Description
A luxurious one-pan dinner featuring succulent shrimp and tender orzo pasta in a creamy lemon garlic sauce. This restaurant-quality meal comes together in just 30 minutes with minimal cleanup, making it perfect for busy weeknights or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 ½ cups orzo pasta (uncooked)
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- ½ cup dry white wine (or substitute with extra broth)
- 2 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth (low-sodium)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Zest of 1 large lemon
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
- Additional lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Prep your shrimp: Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside. Having dry shrimp is crucial for getting a nice sear rather than steaming them.
- Sear the shrimp: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in your large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted and the pan is hot, add the shrimp in a single layer (work in batches if needed to avoid crowding). Cook for 1-2 minutes per side until they just turn pink and opaque. Don’t overcook—they’ll cook more later. Remove shrimp to a plate and set aside.
- Sauté the aromatics: In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes (if using). Sauté for about 30-45 seconds until fragrant, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn.
- Deglaze with wine: Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with your wooden spoon. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes until reduced by half. This concentrates the flavor and cooks off the alcohol.
- Add orzo and liquids: Stir in the uncooked orzo, making sure it’s coated in the garlic mixture. Pour in the chicken broth and bring everything to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, cover with your lid, and let it simmer for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. The orzo should absorb most of the liquid and become tender.
- Create the creamy sauce: Once the orzo is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, stir in the heavy cream, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Let it simmer uncovered for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens slightly. The orzo will continue releasing starch, naturally thickening your sauce.
- Add cheese and butter: Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the grated Parmesan cheese. Stir until everything is melted and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed.
- Return the shrimp: Nestle the cooked shrimp back into the orzo, gently stirring to combine and heat them through for about 1-2 minutes.
- Finish and serve: Remove from heat, sprinkle with fresh parsley, and serve immediately with additional lemon wedges on the side. A little extra Parmesan on top never hurts either!
Notes
- Wine substitute: If you don’t want to use wine, replace it with an additional ½ cup of broth plus 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for acidity.
- Orzo consistency: If your orzo absorbs all the liquid but still seems undercooked, add broth ¼ cup at a time until it reaches your desired tenderness.
- Shrimp size matters: Larger shrimp work best as they don’t overcook as easily. If using smaller shrimp, reduce their initial cooking time to 1 minute per side.
- Making it lighter: You can replace half the heavy cream with half-and-half or even whole milk, though the sauce won’t be as thick. Add an extra tablespoon of Parmesan to help with thickness.
- Dairy-free option: Use coconut cream instead of heavy cream and nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan for a dairy-free version.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ¼ cups
- Calories: 625
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 310mg