Shrimp Pasta With Vegetables
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Shrimp Pasta with Vegetables is packed with fresh veggies and tossed in a delicious lemon garlic sauce that's ready to eat in 30 minutes! It's perfect for weeknights, yet fancy enough to serve as a restaurant-quality dish.
A Light and Easy Meal!
- Easy Recipe: This easy meal features juicy shrimp and summer veggies.
- Light Sauce: The lemon garlic sauce is fresh and bright...just like summer!
- Loaded with Fresh Veggies: You'll love the fresh flavor from asparagus, corn, zucchini and cherry tomatoes mixed with shrimp and pasta.
Calling all pasta lovers! If you enjoy shrimp scampi, you're going to flip over Shrimp Pasta with Vegetables. Crisp veggies are mixed together with your choice of pasta and succulent shrimp for a light and refreshing recipe.
Substitute frozen or pre-cooked shrimp if desired. But, if possible, use fresh seafood for the best flavor. And, be sure to serve this dish with Cheese Stuffed Garlic Bread for a delicious date-night meal!
Ingredients
- short dry pasta - I use campanelle, but any type will do
- olive oil - extra virgin olive oil works best
- fresh shrimp - cleaned and peeled
- fresh asparagus - sliced in thirds
- fresh sweet corn- kernels removed
- zucchini - dice in small bites
- cherry tomatoes - cut in half
- minced garlic - fresh is best for optimal flavor
- unsalted butter - keeps the pasta moist
- fresh lemon juice - a couple of tablespoons from a fresh lemon
- fresh parsley - finely chopped
- lemon zest - from fresh lemons
- salt and cracked black pepper - the only seasoning you'll need
Instructions
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking liquid, drain the pasta and set aside.
- Dice the veggies and cut the corn off the cob.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes per side until they turn pink and opaque. Remove the shrimp and set aside.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the pot or skillet. Add the asparagus, corn, and zucchini and saute for 4-5 minutes or until the asparagus turns a vibrant green.
- Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the tomatoes soften and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the cooked pasta, cooked shrimp, reserved pasta water, butter, and lemon juice and stir well until the butter has melted.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the fresh parsley and lemon zest. Add salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Serve immediately topped with freshly grated parmesan if desired.
Customize It!
- This recipe can be made gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta.
- Add some red pepper flakes, fresh herbs or roasted garlic for even more flavor.
- If using frozen shrimp, ensure they are fully defrosted before adding them to the pan.
- Pre-cooked shrimp can be used in this recipe to save time and prep. Add them to the dish at the same time as the pasta and butter, as instructed.
- Feel free to mix up the vegetables and use what you have on hand. Red bell pepper, yellow squash, mushrooms, red onion, snap peas, and thinly sliced Brussels sprouts are all great in this dish.
- Grated parmesan cheese tastes amazing on top of this dish!
What to Serve With Shrimp and Pasta
A light salad is the perfect accompaniment to shrimp and vegetable pasta. Try Rainbow Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, or Roasted Chickpea Salad that's loaded with flavor.
You could also serve shrimp and pasta with additional vegetables like Roasted Broccoli or Maple Bourbon Glazed Carrots.
Expert Tips
- If using frozen corn, ensure it is thawed and drained thoroughly before adding it to the pan. Excess water will cause the veggies to steam rather than sauté.
- I do not recommend adding the tomatoes at the same time as the other vegetables as they cook quicker and will become mushy. Add them with the garlic and it will work well.
- This dish cooks quickly. Before you start cooking, complete all of your prep, such as measuring, cutting, and zesting.
- Zest the lemon before you juice it. Zesting a fully intact lemon is easier than a partially juiced one.
Recipe FAQs
Any type of short pasta will work like cavatappi, macaroni, penne or bowtie. I used a type of ribbon pasta called campanelle, but you even use angel hair or linguini if you like.
Absolutely! Feel free to substitute blackened salmon, grilled chicken, or cast iron beef tenderloin if you want to switch things up a little.
Overcooking shrimp is easy to do and can cause it to be tough and chewy. Be sure to only cook them 1-2 minutes per side until they turn pink. Serve this dish immediately when finished to avoid overcooking.
Storage and Freezing
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat in the microwave at 30 second intervals, but be careful not to overheat or the shrimp will be chewy.
- Freezing is not recommended.
More Seafood Recipes
If you're a seafood lover, try these other delicious main dishes...
Recipe Card
Shrimp Pasta With Vegetables
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces short dry pasta I used campanelle
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds shrimp cleaned and peeled
- 8-10 stalks fresh asparagus sliced in thirds
- 2 ears of sweet corn kernels removed (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 large zucchini diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup parsley finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Chop vegetables as directed.
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking liquid, drain the pasta and set aside. Do not rinse the pasta.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes per side until they turn pink and opaque. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet or pot. Add the asparagus, corn, and zucchini and saute for 4-5 minutes or until the asparagus turns a vibrant green.
- Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the tomatoes soften and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the pasta, cooked shrimp, reserved pasta water, butter, and lemon juice and stir well until the butter has melted.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley and lemon zest. Add salt and fresh cracked pepper. Serve immediately topped with freshly grated parmesan.
Notes
- If using frozen shrimp, ensure they are fully defrosted before adding them to the pan.
- Pre-cooked shrimp can be used in this recipe to save time and prep. Add them to the dish at the same time as the pasta and butter, as instructed.
- If using frozen corn, ensure it is thawed and drained thoroughly before adding it to the pan. Excess water will cause the veggies to steam rather than saute.
- I do not recommend adding the tomatoes at the same time as the other vegetables as they cook quicker and will become mushy. I recommend adding them with the garlic as instructed in the recipe.
- This dish cooks quickly. Before you start cooking, I recommend completing all of your prep, such as measuring, cutting, and zesting.
- Zest the lemon before you juice it. Zesting a fully intact lemon is easier than a partially juiced one.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
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We really enjoyed this dish tonight. I didn't have asparagus, but had green beans in the freezer from last year's garden harvest, and they proved to be wonderful in this dish. I doubled the amount of lemon juice because I was a bit short on lemon zest. Loved the fresh tastes! I'm planning to make this one again and again, and for guests when they visit. Thank you!
So happy to hear you loved my shrimp pasta recipe! Thanks for leaving such a kind comment! 🙂 I bet those green beans from your garden tasted amazing in this dish! I'll have to try that next time.
Such a great dish for summer!