Why I love this lemon basil shrimp pasta recipe
This lemon basil shrimp pasta recipe has completely won me over!
It’s one of those dishes that looks and tastes like you’ve slaved over the stove for hours, but guess what?
It’s unbelievably simple to whip up.
You start with a light white wine lemon sauce, toss in some shrimp, tomatoes, and a couple of fresh herbs. And then mix it with Rotini pasta.
And voila, the perfect dinner party recipe that’s ready in 15 minutes.
Looking for more delicious pasta recipes? You'll love Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp and Tomato Chicken Pesto Pasta.
Ingredients
Here is your shopping list (for 6 servings):
- Pasta – 1 16-ounce box rotini or other small pasta
- Seafood – 2 pounds shelled and de-veined shrimp. You can use frozen shrimp, but make sure to thaw them before cooking.
- Dairy – 4 Tablespoons butter
- Fresh produce – 1 medium cooking onion, 4 cloves garlic, 6 tomatoes, 1 lemon
- Alcohol – ½ cup dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
- Herbs – ¼ cup fresh basil, ¼ cup fresh parsley – This is one recipe where I would not substitute dried herbs for the fresh ones. They just don’t give the dish the same fresh flavor.
- Seasoning – 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper
How to make Lemon Basil Shrimp Pasta With Tomatoes And White Wine
1 | Prep work
Chop the onion into small pieces so they’ll cook evenly. I like to use a mini food processor for this step.
Mince the garlic. Using a garlic press is the easiest way to do this, but you can chop by hand if you don’t have one.
Dice the tomatoes into bite-sized chunks to blend well with the pasta.
Roughly chop the parsley and basil. You don’t want to make the pieces too small or they will disintegrate when you cook them.
Squeeze the juice from a lemon.
2 | Boil the pasta
Fill a large stockpot with water, add a pinch of salt, and bring it to a boil.
Add the rotini and cook according to the package instructions until it’s al dente (it should be tender but not mushy).
Drain the pasta in a colander, then return it to the pot. We’ll be adding the sauce into it when it’s done.
3 | Saute onions and garlic
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it melts.
Add the chopped onions and minced garlic.
Cook them until they are tender and translucent, which usually takes about 5 minutes.
Stir occasionally to prevent them from burning, which can give a bitter taste to your dish.
4 | Add the rest of the ingredients
To the sauteed onions and garlic, add the diced tomatoes, white wine, lemon juice, chopped basil, parsley, salt, and black pepper.
Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil. This will help reduce the wine and intensify the flavors.
Then, add the shrimp and cook, stirring frequently until they turn pink and opaque, which should take about 3 to 5 minutes.
Be careful not to overcook the shrimp as they can become rubbery.
5 | Serve
Pour the shrimp and sauce mixture over the cooked rotini in the stockpot.
Toss everything together to coat the pasta evenly with the sauce.
Serve the pasta in bowls and sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the top for some extra flavor.
This dish pairs beautifully with a light salad and a slice of crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
Serving suggestions
Garnish the lemon basil shrimp pasta with extra chopped fresh parsley and basil to enhance the freshness and color of the dish.
Adding a few lemon slices or wedges on the side not only makes the dish look more inviting but also allows guests to add extra lemony zing to their taste.
Serve this pasta with a side of crusty garlic bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
A simple green salad dressed with a lemon vinaigrette complements the flavors of the pasta well.
For wine pairings, a chilled glass of Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc pairs beautifully, enhancing the light and zesty nature of the dish. But most white wines will go well with it.
White Wine Lemon Basil Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 16-ounce box rotini or other small pasta
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 1 medium cooking onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 6 tomatoes chopped
- ½ cup white wine
- juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 pounds shelled, deveined shrimp
Equipment
- Stock Pot for cooking the pasta
- knife
- saute pan
- measuring cups and spoons
Instructions
- Cook the rotini in the large stockpot following the package instructions. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot after it has finished cooking.1 16-ounce box rotini or other small pasta
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in the saucepan over medium heat.4 Tablespoons butter
- Saute the onion and garlic in the butter until they are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.1 medium cooking onion, 4 cloves garlic
- Add the shrimp, tomatoes, wine, lemon juice, basil, parsley, salt and black pepper.6 tomatoes, ½ cup white wine, juice of 1 lemon, ¼ cup fresh basil, ¼ cup fresh parsley, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add the shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until it has turned pink.2 pounds shelled, deveined shrimp
- Stir the shrimp mixture into the rotini pasta in the stock pot.
- Serve with grated parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Have comments or questions about our lemon basil shrimp pasta recipe? Tell us in the section below.
This post was originally published on September 3, 2015 but was updated with new content on March 19, 2024.
This is so good! I made it for Wade and I and he had two helpings. We enjoyed the left overs even more on the second day.
I like the leftovers the next day, too. I think the pasta soaks up the flavor from the sauce and makes it taste even better.