Easy Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta with zesty creamy sauce made gluten-free and dairy-free tastes just like your favorite authentic Italian dish.
This pasta took me by complete surprise.
Considering I love anything that’s made out of a carb, I should have known I’d be glued to this easy shrimp pasta, but I was truly taken aback when I took my first bite.
A big bowl of this shrimp pasta goes down super easily, leaving you feeling ultra satisfied.
The best part? No post-pasta bellyache!
Let’s briefly discuss all the bells and whistles of this marvelous meal!
Recipe Features:
- Ready in just 35 minutes!
- Only 10 basic ingredients required!
- Gluten-free and dairy-free (but can be made using regular noodles or dairy)
- Rich, creamy, dairy-free
- Fresh and flavorful with zesty lemon and garlic flavors
- Light and refreshing yet satisfying
I make this Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta gluten-free using gluten-free pasta noodles and dairy-free using coconut milk instead of cream for the sauce.
Can you taste the coconut milk? In my opinion, no.
Because there’s a good deal of lemon zest, lemon juice and garlic, the sauce tastes rich and creamy but nice and zesty and garlicky, which for me masks the flavor of coconut milk.
Let’s talk about the ingredients!
Ingredients for Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta:
Gluten-Free Pasta Noodles: The marvelous carb portion of this shrimp pasta! I use Tinkyada Brown Rice Fettucini Pasta, but you can use any of your favorite noodle brands or shapes.
Avocado Oil: Used to cook the shrimp, I use avocado oil because it has a high smoke point and a neutral flavor, making it ideal for pan-cooking shrimp.
Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk: The creamy portion of the shrimp pasta sauce. Be sure to use full-fat canned coconut milk (not light canned coconut milk, and not coconut milk from a carton that you find in the non-dairy milk section of the grocery store). The coconut milk gives the pasta that silky, creamy delicious essence
Garlic: Insane flavor maker! Garlic improves the flavor of everything and brings much joy to this delicious recipe!
Shrimp: The star of the show! Use raw peeled and deveined shrimp for the freshest tasting result. You can also use pre-cooked shrimp or frozen shrimp if you’d like.
Lemon Zest: The lemon zest is crucial for that creamy lemon flavor. With lemon juice, you’ll get that nice citrus bite, but not the iconic creamy well-rounded full-bodied lemon essence. Be sure to not skip the zest!
Lemon Juice: Bringing a touch of acidity to offset the creaminess and brighten it all up. Zest the lemon before slicing into it to squeeze the lemon juice.
Red Pepper Flakes, Sea Salt, Black Pepper: Seasoning! A little heat to offset the creaminess, red pepper flakes are optional but recommended. Sea salt enhances the flavor, so don’t be afraid to go big!
Fresh Parsley: Fresh herbs brighten up the flavor of this shrimp pasta and make it taste light and earthy. You can use fresh basil instead of parsley if you’d like!
How to Make Shrimp Pasta:
Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. I usually cook pasta noodles 1 to 2 minutes less than recommended on the package to keep it al dente. Once the noodles are cooked, drain them into a colander and immediately rinse them with cool water.
Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet and heat to medium-high. Add the peeled shrimp in a single layer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the shrimp to a plate.
Add the rest of the ingredients for the sauce to the skillet (coconut milk, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, sea salt, black pepper, and tapioca flour) and bring to a full boil.
Whisk the sauce occasionally and cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Transfer the cooked pasta noodles and shrimp to the skillet with the sauce and toss everything together until the noodles are coated with sauce.
Taste the pasta for flavor and add sea salt and/or lemon zest or juice to taste.
Serve with fresh parsley and enjoy!
Recipe Adaptations:
- Use regular noodles if you aren’t gluten-free.
- Replace the coconut milk with heavy cream if you aren’t dairy-free. If you use cream, be careful to not bring it to a boil.
- Swap the parsley for fresh basil.
- Add sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, capers, and/or kalamata olives for even more flavor.
Also try my Mediterranean Shrimp Pasta!
More Pasta Recipes:
- Rigatoni Pasta with Bolognese Sauce
- Baked Feta Pasta
- Chicken Sausage Pesto Pasta
- 30-Minute Sausage Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
- One-Pot Shrimp Gumbo Pasta
Get your creamy shrimpy carb load on!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces gluten-free pasta noodles
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 1/2 lbs raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2/3 cup full-fat canned coconut milk*
- 5 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
- Zest of 1 lemon, about 2 teaspoons
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp sea salt, to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp tapioca flour
- 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. I usually cook pasta noodles 1 to 2 minutes less than recommended on the package to keep it al dente. Once the noodles are cooked, drain them into a colander and immediately rinse them with cool water.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet and heat to medium-high. Add the peeled shrimp in a single layer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the shrimp to a plate.
- Add the rest of the ingredients for the sauce to the skillet (coconut milk, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, sea salt, black pepper, and tapioca flour) and bring to a full boil.
- Whisk the sauce occasionally and cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked pasta noodles and shrimp to the skillet with the sauce and toss everything together until the noodles are coated with sauce.
- Taste the pasta for flavor and add sea salt and/or lemon zest or juice to taste.
- Serve with fresh parsley and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Christa
Wednesday 24th of May 2023
The best!! I never write reviews but had to as this is so yummy! It can be hard to find truly dairy free recipes that are really good. I made it according to the recipe with whole wheat thin spaghetti the first time then the second time I did 14 oz pasta, doubled the sauce, 2lb shrimp and added capers and sun-dried tomatoes. Sooo yummy!!
Julia
Thursday 25th of May 2023
Yaaay I love that! So thrilled you enjoy the recipe. Thanks so much for swinging back around to share your experience! xoxo
Charlotte
Wednesday 4th of August 2021
Thank you for the easy lemon garlic shrimp pasta recipe. Just curious, what is "wrong" with using coconut milk from a carton that you find in the non-dairy milk section of the grocery store?
Julia
Wednesday 4th of August 2021
Hi Charlotte!
The coconut milk that comes in a carton isn't actual coconut milk. It has a great deal of other ingredients, including stabilizers, that make it do funky things (it often separates leaving you with a curdled mixture) when it's heated to a certain temperature. It also has very low fat content relative to canned coconut milk which means your pasta would turn out more soupy than creamy if that makes sense. Hope this helps!! xoxoxo