Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta -- #recipe by @LeslieBudewitz

LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  Why does lemon seem like a classic spring flavor? No idea, since the fruit ripens in late winter. But its flavor adds a burst of zing that matches the hopeful mood this time of year brings, and I’m all for that! 

This dish was written using a pot for the pasta and a pan for the shrimp and sauce. I’ve rewritten it to use the same pot for both; just be sure to leave the pasta and shrimp in the pot long enough to reheat, once combined. If you’re less concerned about the extra dishes than I am, you’ll easily see how to split the steps into two pots.

Speaking of lemons, I’m always careful to use less than called for initially, because lemon can be so overpowering and there’s no going back. Adjust to your own taste. We used spaghetti, but any long pasta will work beautifully. We served the dish with broccolini, but if you’re pushing the spring vibe, try asparagus. (This Asparagus Braised with Butter and Herbs will work beautifully.)  https://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/2023/06/asparagus-braised-with-butter-and-herbs.html

Serve with a green salad, crusty bread, and crisp white wine – it’s all a toast to Spring! 

What flavors say spring to you? 

PS: I finally figured out how to embed a PDF of the recipe for easy printing. Scroll down to the 💕 for the link. 

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta 

8 ounces long pasta 

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed

1 pound uncooked shrimp, tail off

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 medium shallot, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup wine or chicken or vegetable broth

3 tablespoons butter

juice of 2 lemons

zest of one lemon (save some for garnish)

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

1/4 cup parsley, chopped (plus more for optional garnish)

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan or more to taste

Cook pasta in salted water until just al dente. Save 1 cup pasta water and drain.

Heat oil in the bottom of the pasta pot (or separate pan). Add the shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Saute until pink, about 2 minutes a side. Remove from pot and set aside. 

Add the shallot and cook, adding more olive oil if necessary, and cook over low heat until soft. Add the garlic and saute another minute. 

Deglaze the bottom of the pot with the wine or broth, using your spoon or spatula to loosen the stuck bits and begin to create a sauce. Stir in the butter, and add the lemon juice, starting with about half, and half the zest. Add the cooked pasta and shrimp, stirring to mix until heated thoroughly.

Add some of the pasta water, if needed, to make a sauce that easily coats the shrimp and pasta. Taste and add more lemon juice, if needed. Add chopped parsley along with more salt and pepper, and optional red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

To serve, top with Parmesan, additional zest, and optional chopped parsley. 

Serves 4. 

💕 Click here for a free printable PDF! 

At Seattle Spice Shop, owner Pepper Reece has whipped up the perfect blend of food, friends, and flavor. But the sweet smell of success can be hazardous . . .   

Spring is in full bloom in Pike Place Market, where Pepper is celebrating lavender’s culinary uses and planning a festival she hopes will become an annual event. When her friend Lavender Liz offers to share tips for promoting the much-loved—and occasionally maligned—herb, Pepper makes a trek to the charming town of Salmon Falls. But someone has badly damaged Liz’s greenhouse, throwing a wrench in the feisty grower’s plans for expansion. Suspicions quickly focus on an employee who’s taken to the hills. 

Then Liz is found dead among her precious plants, stabbed by a pruning knife. In Salmon Falls, there’s one in every pocket. 

Pepper digs in, untangling the tensions between Liz and a local restaurateur with eyes on a picturesque but neglected farm, a jealous ex-boyfriend determined to profit from Liz’s success, and a local growers’ cooperative. She’s also hot on the scent of a trail of her own, sniffing out the history of her sweet dog, Arf. 

As Pepper’s questions threaten to unearth secrets others desperately want to keep buried, danger creeps closer to her and those she loves. Can Pepper root out the killer, before someone nips her in the bud?

Available at Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-A-Million * Bookshop.org * and your local booksellers!

ALL GOD'S SPARROWS AND OTHER STORIES: A STAGECOACH MARY FIELDS COLLECTION, now available in in paperback and ebook 

Take a step back in time with All God's Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection of historical short mysteries, featuring the Agatha-Award winning "All God's Sparrows" and other stories imagining the life of real-life historical figure Mary Fields, born into slavery in 1832, during the last thirty years of her life, in Montana. Out September 17, 2024 from Beyond the Page Publishing.  

“Finely researched and richly detailed, All God’s Sparrows and Other Stories is a wonderful collection. I loved learning about this fascinating woman . . . and what a character she is! Kudos to Leslie Budewitz for bringing her to life so vividly.” —Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of Crow Mary

Available at Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-A-Million * Bookshop.org * and your local booksellers!

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Spice Shop Mysteries set in Seattle's Pike Place Market, and the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, set in NW Montana. As Alicia Beckman, she writes moody, standalone suspense, most recently Blind Faith. She is the winner of Agatha Awards in three categories: Best Nonfiction (2011), Best First Novel (2013), and Best Short Story (2018). Her latest books are To Err is Cumin, the 8th Spice Shop Mystery and All God's Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection, in September 2024. Watch for Lavender Lies Bleeding, the 9th Spice Shop Mystery, on July 15, 2025.

A past president of Sisters in Crime and former national board member of Mystery Writers of America, Leslie lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat, an avid bird-watcher.

Swing by Leslie's website and join the mailing list for her seasonal newsletter. And join her on Facebook where she shares book news and giveaways from her writer friends, and talks about food, mysteries, and the things that inspire her.