Roasted Breadcrumb Shrimp over Lemon Spaghetti

I feel like maybe I’ve done a lot of noodle posts lately. Have I? I hope it’s not too many. As the weather gets better and the days get longer, I want faster and easier dinners, and sometimes that means pasta.

Roasted Breadcrumb Shrimp over Lemon Spaghetti doesn’t take long to make and it’s easy, but it seems like fancy food. That’s because it’s actually restaurant fare. It’s a warm weather pasta dish I developed for a new restaurant-to-be that changed directions before I submitted recipes. So the recipe still belongs to me, you can totally make it at home, and I am tickled to share it!

Growing up we had shrimp often. My dad would go out and catch shrimp in his cast net, and into the freezer they would go. No matter how my mom cooked them, they were always a treat. Dad doesn’t throw the net much anymore, but I still expect to eat local, wild-caught shrimp a couple of times a month at the very least. I prefer 31-35 (that’s about how many per pound) shrimp with the shell on for most things. They have so much more flavor than the extra large or jumbo shrimp, and the pre-shelled ones always taste a little anemic and watery to me. For this recipe, I peel and devein the shrimp myself, but I leave the tails on. It’s prettier that way, and the tails add some flavor to the roasted shrimp. You can certainly take them off before you roast them if you prefer.

The simple lemon sauce on the pasta is nice, too, with or without the cream. Add parmesan and plenty of cracked black pepper to the basic pasta recipe, and you can serve these noodles as an excellent side dish on their own.

As written this recipe serves 4 generously. If you have any leftovers, save the pasta and the breadcrumb shrimp in separate containers. That way you can reheat noodles and shrimp separately and avoid seriously overcooking the shrimp. I reheat the shrimp on a sheet pan in a hot oven for a few minutes, but I microwave the lemon spaghetti. As good as they are on day one, I think the noodles are even better the second day–the fresh lemon mellows beautifully. (I refrigerate any leftover pasta even if all the shrimp gets eaten!)

Buon appetito!

Roasted Breadcrumb Shrimp over Lemon Spaghetti
1 lb. spaghetti, linguine, or vermicelli
1 cup or so of reserved pasta water
6 T. butter
3 fresh lemons, divided
½ cup heavy cream, optional
Salt and pepper
A handful of chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails left intact
1 t. dried oregano
½ t. garlic powder
⅔ cup of crumbled feta cheese
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
3 T. olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400°. Cook pasta in salted water for two minutes less than the package directs. Reserve about a cup of pasta water–I use a coffee mug or measuring cup to carefully dip some out of the pot–then drain pasta and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the zest and juice of one lemon (absolutely no seeds!), plus ½ t. salt and ½ t. pepper. Add ½ the parsley, the cream if using, and a few tablespoons of pasta water. Whisk vigorously for a minute. Turn heat to very low while you make the shrimp.

In a bowl combine the shrimp, the rest of the parsley, oregano, garlic powder, feta, breadcrumbs, and olive oil. Add the zest of another lemon plus the juice of half that lemon. (You can whisk the juice of the other half into the sauce if you like.) Toss the shrimp mixture until well combined. Spread on a sheet pan in a single layer. Slice the last lemon thinly and add to the sheet pan, but not on top of the shrimp and breadcrumbs.

Roast the shrimp for 10 minutes, or until the shrimp is uniformly pink and the crumbs are nicely browned. Remove from the oven.

About 2 minutes before the shrimp is done, turn the heat under the skillet back to medium, and taste the sauce for seasoning. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. If your sauce is too sour, add a little more salt. Add the pasta to the pan and toss with the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a little more pasta water.

Serve noodles topped with shrimp and breadcrumbs. Use the roasted lemon slices as garnish.