite long noodles. Fettuccine, spaghetti, or angel hair would be great in this dish as well!
- Mushrooms and spinach. I love adding veggies into pasta, and this was no exception! The mushrooms add so much depth and flavor.
- Shrimp. One of my go-to protein choices, and I love how lean and high in protein shrimp is!
- White wine. Crisp white wines work best for this sauce.
- Garlic. Such a fragrant addition to the white wine sauce!
- Parmesan cheese. This hard cheese is one of my staples and it adds so much flavor to any pasta dish! You can also swap out with Pecorino Romano if that’s all you have at home.
- Olive oil and butter: This recipe uses much less butter than a traditional shrimp scampi.
- Lemon juice and lemon zest: Adds just the right amount of acidity to balance this pasta dish!
How to Make Lemon Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Pasta
- Chop mushrooms and mince garlic. Juice and zest the lemon. Gather the other ingredients.
- Cook the linguine per package instructions. Before draining the pasta, make sure to reserve about 1 cup of pasta water! You’ll be using the pasta water to thicken your white wine sauce.
- Saute the mushrooms. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until mushrooms soften. Add minced garlic and salt, and cook for an additional 30 seconds, or until the garlic is fragrant. Scoop mushrooms into a bowl and set aside.
- Cook the shrimp. In the same pan, melt butter. Add minced garlic, shrimp, and season with salt and red chili pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes per side, or until the shrimp is opaque and slightly pink.
- Add lemon juice, white wine, ½ cup pasta water and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until spinach wilts.
- Add mushrooms, linguine, and lemon zest. Cook for 2-3 minutes to let the flavors infuse. Stir in parmesan cheese. Season with salt to taste.
- Garnish with parsley and parmesan cheese. Serve, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Mushrooms release water when they’re salted, so salt them right before they’re done (rather than in the beginning).
- How to zest a lemon: To zest the lemon, use a fine grater with small holes or a microplane grater. Only grate the yellow outer part of the lemon. Don’t grate the white part of the lemon – this usually tastes bitter and you don’t want that!
- Shell the shrimp before you cook them. This will make it easier to eat (rather than peeling off the tails while you’re eating).
Best wine for shrimp scampi
I’m a huge fan of just using what you already have on hand. But if you’re looking for the best wine for this healthy shrimp scampi, a crisp white wine is best. This can be a Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay (preferably unoaked), or Sauvignon Blanc. This helpful article on cooking wines by The Kitchn breaks down why. In this recipe, I used a Chardonnay and it was delicious!
Storage and Reheating
This lemon garlic parmesan shrimp pasta makes for great leftovers. I recommend storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on a skillet over medium-low heat until heated through completely.
Variations and Substitutions
- Make it gluten-free: Swap the whole wheat linguine for your favorite gluten-free pasta. I personally love Banza chickpea pasta the most when it comes to gluten-free pastas!
- Change the noodles: You can swap the linguine with your desired long noodle (or any pasta shape really!). Fettuccine, spaghetti, or angel hair would be great in this dish.
- Change up the veggies: Feel free to use different veggies in this pasta dish. Broccoli, bell peppers, and zucchini would be super tasty alternative or added veggies. Play around with different veggies and see what works for you.
- Make this a one-pot recipe: If you would rather not wash an extra pan, this recipe is easily customizable so that you only have use one pot! Just cook the pasta in a large pot and leave the pasta in a colander while you make the rest of the dish. Then stir in the pasta and voila, you’ve only used one pot!
What to Serve with Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta
So… you’re looking for some tasty sides to pair with this yummy pasta? I don’t blame you! These are my favorite side dishes to serve with this healthy shrimp scampi dish:
If you made this recipe, I’d love to see your creation! Don’t forget to snap a picture and tag me @thebalancedbite on Instagram. Follow along on Pinterest and Facebook for more healthy & tasty recipes!
More Healthy Pasta and Pizza Recipes:
- Creamy Hummus Pasta
- Margherita Flatbread Pizza
- Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash (not exactly pasta but still delicious!)
Lemon Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whole wheat linguine
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced, divided
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 pound shrimp, shelled, deveined, and patted dry
- Juice and zest from 1 lemon
- ½ cup white wine
- Red chili pepper flakes, to taste
- 3 cups spinach
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, for garnish optional
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Cook linguine until al dente, about 10-11 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving about ½ cup of pasta water for later.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until mushrooms soften. Add 1 minced garlic clove, ¼ teaspoon of salt and cook for an additional 30 seconds, or until the garlic is fragrant. Scoop mushrooms into a bowl and set aside.
- In the same pan, melt butter. Add remaining minced garlic, shrimp, and season with salt and red chili pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes per side, or until the shrimp is opaque and slightly pink.
- Add lemon juice, white wine, ½ cup pasta water and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until spinach wilts. Add mushrooms, linguine, and lemon zest. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in parmesan cheese. Season with salt to taste.
- Garnish with parsley. Serve, and enjoy!
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