Lemon Shrimp Pasta is simple enough for a weeknight meal, yet elegant enough for a romantic dinner. Best part, it can be prepared in less than 20 minutes and for around 5-dollars.
For the last few years I’ve been working on reducing our grocery bill, I kinda had to due to having two teenage boys who are bottomless pits when it comes to food. The only problem I had with trying to reduce the bill is that I didn’t want to sacrifice flavor. With a little planning, some smart shopping and a bit of creativity, I’ve been able to create several healthy, delicious and filling meals for around $5.00. I’m not talking just the entree, I’m talking the whole meal!
Any dish that has shrimp in it sounds like it would cost more than $5.00, right? However, shrimp is more affordable than you might think. With some savvy shopping tips and a great recipe you can serve your family shrimp and still keep your budget in check.
INGREDIENTS
Lemon Shrimp Pasta is one of my family’s favorite meals, because it’s full of flavor and filling. I love it because it’s easy to make and it’s easy on my budget.
▪ Angel Hair Pasta or Thin Spaghetti noodles – pasta regularly goes on sale for 10/$10. When you see this kind of a sale, it doesn’t mean that you have to buy 10 in order to get the sale price, you can buy just one and only pay $1.00. However, you can get it even cheaper it you pair the sale with a coupon, be sure to stock up if you can get it for less than a dollar.
▪ Butter – you can substitute the butter with margarine, but butter tastes best.
▪ Onions
▪ Garlic
▪ Shrimp – frozen popcorn shrimp from a discount store is really affordable, I’ve found it for around $6.00 for 14 ounces. For this recipe I only use about 6-8 ounces, it’s the perfect amount to keep the flavors balanced.
▪ Lemon juice – I get mine from the dollar store, 32 ounces for a $1.00, you can’t beat that price.
▪ Lemon pepper – the dollar store is a great place to pick up herbs and spices at really affordable prices.
▪ Parmesan cheese – I purchase 6 ounces of finely grated Parmesan cheese from Walmart for less than $2.00. I only use a small portion for this recipe.
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MORE IDEAS YOU’LL LOVE
SOUTHERN STICK-TO-YOUR-RIBS SHRIMP & GRITS
A southern classic, that’s traditionally served for dinner or brunch. Sharp cheddar cheese, smokey bacon, onions and the delicate sweet taste of shrimp come together…. continue reading
HOW TO PREPARE THE LEMON SHRIMP PASTA
Step 1
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
Step 2
In a large skillet, saute diced onions in melted butter for 2-3 minutes. Add minced garlic and shrimp and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Step 3
Stir in the lemon juice, then add the pasta and toss to completely coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and lemon pepper before serving.
COOKING TIP
◾ As much as I love cooking cast iron I don’t suggest using them for this recipe, the acid from the lemon juice will break down the seasoning on the pan.
◾ For perfectly cooked shrimp, cook them until they resemble the letter “C”. If they look like an “O” they have been overcooked and will be tough and rubbery.
RECIPE TWEAKS
Add some steamed asparagus or broccoli for added flavor. You can also try adding more shrimp or bigger ones. Another option, try using different type of noodles, my kids like it when I use bow tie noodles.
HOW TO SERVE LEMON SHRIMP PASTA
Before serving sprinkle with a little lemon pepper and some grated Parmesan cheese. To make it a meal, serve the pasta along side of a simple side salad, with homemade ranch dressing and some garlic toast.
FRUGAL SUGGESTIONS
Check this out, it’s an inexpensive option for garlic toast. Instead of throwing out the heels from your loaves of bread, freeze. Then, the next time you want to make garlic toast, pull out what you need, spread it with a little garlic butter and heat it in a hot skillet. Delicious!
What meal do you turn to when money’s tight?
Lemon Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces thin spaghetti noodles
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 8 ounces salad shrimp
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon pepper
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
- In a large skillet, saute diced onions in melted butter for 2-3 minutes. Add minced garlic and shrimp and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the lemon juice, then add the pasta and toss to completely coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and lemon pepper before serving.
Nutrition
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HELPFUL TIPS FOR SAVING MONEY
✔ Create your weekly menu from the weekly store flyers. Let’s say ground beef is on sale this week, continue looking through the ad to find other items that are on sale that can be used in combination with the hamburger. Now you’ve just created a couple of meals at a fraction of the price.
✔ Pantry Staples are an essential part of feeding a family on a small budget, plus it’s nice knowing that there is always something at home to cook.
✔ Successful Meal Planning in just 3 simple steps, saves time, money, improves nutrition, and makes cooking more manageable.
✔ 40 Things You Can Do to Drastically Lower Your Grocery Bill – learn how to walk out of the grocery store paying less per bag than you ever have.
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Making This Recipe?We’d really love to see how it turned out. Snap a pic & tag it on Instagram with @flusterbuster
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updated 10/28/19 (images and format)
Laura Lane says
Thank you for sharing this.
Laura
Christine Vandormolen says
that looks so good!!! You made me hungry..wait it's lunchtime too!!!
Gracie Lathrop says
This is great! I've just started planning out our meals and have really enjoyed it so far, I usually go and get 2 weeks worth of meals at a time and its awesome! My husband just got a ton of shrimp on a fishing trip and I've avoided using them because I don't really know what to do. But this looks easy and sounds yummy! Thank you for sharing over at Making Monday this week!
Wanda Ann Olsen says
This sounds delicious, I love shrimp and pasta and the price is great. Thank you for sharing at Tuesday Trivia. Pinned!
Wanda Ann @ Memories by the Mile
Lizbeth McGow says
When are you moving in girlfriend! This looks delicious! Pinning and sharing everywhere! Hugs and Prayers!
Marisa McCroskey says
This looks delish!! And I'm ALL about saving money!!
Kathy A Delightsome Life says
This sounds delicious! Dearest loves shrimp and I'm sure this is a very good, fast dinner! I am delighted that you shared with Home and Garden Thursday,
Kathy
Roxy Shaddix says
How are you calculating these prices? Is this from buying large quantities in bulk?
Robin Buster says
Roxy – if you look at the Cost Breakdown section of the post it will show you where I bought it, what size it was and the price. I rarely buy anything in bulk, however I do stock up on things when the prices are at their lowest so that I can continue to keep my meal prices down.
Teresa says
Shrimp pasta is one of my favorite meals, so I’ll definitely be trying this recipe. Thank you for sharing at The Really Crafty Link Party. Pinned.
Robin says
It’s one of my favorite budget friendly meals!
Mother of 3 says
We have been slowly add more fish and shellfish into our diet so I am always on the look out for a yummy recipe using them. Thanks so much for sharing with us at Encouraging Hearts and Home. Pinned.
Jhuls | The Not So Creative Cook says
I love anything pasta and I haven’t had it in a while. You are making me hungry! Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday party!
Sharon says
Yum! I love these budget friendly ideas! I have most of this on hand so we will try this!
Robin says
Not only is it budget friendly and good, but it cooks up really fast. Great meal for busy nights!
Petra says
What a great meal! I love the flavors going on and shrimp and pasta is such a great combo! Not to mention under $5.00, brilliant.
Thank you for sharing with us at Fiesta Friday 🙂
Miz Helen says
This is a great shrimp and pasta dish, looks delicious! Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing your post with us at Full Plate Thursday,456. We look forward to seeing you again very soon!
Miz Helen