Lemon Garlic Shrimp & Chicken Pasta (Printable)

Tender chicken and shrimp tossed in a zesty lemon-garlic butter sauce with linguine. Perfect for weeknight dinners or special occasions.

# What You Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 8 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
02 - 8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

→ Pasta

03 - 12 oz linguine or spaghetti

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

04 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
06 - Zest of 1 lemon
07 - Juice of 1 lemon
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Sauce & Fats

09 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 1/4 cup dry white wine, optional
12 - 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

→ Seasonings

13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
14 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
15 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

→ Garnish

16 - Lemon wedges
17 - Extra chopped parsley

# Directions:

01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Pat shrimp and chicken dry with paper towels. Season both with salt and pepper.
03 - In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove to a plate.
04 - In the same skillet, add another 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add shrimp and cook 1-2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Transfer to the plate with chicken.
05 - Lower heat to medium. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Sauté shallot and garlic for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
06 - Deglaze with white wine if using and let it reduce for 1 minute. Add chicken broth, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Simmer for 2 minutes.
07 - Return chicken and shrimp to the pan along with cooked pasta. Toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed for desired consistency.
08 - Stir in parsley and red pepper flakes. Adjust seasoning to taste.
09 - Serve hot, garnished with lemon wedges and extra parsley.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent an hour at the stove but you're done in under 30 minutes of actual cooking.
  • The lemon and garlic make everything taste brighter without needing a heavy cream sauce.
  • You get surf and turf vibes without the steakhouse price tag or the intimidation factor.
02 -
  • Don't cook the shrimp longer than 2 minutes per side or they turn into little pink erasers.
  • If your sauce looks greasy instead of silky, you forgot the pasta water, add a few splashes and toss again.
  • Use the same skillet for everything so the flavors build on each other and you don't dirty extra pans.
03 -
  • Buy shrimp already peeled and deveined to save yourself 10 minutes of annoying prep work.
  • If you don't have white wine, just use extra chicken broth and add a splash of white wine vinegar for acidity.
  • Toss the hot pasta in the sauce off the heat for 30 seconds before serving so it really soaks in.
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