Date night pastas are my favorite.
Especially those that involve silky-smooth, creamy, lemon pappardelle ribbons topped with freshly ground black pepper and a pile of impossibly juicy, buttery, tender jumbo shrimp. Is there anything more romantic than a fork-twirl of creamy noodles with some cooked shrimp to effortless perfection in ONLY BUTTER? I cannot even express my love properly. The simplicity, the purity of textures and flavors, the combination of everything on the plate… goodbye.
Reasons date night pastas are ideal:
- Just because it’s date night! You don’t have to wait for Valentine’s or a reason to celebrate, or even another person, for that matter. It’s a special treat, a little mini-celebration of life and love, just because! Nothing better than that.
- Pasta is fancy-feeling.
- Pasta is manageable and fast.
- Pasta can be made in small-ish batches.
- Pasta is SO SERIOUSLY GOOD.
- Pasta goes well with wine. Which goes well with date night.
Lemony, creamy, silky, rich, delicate, simple and elegant all in one. It is the food manifestation of the heart-eye emoji. Go now. ♡
Other Date Night Pasta Yums
- Date Night Rigatoni with Sausage and Kale
- Date Night Mushroom Fettuccine
- Date Night Mushroom Pasta with Goat Cheese
Check Out Our Video For How To Make Lemon Pappardelle:
Click here to see the step-by-step web story instructions for this recipe!
Date Night Lemon Pappardelle with Shrimp
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 1x
Description
Lemon Pappardelle with Shrimp! Creamy, lemony, silky pasta piled high in a bowl with buttery shrimp and freshly cracked black pepper. Everything you need for date night! ❤️
Ingredients
- 1 lb. uncooked shrimp
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh garlic, grated (less than one clove)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup white wine (I usually eyeball it)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
- 1–2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 8 ounces pappardelle or fettuccini pasta (egg pasta or fresh pasta – yum)
- freshly grated black pepper
Instructions
- Pasta: Cook according to package directions (add a big pinch of salt to your water for better-tasting pasta). Drain and reserve some water. Toss pasta with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Sauce: Melt 2-3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the garlic; sauté for 1-2 minutes (do not brown the garlic). Add the wine; let it sizzle out for a few minutes. Add the cream; bring to a simmer. Add the lemon juice, salt, and optional Parmesan; bring down to low heat.
- Shrimp: Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Heat one tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp, season with salt, and flip when pink (1-2 minutes per side). Cover with foil and set aside.
- Assemble: Toss your pasta with the warm sauce. Serve alongside a pile of fresh, juicy, hot, buttery shrimp. Serve with freshly cracked black pepper and little wedges of lemon. Ooooh baby.
Notes
Shrimp: Tail off, tail on – either works. I usually look for the larger size (16-20 per pound).
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sauté
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: date night pasta, lemon pasta, shrimp pasta, date night recipe, lemon shrimp
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our must-have lemon recipes page. Check it out!