Home » Recipes » Pasta » Lighter Shrimp Pasta Primavera {30-Minute Meal}
By Taylor Stinson | 32 Comments | Posted: | Updated:
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This Lighter Shrimp Pasta Primavera recipe is ready in just 30 minutes, made with fresh veggies, yummy shrimp and the creamiest sauce!
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Spaghetti – you can make this recipe with any pasta of your choice like bowtie or penne noodles.
- Pasta water – this will help thicken the sauce. You could also use a cornstarch slurry or a potato starch slurry.
- Butter – or your favourite butter substitute like margarine.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic can be used in a pinch.
- Red onion – white onion or yellow onion can be used instead.
- Frozen shrimp – you could also try making this recipe with chicken breast or chicken thighs! Leave the protein out entirely if you want a vegetarian dish.
- Broccoli – substitute for another veggie of your choice like brussels sprouts, cauliflower or asparagus.
- Lemon zest – leave this out if you don't have any on hand.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Red chili flakes – this adds a bit of kick, so if you're not a fan of spice, you can skip the red chili flakes.
- Flour – cornstarch or potato starch can be used instead.
- Lemon juice – freshly squeezed or bottled lemon juice can be used.
- Milk – I use 2% milk, but you could also use heavy cream or a dairy-free milk of your choice.
- Parmesan – nutritional yeast is a great dairy-free substitute.
- Sundried tomatoes – roasted red peppers would also be good here.
- Frozen peas – substitute for another frozen veggie of your choice like frozen corn.
How to make shrimp primavera
- Cook the noodles and reserve pasta water.
- Sauté the garlic and onions.
- Add the shrimp and veggies.
- Make the sauce.
- Add sundried tomatoes and peas.
- Mix in the pasta and pasta water.
- Toss until mixed well.
- Serve and enjoy!
What to serve with shrimp primavera
This pasta primavera with shrimp is pretty much an entire meal on its own! If you're looking for side dish ideas, here are some of my favourites:
- Garlic bread or crusty bread
- Brussels sprouts salad
- Kale salad
- Glazed carrots
- Asparagus
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use pre-cooked frozen shrimp?
Yes! If you want to use pre-cooked frozen shrimp for this recipe, let the shrimp defrost as normal, then reduce the cooking time by a couple minutes so it doesn't overcook.
What other vegetables can you add?
This shrimp pasta primavera is a great way to clear out your vegetable crisper, because you can add pretty much any veggies of your choice. Try adding in some bell peppers, asparagus, green beans, corn, cauliflower, spinach, roasted red peppers and more.
Can you make it with another protein?
If you're not a fan of seafood, this pasta primavera would also be delicious with chicken breasts or chicken thighs. You could also leave the protein out altogether for a vegetarian version.
Can you use frozen vegetables?
You can definitely use frozen vegetables for this recipe – in fact, it would even cut down on prep time. Use any frozen vegetable blend of your choice.
Storing and reheating
This shrimp primavera will last in the fridge for up to 2 days. If you store the shrimp separately, the pasta without the shrimp can be enjoyed for up to 5 days. When you're ready to enjoy, reheat the pasta in a skillet on the stovetop or in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until warmed through.
Freezing this recipe
I wouldn't recommend freezing this shrimp if you've made it with frozen shrimp or frozen vegetables. If you made it with fresh shrimp and vegetables, you can freeze it for up to 3 months in glass containers or Ziploc bags. Let it defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat as normal.
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Lighter Shrimp Pasta Primavera {30-Minute Meal}
This Lighter Shrimp Pasta Primavera recipe is ready in just 30 minutes, made with fresh veggies, yummy shrimp and the creamiest sauce!
4.86 from 28 votes
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 528kcal
Author: Taylor Stinson
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 lb frozen shrimp deshelled and defrosted (about 35 shrimp)
- 1 head broccoli
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup 2% milk
- 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes sliced (packed in oil)
- 1/2 cup frozen peas defrosted
Instructions
Heat a large pot of boiling water on high heat. When boiling, cook spaghetti for about 8 minutes until al dente, then drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
Meanwhile, defrost and peel shrimp and prepare veggies. In a large pan, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onions and sauté for 30 seconds. Add shrimp, broccoli, lemon zest, salt, pepper and red chili flakes, cooking for 2-3 minutes until shrimp starts to grow pink.
Add flour, lemon juice, milk and cheese, whisking to get rid of lumps.
Add sundried tomatoes and peas, cooking for another 3-4 minutes until sauce starts to thicken.
Add pasta and a little bit of reserved pasta water, then cook on high for 2-3 minutes, tossing until well mixed. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Use a different noodle of your choice like bowtie or penne pasta.
Swap out the shrimp for chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
If you forget to reserve some of the pasta water, use a cornstarch slurry or potato starch slurry to thicken the sauce.
Store the leftovers in the fridge for 2 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 528kcal (26%)Carbohydrates: 74g (25%)Protein: 35g (70%)Fat: 10g (15%)Saturated Fat: 5g (31%)Cholesterol: 212mg (71%)Sodium: 1253mg (54%)Potassium: 956mg (27%)Fiber: 7g (29%)Sugar: 9g (10%)Vitamin A: 1088IU (22%)Vitamin C: 104mg (126%)Calcium: 339mg (34%)Iron: 5mg (28%)
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Created by Taylor Stinson
Hey there, my name's Taylor! I’m the founder of The Girl on Bloor, a food blog where I share healthy meal prep recipes for busy people. I'm a busy city girl living in downtown Toronto on (you guessed it!) Bloor Street. I've got 10 years experience meal prepping, along with a Master's degree in journalism, and you can find my work across the internet featured on publications such as Buzzfeed, HuffPost, Women's Health, Reader's Digest and more. I also run the awesome 5-Day Meal Prep Challenge, which is a free email course and Facebook group where I share my meal planning strategies and easy meal prep tips and recipes. Be sure to check out my free beginner’s guide to meal prep and follow me on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to get my latest recipes and meal prep tips!
Reader Interactions
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Did you make this recipe or want to share your thoughts? Make sure to leave your review below and tag me on Instagram #thegirlonbloor so I can check it out!
Mandy says
Super quick, super delicious meal! Thank you for this one, the family really enjoyed it!Reply
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you guys enjoyed it 🙂
Reply
karma says
i ate it for lunch it was great i really recommend y’all to try itReply
Taylor Stinson says
So happy you enjoyed 🙂
Reply
Jenn says
Could you use precooked frozen shrimp? Would you reduce the cooking time?
Reply
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Jenn – yes you can, but I would reduce the cooking time on the shrimp by a couple minutes.
Reply
Anne Campbell says
I am planning on making this recipe tonight, but I think I missed something. At what point do I add lemon juice? If I had to guess, it would be with the milk and cheese, so the mix does not curdle. Is that correct? The recipe looks so good-can’t wait to try it!
Thanks,
AnneReply
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Anne – sorry for the confusion, yes you do add it with the milk and cheese! This is one of my older recipes that I will be redoing soon, so I’m sorry for that missed ingredient in the steps!
Reply
Kaylan Shaw says
Is there any way to make this without parmesan cheese?
Reply
Taylor Stinson says
You really do need it for the flavour here unfortunately 🙁
Reply
Jennifer says
Do I buy raw or cooked frozen shrimp for this recipe?
Reply
Taylor Stinson says
Either or will do but I recommend frozen as it is cheaper. They will need to be defrosted, however.
Reply
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