Sheryl Lee Ralph's Speedy Lemon Shrimp Pasta is the Weeknight Dinner of My Dreams

You don't have to be a huge pop culture fan to have heard the voice or have experienced the greatness that is Sheryl Lee Ralph. The recipient of both the Tony Award and Primetime Emmy Award, Ralph has blessed us with her performances for almost 50 years. From her roles as a lover, sister, mother, and now teacher, there’s not been a time in my life where Ralph was not either on a television screen or a topic of conversation in the house.

As a kid who was partly raised by the television, Sheryl Lee Ralph has always been something of a second mother to me. Back when she played Florence in Sister Act 2, and again as Dee in Moesha, she’s always been around and never down for any nonsense. She applies the same energy in her latest stand-out role as Barbara Howard in the hit ABC sitcom, Abbott Elementary. Ralph's God-loving character is respected by the students and fellow teachers on the show for her strong will, dependability and the maternal instinct she uses to quickly come up with the smartest solutions.

In true Sheryl Lee Ralph fashion, my TV mother has also come up with some helpful instructions to help us get dinner on the table on a super-busy weeknight. Here’s what you need to make Sheryl Lee Ralph’s 15-minute Lemon Shrimp Pasta.

Get the recipe: Sheryl Lee Ralph's Lemon Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients for Sheryl Lee Ralph’s 15-Minute Shrimp Pasta

To get started on this quick and easy dinner, you'll need linguine, lemon-infused olive oil, Cajun seasoning, large peeled and deveined shrimp, plus salt, pepper and lemon juice.

How to Make Sheryl Lee Ralph’s 15-Minute Shrimp Pasta

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the linguine according to package directions. Once cooked, drain the pasta, toss in one tablespoon of lemon-infused olive oil and set aside.

Next, coat the shrimp with the Cajun seasoning and the remaining lemon-infused olive oil. Add the shrimp to a skillet and cook over medium heat until they're pink, which should take 2 to 3 minutes. Toss the shrimp with the pasta, seasoning it to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Then, scoop up a healthy amount of shrimp and pasta on your plate and get ready to dig in.

Related: The Civil Rights Connection Between This Vintage Shrimp Curry and the LBJ White House

What I Thought of Sheryl Lee Ralph’s 15-Minute Pasta

Even if your formal learning days are behind you, this recipe is so easy that even Barbara Howard’s kindergarten students at Abbott Elementary could follow along.

I’m so used to heavier cream and sauce-based pasta dishes, but these lighter oil-based noodles were a pleasant surprise. With spring just around the corner, I think this would be the perfect light and bright pasta to keep in your arsenal. It won’t have you singing or dancing like you’re auditioning for Dreamgirls, but it’s so quick and easy to make that supper will be done in a snap. And that alone makes this a show-stopping pasta that I will most likely make again and again.

Related: Patti LaBelle's Simple Shrimp Scampi Pasta is the Ultimate Weeknight Dinner Upgrade

Tips for Making Sheryl Lee Ralph’s 15-Minute Shrimp Pasta

1. Load up on the flavors. I may have cheated a bit and added twice the amount of seasoning and olive oil to this dish. If you aren’t used to or don’t want to eat a plate of dry pasta, you might also want to do the same. I also added a couple of tablespoons of butter to my pan of shrimp to aid in the cooking.

2. Make your own lemon-infused olive oil. Sheryl Lee Ralph calls for lemon-infused olive oil, which you can grab at the grocery store. If this isn't within reach for you, the solution is simple. For every tablespoon of olive oil, just add a squeeze of lemon juice.

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