I love an easy weeknight dinner. This lemon shrimp & pasta recipe is just that -- quick, easy, and bursting with flavor! But what's really special about this recipe for shrimp and pasta is that it's full of nutrient-rich kale and it's gluten-free! It also features a larger portion of kale and a smaller portion of pasta, so it's lighter in carbs and a great source of veggies!
This easy recipe for shrimp & pasta can come together in just 30 minutes. With a little multitasking, you'll have it on the table in no time. And it's made with fresh, delicious ingredients that are good all year round! This recipe is adapted from a Blue Apron recipe that I made years ago, and over time I've made my own tweaks to make it perfect -- starting with using gluten free pasta!
Gluten-Free Chickpea Linguine
The key to making this lemon shrimp pasta recipe gluten free is using chickpea pasta! I love that using chickpea pasta makes this shrimp & pasta dish more rich in protein, lower in carbs My favorite is Banza, but you can use whatever chickpea or otherwise gluten-free pasta you like! You can also use conventional wheat pasta and this recipe would be just as delicious! It's totally up to you!
Ingredients
- chickpea linguine - I find that chickpea linguine or spaghetti work best with this recipe, but you can use any gluten-free pasta you like! Or any pasta at all, for that matter. Just prepare it according to package directions, reserving some of the pasta water for later.
- shrimp - I like to use large or extra-large raw shrimp that is peeled and deveined, with the tails removed. But any raw shrimp should be fine for this shrimp & pasta recipe -- as long as you adjust the cooking time according to the size of the shrimp.
- kale - I use about a bunch and a half of kale, but the more, the merrier, so if you really like kale or want to make this recipe for shrimp pasta even healthier, add in a little more! Just wash it an chop it and it's ready to go! Actually, another great shortcut to make this recipe even easier: I buy the bagged, chopped kale from the fresh produce section at the market, and just grab a few handfuls. Cuts way down on prep time!
- white wine - adds a little flavor to the kale and to the dish in general!
- green onions - this is one of my favorite ingredients in this shrimp & pasta recipe! Green onions are a delicious aromatic flavor to add in, and they make this recipe a little unique! We'll use both parts of the green onion to flavor both the kale and the final product.
- garlic - I like to use about 6 cloves of garlic in this recipe because to me, garlicky shrimp pasta is the best! You can feel free to cut it down to 3 or 4 cloves if you're not a huge garlic fan like me.
- lemon - brightens up the dish, starting with the kale and finishing the pasta with a few tangy citrus squeezes!
- olive oil and butter - helps with sautéing the kale and the shrimp, and provides a silky texture to the sauce.
- red pepper flakes - these are optional, but I like the added heat.
- salt & pepper - to taste. I like to add light salt and pepper during each step to make sure the dish is well-seasoned. But
- Parmigiano-Reggiano - my favorite cheese! And the best for pastas. You should be able to find Parmigiano-Reggiano in the specialty cheeses section of your market, but if not, you can substitute another hard aged cheese like Grana Padano, Pecorino-Romano, or Asiago.
Equipment
This shrimp & pasta recipe is pretty simple -- you'll need a large sauté pan for most of the recipe, as well as a pot and colander for your pasta. I like to toss the pasta and sauce together using spaghetti tongs, which you can also use to serve your pasta. I also like to grate my cheese with a microplane grater so I can grate directly into the pan!
Step by Step
- First, you'll want to sauté your garlic and green onions, and then add your kale, some red pepper flakes, and a little white wine to cook it down. Once your kale is tender, transfer it to a bowl
- Meanwhile, you can boil the water for your pasta! If you're using Banza linguine, cook the pasta in boiling, well-salted water for 8 minutes. I like to cook the pasta a little less than the package directions since we'll be cooking it a bit more in the sauce. Then remove ½ cup of your pasta water and drain the rest. This pasta water will help to bring the sauce together later.
- Finally, our shrimp! Just season your shrimp and then cook it in a little olive oil, and then add red pepper flakes, garlic, lemon juice, and a little more wine, because wine not?!
- Stir in your kale and cheese and cook the sauce down a bit, then add your cooked pasta! If you like, add a little of the pasta water to bring the sauce together, but otherwise once the pasta is well coated with the sauce, you're ready drizzle it with some olive oil and serve!
- I like to garnish with chopped green onions, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, cracked pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, and a lemon wedge on the side. Let me know your favorite ways to garnish this shrimp & pasta dish in the comments!
Related Recipes
If you like this gluten-free lemon shrimp pasta recipe, you'll love my Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad -- it's also gluten-free, and also full of amazing flavors! And because it's a cold noodle salad, it comes together in just a few minutes!
Or for a delicious gluten-free dessert to go with this lemon garlic shrimp pasta dish, you should definitely try my Gluten-Free Passionfruit Tart with Almond Crust! It's so delicious, with bright passionfruit and creamy vanilla flavors, all in a buttery almond crust. Such an elegant dessert!
Equipment you may need
- spaghetti tongs
- wooden spatula
- colander
- garlic press
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil - divided
- 5 green onions - white and green parts, sliced; divided
- 6 cloves garlic - chopped or pressed through a garlic press; divided
- 12 oz curly kale - well washed, chopped, with stems removed
- ⅓ cup white wine - plus more if you like
- 8 oz Banza Linguine Made from Chickpeas - or gluten-free pasta of your choice
- 1 lb. raw shrimp - peeled, de-veined, tails removed
- 3 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes - or to taste; divided
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese - grated; plus more to taste
Garnishes
- green onions
- fresh cracked black pepper
- Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- extra virgin olive oil
- lemon wedges
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 3 cloves of chopped garlic and whites of chopped green onions and sprinkle with salt. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add kale, white wine, and 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes and stir. Cook until kale is tender and wine has mostly reduced. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring 3 quarts of generously-salted water to a boil in a stock pot. Add pasta and boil for 8 minutes (or one minute less than package directions). Remove ½ cup of pasta water to a heatproof cup and drain.
- Pat shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper.
- In the same sauté pan, heat another 3 tablespoon olive oil and add shrimp in a single layer, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice. Cook one minute.
- Flip shrimp and add butter, remaining red pepper flakes (or as much as you prefer), garlic, and lemon juice, and anothe splash of white wine (optional). Cook another minute and then add in your kale and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
- Stir and cook another minute, then add in your cooked pasta. If it helps to bring the sauce together, stir in a bit of the reserved pasta water.
- Serve immediately, garnished with additional green onions, cheese, olive oil, and cracked pepper, with lemon wedges on the side.
Video
Notes
PIN this lemon garlic shrimp & pasta recipe for later!
Last Updated on July 4, 2021 by Chenée Lewis
Sylvia
Big fan of all of the flavors and foods in this recipe: shrimp, kale, lemon, garlic, white wine (of course butter!) ... this was AMAZING. I will be making it again, thank you for this recipe!
Chenée Lewis
So great to hear that you liked it!! Thanks so much!
Meaghan Wolter
Fast, easy, fresh and SO delicious! A perfect meal for busy summer days or to impress guests without having to work too hard. My whole family devoured this, and probably would have licked their plates clean if I let them.
Chenée Lewis
That's so awesome! I love making this in summertime too! Thank you so much for trying it!
Sydelle
Absolutely have to make this for lunch or even dinner. Looks like it has the perfect balance of protein and vegetables! I may make a spicy version ! I love this
Chenée Lewis
Definitely! I love to adjust the amount of red pepper flakes when I make it for myself to give it a bit more spice 🙂
Britney Brown
I made this for dinner last night and it was so delicious! It was also super easy to make, I can’t wait to make this again!
Chenée Lewis
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I love how easy it is on a weeknight!
Jazz
Such a delicious way to get in more veggies! Will be making this one again.
Chenée Lewis
Definitely! I love how many handfuls of kale I can squeeze into this recipe!
Chef Mireille
I'm a seafood fanatic and this hit the spot for a quick weeknight dinner when I came home with some fresh shrimp
Chenée Lewis
Wonderful! It's a great weeknight dinner!
Marsha Eileen
You seriously had me at pasta!! I love a good pasta recipe especially when it’s healthy ! I’ve also been using gluten free pasta for a while and I can’t tell the difference. The lemon juice really gives this dish a ton of flavor. Love this recipe!
Chenée Lewis
Thank you so much! I love gluten free pasta too it's a game changer!
Ellen Hawkins
When does the butter get added??
Chenée Lewis
Oh thanks for the heads up that I left it out of the instructions! They're corrected now -- you'll add the butter to the pan after you flip the shrimp.
Marta
My family really loved this shrimp pasta. I made it for dinner last night because I needed to use up some kale. I particularly thought the lemon flavor was so perfect. Not too overwhelming, but exciting on the palate.
Chenée Lewis
I'm so glad you all liked it! It's a great way to use up extra kale!!
Renia Butler
It's the GLUTEN-FREE CHICKPEA LINGUINE for me! The fact that the base of this recipe has already been modified to meet the needs of my family is more than I could ask for. Such a great recipe, the kale makes us love it even more!
Chenée Lewis
Yay! I'm so glad it works for you and your fam! I'm not even exclusively gluten-free in general but I am when it comes to pasta, because chickpea pasta is the TRUTH!!
Kate
This looks SO yummy. I've been really into lemon-flavored recipes the last few months, and now I want to try this!
Chenée Lewis
Oh then you'll love it! Thanks for checking it out! 🙂