Lemon Garlic Shrimp & Chicken Pasta (Print)

Tender chicken and succulent shrimp tossed with linguine in a vibrant lemon-garlic butter sauce. Elegant yet simple.

# Components:

→ Proteins

01 - 8 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
02 - 8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

→ Pasta

03 - 12 oz linguine or spaghetti

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

04 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
06 - Zest of 1 lemon
07 - Juice of 1 lemon
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Sauce & Fats

09 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 1/4 cup dry white wine, optional
12 - 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

→ Seasonings

13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional for pasta water
14 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
15 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

→ Garnish

16 - Lemon wedges
17 - Extra chopped fresh parsley

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Pat shrimp and chicken dry with paper towels. Season both with salt and pepper.
03 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 4-5 minutes until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
04 - Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add shrimp and cook 1-2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Transfer to the plate with chicken.
05 - Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Sauté shallot and garlic for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
06 - Add white wine if using and simmer 1 minute to reduce. Pour in chicken broth, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Simmer for 2 minutes.
07 - Return chicken and shrimp to the skillet with cooked pasta. Toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve desired consistency.
08 - Stir in fresh parsley and red pepper flakes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with lemon wedges and extra parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours on it, but you're done in under an hour and most of that is just waiting for water to boil.
  • The lemon cuts through the richness in a way that makes you want to twirl one more forkful even when you're full.
  • You get to use one pan for the proteins and sauce, which means less cleanup and more flavor building in those browned bits.
  • It works for a regular Tuesday or when someone you want to impress is coming over, and no one needs to know how easy it actually was.
02 -
  • Don't cook the shrimp and chicken together or they'll steam instead of sear, and you'll lose that caramelized flavor that makes this dish special.
  • If your sauce looks greasy or broken, a tablespoon of pasta water whisked in vigorously will emulsify it back into something silky and cohesive.
  • Taste the dish before you serve it because the saltiness of your broth and pasta water can vary wildly, and underseasoned pasta is heartbreaking.
03 -
  • Reserve more pasta water than you think you need because you can always add it, but you can't take it back, and it's the key to a glossy, restaurant-style sauce.
  • Use the zest before you juice the lemon, it's nearly impossible to zest a juiced lemon, and the zest carries so much more flavor than the juice alone.
  • If you want a richer sauce, stir in a couple tablespoons of heavy cream with the broth, and it'll turn into something almost decadent without losing the brightness.
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