Say hello to your new favorite weeknight dinner; this Shrimp Broccoli Caesar Pasta is the perfect dish to add to your dinner rotation, especially if you’re looking to jazz things up, while still keeping it simple and healthy. You can get this dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes, a win-win in my book.
Whenever I go out for Italian food, I always want two things: a bowl of shrimp pasta, and a Caesar salad. It’s a simple combination that withstands the test of time, and never fails to disappoint. One night, when I was craving this famous combination, I thought to myself, “what would happen if I combined these two together?” and lo and behold, this baby was born.
Don’t be scared of the idea of caesar pasta; it’s actually super delicious. If you love a cream sauce pasta, then you’ll love this recipe!
And not to toot my own horn, but seriously, the fact that this pasta only requires one pot makes it SO much better. When my boys are hungry after school and I’m done with a day of working, the last thing that I want to do is make a dish that will require a ton of cleanup. Even recipe developers- who arguably go through quite a few dishes- hate doing the dishes after they’re done cooking. If I can avoid extra time spent on cleanup, I most certainly will.
So, here we are with literally the most perfect weeknight dinner, and if you’re thinking, “but I can’t make this recipe because of (insert reason here),” don’t fret; this recipe is fairly customizable! If you’re gluten-free, substitute in gluten-free noodles. If you’re dairy-free, try a dairy-free Caesar and a plant-based parmesan cheese (but just a heads up, this recipe has NOT been tested with either of those, so you’re on your own with them!). If you’re vegetarian, you can omit the shrimp and add extra broccoli. Point being, there are so many ways to enjoy this dish, although I highly recommend it as-is!
What you need to make this creamy, dreamy pasta dish
One pot AND only a few ingredients? Sign me up. This recipe is so easy to make and prepare ahead of time!
- Olive Oil: I recommend going for a nice California Olive Oil (Trader Joe’s has a great one for $6) but any olive oil will do.
- Broccoli Florets: You’ll want your broccoli to be cut into really small pieces.
- Shrimp: make sure your shrimp is deveined. You can also use frozen shrimp if you prefer!
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning: We’ll be using lemon and pepper in this recipe, but this seasoning is for the shrimp!
- Garlic: Fresh garlic really shines in this dish, but if you only have garlic powder, that’s okay.
- Caesar Salad Dressing: Your favorite bottled caesar salad dressing is perfect for this recipe!
- Non-Dairy Milk: I use almond milk, but any non-dairy milk will do.
- Chicken Broth: Chicken broth will help to give this recipe a nice creamy consistency.
- Angel Hair Pasta: I use traditional angel hair pasta, but feel free to use whatever you have on-hand. Spaghetti or gluten-free pasta will work fine too!
- Lemon Juice: Lemon juice adds a nice zest to this pasta, and really helps bring the flavors together!
- Parmesan Cheese: I always recommend purchasing a block of parmesan cheese and using a box grater to grate it finely. It’s much fresher that way. Pre-grated parmesan cheese isn’t as flavorful, and it’s noticeably different.
- Parsley: Parsley is the perfect garnish for this recipe!
- Black Pepper: A little black pepper as the finishing touch is *chef’s kiss* perfection.
How to prepare this one pot broccoli shrimp caesar pasta
- Start by seasoning the shrimp with lemon pepper seasoning.
- Add olive oil to a saute pan and saute the small broccoli pieces for about 3 minutes. Then add the shrimp and the garlic, sautéing until the shrimp is fully cooked through. Once the shrimp is cooked through, transfer the shrimp/broccoli mixture to a plate.
- Get out a large pot and turn to medium heat! Add the caesar dressing, the milk, and the chicken broth, and mix together.
- Add the angel hair to the pan, using tongs to move the pasta into the pot as the noodles begin to soften. Cook for about 5-6 minutes.
- Add the shrimp/broccoli back to the pasta sauce, then add the lemon juice and parmesan cheese. Taste everything and garnish with black pepper and parsley. ENJOY!
Other Kalejunkie pasta recipes you will love
Creamy Lemon Argula Humus Pasta
Restaurant-Style Creamy Red Pepper Pasta
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment below! And, since Instagram is my home away from home, tag me in your creations so I can see and repost on my IG stories! Enjoy! xx
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Cups Broccoli Florets, cut into very small pieces
- 1 Pound Shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Pepper Seasoning
- 5 Cloves Garlic, mashed
- 1 ½ Cups Caesar Salad Dressing
- ¾ Cup Plain Non-Dairy Milk
- 1 ⅔ Cup Chicken Broth
- 12 oz Angel Hair Pasta
- 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- ⅔ Cup Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
- 3 Tablespoons Italian Parsley, finely chopped
- Salt and Cracked Black Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Start by seasoning the shrimp with lemon pepper seasoning.
- Add olive oil to a saute pan and saute the small broccoli pieces for about 3 minutes. Then add the shrimp and the garlic, sautéing until the shrimp is fully cooked through. Once the shrimp is cooked through, transfer the shrimp/broccoli mixture to a plate.
- Get out a large pot and turn to medium heat! Add the caesar dressing, the milk, and the chicken broth, and mix together.
- Add the uncooked angel hair pasta to the pan, using tongs to move the pasta into the pot as the noodles begin to soften. Cook for about 5-6 minutes.
- Add the shrimp/broccoli back to the pasta sauce, then add the lemon juice and parmesan cheese. Taste everything and garnish with black pepper and parsley. ENJOY!
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What others are saying
Wow! is all I have to say about this recipe. I love the unexpected addition of the Caesar dressing; it really made the dish. And the trick about using tongs to break up the pasta is genius.
Isn’t the Caesar dressing fun?! So happy you loved it, Amanda, thank you so much for your review!
I love all your recipes, literally every single one of them is a banger.
I would love to try this one but my husband HATES milk alternatives, I’ve tried everything. Is there any way to make this with regular milk? Let me know 🙂
Yay! You can definitely make this recipe with regular milk. It’ll turn out just the same. ☻