Roasted Shrimp Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce
Light and healthy Roasted Shrimp Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce. A rich creamy “alfredo-like” pasta dish that is light on the hips.
So… you find yourself swimsuit shopping, yet are craving comforting pasta dishes in between dressing rooms. What do you do?
Starve yourself? Give in to piles of pasta, then buy the XXL swimsuit that comes down to your knees?? Neither.
Do what I do and enjoy your pasta with a lightened-up version of your favorite decadent cream sauce.
I’m sharing my alfredo-like lemon cream sauce today, that incorporates less then half the parmesan cheese of normal alfredo sauce, low fat milk instead of cream, fresh lemon and herbs, and a secret ingredient.
Adding just a touch of low fat cream cheese, know as Neufchatel, helps to thicken the sauce so you get the same luxurious feel as a heavier cream sauce, yet with only a fraction of the fat and calories.
YAY!
This Roasted Shrimp Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce is not only lighter than normal, it’s completely irresistible.
I roasted shrimp in the oven while making the pasta and lemon cream sauce. Yes, I could have sautéed the shrimp in the skillet. But honestly, roasted shrimp just tastes better than seared shrimp. Trust me.
Once the pasta has had a few minutes to bathe in the lemon cream sauce, I tossed in the gorgeous pink roasted shrimp.
And there you have it.
Roasted Shrimp Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce. A lighter, healthier pasta dish that can be made in minutes, and will satisfy any noodle craving.
I used organic Fusilli Col Buco pasta for this dish, but you could certainly swap out whole grain pasta, or even gluten free pasta.
Roasted Shrimp Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce is a dish you can enjoy all spring and summer without a stitch of guilt!
Roasted Shrimp Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 - 1 1/4 pounds jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound DeLallo Fusilli Col Buco #101
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons low-fat Neufchatel cheese
- 1 1/3 cup low-fat milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs I used equal parts thyme, parsley and dill
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the shrimp out on in. Drizzle the shrimp with olive oil, then salt and pepper liberally. Once the oven is hot, roast the shrimp for 8-10 minutes, until they are pink. Take them out of the oven while the are still in the C shape, not O shape. (O is for overcooked.)
- Meanwhile, place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instruction.
- Once you drop the pasta in the boiling water, place the butter and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the garlic for 1-2 minutes, then add the low-fat cream cheese. Whisk to soften the cheese, then whisk in the milk. Bring to a simmer. Whisk the lemon juice and parmesan into the sauce. Then stir in the fresh herbs.
- Once the pasta is cooked to al dente, drain and add to the sauce. Toss well to coat and let the pasta simmer in the sauce for a couple minutes to thicken. Then turn off the heat. Mix in the roasted shrimp and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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I made this recipe last night for dinner and it turned out amazing. My boyfriend and I gobbled it up so fast. I added a 1/2 cup of romano cheese and 1/3 cup heavy cream to the sauce to make it a little thicker but I followed everything else exactly as it’s listed. I know this takes away from some of the “light and healthy” aspect of the dish, but I think it added a little extra oomph to the flavor. Â Also, I used rice pilaf instead of pasta and it worked beautifully! Thank you for sharing this recipe :)Â
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This shrimp pasta looks beyond amazing! Love this!!!
This looks absolutely fantastic. However my husband is on a 1200 calorie diet, so Is there anyone who knows what the calories would be for a serving size for this?
Gahhfdjska;fkldsagdas well I just made my grocery and dinner list for the week and it’s changing. Â Thanks for the healthier sauce, I like to enjoy a nice large portion of my dinners. Â I never buy milk, just almond or cashew because of it’s awesome shelf life so I’ll use that and maybe a little yogurt at the end if it’s dry. Â THANKS!
This pasta is right up my alley ~ love the lightened up sauce!
I made this recipe tonight! It was yummy! Except when I put the pasta in the sause the pasta absorbed a lot of the sauce so it was a little dry. Any suggestions? Ty!!
Hey Krista! Glad you liked it. Next time, try adding a little extra milk if needed.Â
Ok, thanks!! That’s what I figured — will give it a try. Thanks again :)Â
This is my kind of pasta! The sauce sounds so dreamy!
This looks so delicious Sommer! I love the shape of those noodles!
This pasta looks so creamy and decadent! I love the shrimp for the protein – so light and irresistible!Â
A lighter alfredo-like sauce – sign me up!
Love that cream sauce!
What a fun pasta! (maybe it could convince my kids to eat shrimp?!)
This looks so great! I love shrimp just about any way it can be cooked!
I love the shape of that pasta! This looks so delicious and something I would love to have on my dinner table!