Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp and Parmesan Lemon Cream Sauce

Angel hair pasta, also called capellini, served with shrimp and a lemon cream sauce with herbs and parmesan.

Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp Parmesan Lemon Cream Sauce
Elise Bauer

Some recipes are just so good I can't wait to share them with you, and this is one of them!

It's simple. Just peeled shrimp, cooked just through in a sauce of cream and lemon juice, and tossed with herbs, angel hair pasta, and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

My father was over when we were making it and kept looking up from his bowl saying, "oh, this is a good one." I've been poking into the fridge all afternoon sneaking more tastes from the leftovers, a small bowl of just a couple bites reheated in the microwave.

For those of you tempted to leave out the cream, yes, you can do that if you want. But be warned, I've tried it without the cream and in my opinion, it's not nearly as good.

Personally I would just eat a smaller portion. Because of the cream it's more filling and you don't need as much pasta for a serving.

Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp and Parmesan Lemon Cream Sauce

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 4 servings

We used medium shrimp (41-50 per pound) for this recipe, but little cocktail shrimp would also work. Use heavy whipping cream to avoid curdling when mixed and heated with the lemon juice.

*To defrost frozen shrimp, place them in a bowl of cold water.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

  • 1/4 cup chicken stock

  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 3/4 pound angel hair pasta (also called capellini)

  • Salt and black pepper

  • 1 pound medium raw shrimppeeled and deveined*

  • 1/2 cup (loosely packed) chopped parsley

  • 1/4 cup (loosely packed) chopped chives

  • 1 lemon, zested

  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method

  1. Heat salted water for pasta:

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. (1 Tbsp salt for every 2 quarts water)

  2. Simmer cream, stock, lemon juice:

    In a smaller pot, heat the cream, chicken stock and lemon juice to a low simmer. Simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes.

  3. Add the angel hair pasta to the boiling water
  4. Add the shrimp to the simmering lemon cream sauce:

    Stir well and add a pinch of salt and black pepper. The shrimp should cook in about the same time as the angel hair pasta, about 3 to 4 minutes.

    angel-hair-pasta-shrimp-lemon-cream-sauce-method-1
    Elise Bauer
    angel-hair-pasta-shrimp-lemon-cream-sauce-method-2
    Elise Bauer

    Halfway through the cooking, stir in the parsley and chives.

  5. Drain pasta, combine with shrimp, sauce, zest, Parmesan:

    When the pasta is done, drain and put it in a large bowl. Stir in the shrimp and lemon cream sauce, the lemon zest, and most of the Parmesan.

    angel-hair-pasta-shrimp-lemon-cream-sauce-method-3
    Elise Bauer

    Divide into servings, and top with the remaining parmesan.

    Note, if the resulting mixture seems too dry, just add a little water or cream. If it seems too wet, don't worry, the pasta will absorb the sauce.

Links:

Shrimp Scampi here on Simply Recipes

Shrimp with Angel Hair Pasta here on Simply Recipes

Shrimp and Pasta with Tomato-Chile Cream Sauce - from Farmgirl's Dabbles

Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp Parmesan Lemon Cream Sauce
Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
479 Calories
22g Fat
33g Carbs
36g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 479
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 29%
Saturated Fat 13g 65%
Cholesterol 301mg 100%
Sodium 1417mg 62%
Total Carbohydrate 33g 12%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 36g
Vitamin C 16mg 78%
Calcium 265mg 20%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 417mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.