Quick Weeknight Cajun Shrimp Farfalle with Lemon Cream Sauce
Quick Weeknight Cajun Shrimp Farfalle with Lemon Cream Sauce is cheesy, spicy, smoky perfection. This is a rich pasta with amazing brightness from the lemon juice and lemon zest. Unbelievably, this dinner comes together in only 20 minutes!
Ingredients
- 16 Ounces jumbo shrimp
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1½ Teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- 16 Ounces farfalle pasta
Creamy Lemon Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 5 Cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 Cup half and half cream
- 1 Cup grated parmesan cheese
- 6 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- 1 Teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ Cup pasta water
- ¾ Cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Zest the peel off of the lemon and set aside for later use. Prepare the shrimp by peeling the tails off (See Notes). Heat a large pan sprayed skillet and add the jumbo shrimp. Add butter, lemon juice, Cajun seasoning and salt. Flip the shrimp halfway through cooking. Cook for about 6 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside. In the meantime, prepare farfalle pasta according to package instructions. NOTE: Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water before draining the farfalle.
- Begin the Creamy Lemon Sauce in the same skillet that the shrimp was cooked in. Add olive oil and garlic to the skillet and allow to cook for 1 minute. Add half and half cream, grated parmesan cheese, butter, lemon zest, salt, black pepper, garlic powder and dried parsley. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add cooked shrimp, cooked farfalle pasta, the reserved ¼ cup of pasta water and shredded mozzarella cheese to the Creamy Lemon Sauce. Stir until fully combined for about 2 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
To remove the tails of the shrimp, pinch the tail where it meets the body of the shrimp and gently pull. The shrimp should slide easily away from the tail. You may also cut the tail off with kitchen shears, if preferred.
