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You are here: Home / Food / Feed 4 for 5 / Budget Friendly Lemon Shrimp Pasta Dinner

Budget Friendly Lemon Shrimp Pasta Dinner

October 18, 2013 By Robin 19 Comments

This post may include affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy for more information.

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.

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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.
Life and Home

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.


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?

Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Lemon Shrimp Pasta

Buttery garlic shrimp with a light lemony flavor tossed together with perfectly cooked angel hair pasta and topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and lemon pepper. Serve with a side salad and garlic toast.
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time10 minutes mins
Total Time15 minutes mins
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: budget friendly, pasta, shrimp, simple recipe
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 413kcal
Author: Robin | Fluster Buster

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

Calories: 413kcal

Print Coupons

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.


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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Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a commission. I only recommend products or services that I personally believe will add value to my readers. All opinions stated are strictly my own. Read our full disclosure policy for more information. 

updated 10/28/19 (images and format)

Filed Under: Feed 4 for 5, Food Tagged With: entrée, pasta, recipe, seafood, simple

Comments

  1. Laura Lane says

    October 18, 2013 at 6:24 pm

    Thank you for sharing this.
    Laura

    Reply
  2. Christine Vandormolen says

    October 18, 2013 at 7:36 pm

    that looks so good!!! You made me hungry..wait it's lunchtime too!!!

    Reply
  3. Gracie Lathrop says

    October 23, 2013 at 1:55 pm

    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!

    Reply
  4. Wanda Ann Olsen says

    October 24, 2013 at 2:46 am

    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

    Reply
  5. Lizbeth McGow says

    October 26, 2013 at 12:41 am

    When are you moving in girlfriend! This looks delicious! Pinning and sharing everywhere! Hugs and Prayers!

    Reply
  6. Marisa McCroskey says

    October 26, 2013 at 10:35 pm

    This looks delish!! And I'm ALL about saving money!!

    Reply
  7. Kathy A Delightsome Life says

    October 30, 2013 at 8:05 pm

    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

    Reply
  8. Roxy Shaddix says

    November 6, 2013 at 11:08 pm

    How are you calculating these prices? Is this from buying large quantities in bulk?

    Reply
    • Robin Buster says

      November 7, 2013 at 12:28 pm

      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.

      Reply
  9. Teresa says

    October 30, 2019 at 7:27 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Robin says

      October 30, 2019 at 7:49 am

      It’s one of my favorite budget friendly meals!

      Reply
  10. Mother of 3 says

    October 31, 2019 at 3:43 pm

    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.

    Reply
  11. Jhuls | The Not So Creative Cook says

    November 3, 2019 at 7:06 am

    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!

    Reply
  12. Sharon says

    November 4, 2019 at 9:09 am

    5 stars
    Yum! I love these budget friendly ideas! I have most of this on hand so we will try this!

    Reply
    • Robin says

      November 5, 2019 at 9:55 am

      Not only is it budget friendly and good, but it cooks up really fast. Great meal for busy nights!

      Reply
  13. Petra says

    November 5, 2019 at 3:39 pm

    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 🙂

    Reply
  14. Miz Helen says

    November 5, 2019 at 5:23 pm

    5 stars
    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

    Reply

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