Lemon Garlic Shrimp & Chicken Pasta (Print View)

Tender chicken and shrimp in a zesty lemon-garlic butter sauce with linguine. Vibrant, elegant, and ready in 45 minutes.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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 more 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 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions 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 - In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add chicken and cook 4-5 minutes until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
04 - In the same skillet, add another 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add shrimp and cook 1-2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Transfer to the plate with chicken.
05 - Lower heat to medium. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Sauté shallot and garlic 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
06 - Deglaze with white wine if using and let reduce 1 minute. Add chicken broth, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Simmer 2 minutes.
07 - Return chicken and shrimp to the pan with cooked pasta. Toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed for desired consistency.
08 - Stir in fresh parsley and red pepper flakes. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve hot with lemon wedges and extra parsley.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It feels fancy but comes together faster than ordering takeout, and you control every flavor.
  • The lemon and garlic create this bright, buttery coating that clings to every strand of pasta without feeling heavy.
  • You get surf and turf in one pan, which means everyone at the table finds something they love.
  • Leftovers taste incredible the next day, cold or reheated, which almost never happens with seafood pasta.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water, I forgot once and the sauce stayed greasy instead of creamy and cohesive.
  • If your shrimp and chicken finish cooking at different times, just pull them out separately and don't stress, they all go back in at the end anyway.
  • Medium heat for the garlic is critical, I burned a whole batch once by leaving it on high and the bitterness ruined everything.
03 -
  • Use a large skillet or even a wide sauté pan so everything has room to move when you toss it all together, crowding makes it steam instead of sear.
  • If you want deeper flavor, let the garlic and shallot cook an extra 30 seconds until they just start to turn golden, but watch them like a hawk.
  • Always zest your lemon before you juice it, trying to zest a juiced lemon is miserable and you'll end up with mangled pith.
  • For a restaurant finish, swirl in one last tablespoon of cold butter off the heat just before serving, it makes the sauce glossy and silky.
Go Back