This elegant Shrimp Linguine Recipe is packed with big Mediterranean flavors like feta cheese, fresh dill and bright lemon. If you turned a crispy triangle of spanakopita into a gorgeous platter of pasta, this is what you find!
Plump shrimp adds the perfect protein star to this Greek-style pasta dish. And the crunchy lemon and dill panko topping takes the dish to restaurant-quality level.
Easy enough for a weeknight, fancy enough for your next special occasion dinner at home. The perfect combination!
For more Mediterranean seafood recipes, try Greek Marinated Salmon Steaks or Roasted Branzino with Tomato Caper Butter.
Ingredients for Greek pasta recipe:
Before we get into the step by step directions, a few notes about the ingredients:
Shrimp: I usually use medium or large shrimp in this recipe, with the tails removed. Both are a matter of personal preference. If using much larger or smaller shrimp, adjust cooking times to ensure the seafood is just cooked through. Use fresh or frozen shrimp in the recipe. If using frozen, thaw thoroughly (overnight in the refrigerator, or soaked in cold water for 30 minutes). Dry the shrimp very well before cooking.
Dill: fresh dill is a key flavor in this dish, so do your best to find it at your local grocery store or market. If using dry dill, use on a 1:3 ratio. 1 part dry dill to 3 parts fresh dill. In the pasta sauce, use about 1 ½ tablespoons dry dill and in the crispy topping, about 2 teaspoons. If you're looking for another fresh herb, fresh parsley (flat leaf), basil or chives would work. Although none of them will give you that feta-dill-garlic magic that we love!
Spinach: fresh baby spinach leaves add a punch of greens to our creamy pasta dish and keep our Greek spanakopita vibes going strong. Substitute fresh, peppery arugula, if needed.
Red chili flakes: the recipe calls for a small amount of red pepper flakes for an (optional) hint of spice. Omit if you prefer a completely mild dish.
Full ingredient list and measurements included in the printable recipe card below.
Step by step instructions:
1. Cook pasta
To begin, cook pasta about 2 minutes less than package directions in well-salted water. Reserve 1 cup of seasoned water, then drain the pasta and set aside.
2. Make crispy topping
For the crispy topping, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add panko crumbs and toast, stirring occasionally until golden brown, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and add fresh dill, lemon zest and salt.
Toss to combine and set aside.
3. Cook shrimp
Quickly sauté raw shrimp in a large skillet with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. When just cooked through (2-4 minutes, depending on the size of shrimp), remove from the skillet and tent in foil to keep warm.
4. Make sauce
Add garlic and olive oil to the same large skillet set over medium heat. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until fragrant, but not browning. Add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and wine, raising the heat to medium high to let the wine reduce by about half.
Crumble or cut feta and add to the wine, stirring to melt. Reduce heat to medium low and add cream stirring occasionally until the sauce is creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Once cream sauce is smooth, add the cooked shrimp, fresh spinach, fresh dill, lemon zest and al dente linguine pasta, along with ½ cup of pasta water.
Turn the pasta, coating it in the feta sauce thoroughly and heating it through.
5. Garnish and serve
To serve, divide pasta between plates. Top with lemon dill panko. Serve with lemon wedges.
Need more seafood pasta in your life?
- Seafood Pasta in Garlic White Wine Sauce
- Stuffed Cannelloni with Shrimp
- Shrimp Rasta Pasta Recipe
- Hazelnut Brown Butter Sauce for Seafood Ravioli
FAQ's and Serving Suggestions:
I love a bright side salad with a rich and creamy pasta dish. This Mediterranean Tossed Salad is a house favorite. Garlic Lemon Seasoned Green Beans are another good option. And don't forget the Garlic Bread Baguette!
The heavy cream brings a lot of body to the feta garlic sauce, so I don't recommend a substitution. That said, half and half is your best bet if you need an option.
I recommend a dry white wine, like a pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc. But use what you have available. If you prefer cooking without alcohol, substitute stock and a tablespoon of lemon juice.
Ummm...all of them? I haven't found a shape that's bad with shrimp. From Stuffed Cannelloni with Shrimp to Fettuccine with Shrimp to Rigatoni Rasta Pasta with Shrimp, all the pasta shapes work well for shrimp!
Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store leftover crispy dill panko crumbs in a separate airtight container or plastic baggie until ready to serve.
Greek Shrimp Linguine Recipe
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4
Ingredients
12 ounces linguine pasta
1 lb shrimp, thawed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
⅔ cup white wine (or stock)
½ cup heavy cream
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
6 ounces baby spinach
⅓ cup fresh dill, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
Topping:
1 cup panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Instructions
- To begin, cook pasta about 2 minutes less than package instructions in salted water. Reserve 1 cup of seasoned water, then drain the pasta and set aside.
- For the crispy topping, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add panko crumbs and toast, stirring occasionally until golden brown, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and add fresh dill, lemon zest and salt. Toss to combine and set aside.
- Quickly sauté shrimp in a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. When just cooked through (2-4 minutes, depending on the size of shrimp), remove shrimp from the skillet and tent in foil to keep warm.
- For the sauce, add garlic and olive oil to the same large skillet set over medium heat. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until fragrant, but not browning. Add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and wine, raising the heat to medium high to let the wine reduce by about half. Crumble or cut feta and add to the wine, stirring to melt. Reduce heat to medium low and add cream stirring occasionally until the sauce is creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning. Once cream sauce is smooth, add the cooked shrimp, fresh spinach, fresh dill, lemon zest and al dente linguine pasta, along with ½ cup of pasta water. Turn the pasta, coating it in the feta sauce thoroughly and heating it through.
- To serve, divide pasta between plates. Top with lemon dill panko. Serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
I use medium or large shrimp in this recipe, with the tails removed. Both are a matter of personal preference. If using much larger or smaller shrimp, adjust cooking times to ensure the seafood is just cooked through. Use fresh or frozen shrimp in the recipe. If using frozen, thaw thoroughly (overnight in the refrigerator, or soaked in cold water for 30 minutes). Dry the shrimp very well before cooking.
The recipe calls for using fresh dill. If using dry dill, use on a 1:3 ratio. 1 part dry dill to 3 parts fresh dill. In the pasta sauce, use about 1 ½ tablespoons dry dill and in the crispy topping, about 2 teaspoons.
If you're looking for another fresh herb to use as substitute, fresh parsley (flat leaf), fresh basil or diced chives would work. Although none of them will give you that feta-dill-garlic magic that we love!
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Easy Recipes
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Greek
Karen
So much flavor! The whole family loves spanakopita and I don't know why I didn't think of making a feta-based sauce for pasta before? But now I know! It was fabulous. I used half stock and half wine, but I'll use all wine (per the recipe) the next time we make it. The dill panko is out of this world. I sprnkled it over our salad, too. Amazing!
Christina Jolam
The lemon dill panko is delicious on everything! So glad you loved this pasta dish. Appreciate you coming back to leave a helpful review!