Lemon Shrimp Orzo with Asparagus

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Lemon Shrimp Orzo with Asparagus is a 30-minute Mediterranean-style dinner that looks like a fancy restaurant-quality main course. It's light, refreshing, and perfect for a quick Summer meal or a simple weeknight dinner. The orzo is coated in a delicious lemon garlic butter sauce and topped with capers and fresh herbs (basil and thyme).

 

Lemon shrimp orzo (30-minute meal)

This simple weeknight dinner is really light yet satisfying. You can make this refreshing Summer pasta dish not only in the Spring and Summer but pretty much year-round (as long as you can find asparagus). Lemon shrimp orzo is so easy, it's ridiculous. So much flavor for only 30 minutes of work. And the dish looks and tastes like something you would order at a high-end restaurant. Perfect for sharing with your friends and family on weekdays or on special occasions. I hope you try it and it might become your new favorite dish to add to your dinner rotation!

Quick overview of the recipe

The shrimp is pan-seared with Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.  After the shrimp is cooked, you will remove it from the skillet and deglaze the skillet with lemon juice, white wine, and minced garlic, adding butter at the end. Then, you will combine all these delicious juices together with cooked orzo, cooked asparagus, cooked shrimp, and capers. Squeeze in even more lemon juice into the final dish.   If you're looking for more dinner inspiration using similar flavors, don't miss these 2 delicious recipes:

Why you'll love it

• Easy but fancy! As simple as this recipe is, it looks and tastes like a restaurant-quality dish. The whole recipe takes only 30 minutes to make, so it's a perfect dinner for entertaining guests. Spend more time with your family and friends and not in the kitchen!
• The juiciest shrimp. Shrimp is quickly seared to perfection in a pan with olive oil and seasonings. This recipe will show you how to cook shrimp properly to make it delicious, juicy, tender, and never dry and rubbery.
• Nutrition. Lemon shrimp orzo is high in protein and packed with veggies (asparagus).

What is orzo?

Orzo is a short-cut pasta resembling long-grain rice in shape.  It is made from flour, like usual pasta.  Often, orzo is made with semolina (durum wheat used for making pasta).

How to cook orzo?

Cook orzo in a 1:2 ratio (1 cup of orzo with 2 cups of chicken stock or water) for about 10 minutes on a low boil (simmer) - medium-low heat. All the water (or chicken stock) should get absorbed by the orzo. You might have to add extra liquid (about ¼ cup, sometimes more), if the heat is too high, and some water evaporates, leaving the orzo undercooked. The properly cooked orzo should have a soft texture, just like regular cooked pasta.

What kind of pan to use?

Use a large, high-sided, heavy-bottomed skillet such as an 11-inch or 12-inch cast-iron skillet or a good-quality stainless steel pan. This will help avoid the burn spots and will ensure even cooking without lemon shrimp orzo getting stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Can you make it gluten-free?

Make this recipe gluten-free by using orzo clearly labeled as "gluten-free". Or, simply use long-grain rice instead.

Can you make it dairy-free?

Skip the butter and just use more high-quality extra virgin olive oil instead. Or, use your favorite dairy-free butter alternative.

Cooking Tips

• Use large raw shrimp, not small kind. Also, do not use pre-cooked small shrimp. When you use large raw shrimp and cook it with spices, you get so many more juices and so much more flavor! Using larger shrimp also makes a beautiful presentation.
• With raw shrimp, make sure it's peeled and deveined.
• Take the tails off. It's easier and less messy to eat the shrimp with a fork and knife instead of picking up the shrimp out of the creamy sauce by the tail. So, I recommend removing the tails.
• Do not overcook shrimp. Cook it for only about 2 minutes per side, just until it turns pink in color. Overcooking the shrimp will result in a rubbery texture.
• Use freshly squeezed lemon juice - it's not as acidic and has a much richer flavor. You can also use lime juice.
• Don't skip capers. They add a nice briny flavor to orzo.

Variations, substitutions, and add-ins

• Use other types of seafood, such as scallops, lobster meat, crab meat, or salmon.
• Veggies. Add your favorite veggies. My favorites are asparagus, green beans, broccoli, spinach, kale. You can also add bell peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini.
• Rice. Use long-grain rice, brown rice, or even wild rice instead of orzo.
• Add olives, finely chopped instead of capers or in addition to them.
• Sprinkle with freshly grated cheese: Parmesan, Asiago, Gruyere, or Pecorino Romano.
• Add pine nuts as a topping. I like to toast pine nuts briefly (and carefully!) in the oven for an even richer flavor.
• Add other toppings, such as fresh herbs (basil, thyme, or oregano), chopped green onions, or chopped chives.
• Make it spicy. Red pepper flakes will add heat. Use these sparingly, to taste, so that they don't overwhelm the dish.

Storage and reheating tips

Because this recipe does not use any cream or cheese, it is very easy to store and reheat. You can also easily make it ahead and freeze.

• Fridge. Store cooked lemon shrimp orzo in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Freezer. Freeze it in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
• Reheat in the microwave oven. Reheat in a microwave oven for about 1 minute. Taste and reheat for 30 seconds more, if needed.
• Reheat on the stovetop. Reheat this dish in a large, high-sided skillet on the stovetop on low-medium heat. Add a small amount of olive oil + lemon juice when reheating to prevent the shrimp orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

What to serve with it

Because lemon shrimp orzo already combines carbs (orzo) with protein (shrimp) and veggies (asparagus), serve it with a bright and bold or simple salad. Here are some of my favorites:

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Blueberries, Feta cheese, Pecans, and a simple Balsamic dressing

Arugula Salad with Lemon Zest, Pine Nuts, Parmesan, and Balsamic Dressing

Avocado Mango Salad

Apple Spinach Salad with Pecans, Cranberries, Goat Cheese, and Maple-Lime Mustard Dressing

Arugula Salad with Pears, Apples, Cashews, and homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

Simple Spinach Salad with Pine Nuts, Parmesan Cheese

Other orzo recipes you might like

• Creamy Shrimp Orzo with Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Artichokes
• Spicy Red Curry Shrimp Orzo with Snap Peas
• Chicken Orzo with Cherry Tomatoes, Spinach, and Basil Pesto
• Creamy Chicken Orzo with Butternut Squash and Spinach
• Italian Sausage Orzo Soup with Spinach and Portobello Mushrooms
• Creamy Butternut Squash Orzo with Sausage