The Best Shrimp Pasta!
There are many recipes and versions of shrimp pasta but today I am going to share with you a proper Italian shrimp pasta, just like how it’s served in restaurants in Italy.
I have just come back from Italy, traveling from Milan to Lake Como, onto the Ligurian coast and Cinque Terre. It was an amazing trip and delicious nonetheless. Every day I indulged in various kinds of pasta and mouthwatering Italian cuisine.
I spoke to chefs, home cooks and restaurateurs while savoring the scrumptious Italian food and learned so much about Italian pasta and how to make pasta properly.
This easy shrimp pasta recipe is the first recipe I attempted at home after the trip; I was instantly transported back to the Italian riviera, where I had the best seafood and pasta.
The recipe is very easy to make, takes less than 20 minutes. The taste is spot on; this is the BEST pasta I have ever made in my life. You really have to trust me on this and try my recipe!
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Tips on How to Cook Shrimp Pasta Like Italians
- Cook the pasta al dente. Al dente in Italy is completely different from al dente in America. You want to under cook the pasta slightly so the pasta has a firm bite. Al dente is indeed better in texture and overall mouthfeel of the pasta.
- Use big shrimp or jumbo prawn if you can. The shrimp imparts a sweet and briny taste to the pasta, making the pasta absolutely delicious.
- DO NOT USE packaged frozen shrimp in a bag. They are mostly tasteless and had been treated with chemicals. Buy fresh shrimp in shells and heads, if you have access to them. I used frozen shrimp in a paper box from Asian stores, imported from Central America. I shelled and deveined the shrimps and butterflied them. They are sweet and briny, very close to the amazing sweet and fresh shrimps found in Italy.
- You may cut the shrimp into big pieces or butterfly the shrimp. I chose to butterfly them as they look pretty.
- Use Campari tomatoes for the juiciness, high sugar level and low acidity. They make the pasta extremely delicious!
Red Sauce (Tomato Sauce)
I personally love the sweet and fresh taste of tomatoes and I love healthy pasta with tomato red sauce. Here are the ingredients to make the red color tomato sauce:
- Extra virgin olive oil.
- Minced garlic.
- Ripe and red fresh tomatoes, preferably Campari tomatoes. You want ripe tomatoes as they are juicier and sweeter. The sweetness of the tomatoes will make the pasta sauce so much better.
- Chicken broth or vegetable stock (if you are vegan or vegetarian).
- Chicken bouillon. This is the secret ingredient that chefs used in Italy, to complete the taste of the pasta. I used Knorr Chicken bouillon powder.
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Traditional Italian Meal Structure
Italians take their meals very seriously. Traditional Italian meals start with Antipasti (starter or appetizer).
Your main course begins with Primi, which includes various kinds and shapes of pasta, risotto, polenta and gnocchi. The course of meal continues to Secondi, which is a meat or seafood option.
The rest of the meals include Contorni (Side Dishes), Insalata (Salad), Formaggi (Cheese), Dolce (Dessert), Caffe (Coffee) and Digestivo (Alcohol Drinks).
Eating is a serious business in Italy and I absolutely love that. That’s why Italy is my #1 European country. I absolutely love Italy!
What Dishes to Serve with this Recipe?
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner at home, I recommend the following recipes.
How Many Calories Per Serving?
This recipe is only 392 calories per serving.
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Italian Shrimp Pasta Recipe
This is a proper Italian Shrimp Pasta recipe, the authentic way Italian home cooks and chefs make shrimp pasta. The pasta is fresh, healthy, with an absolutely mouthwatering homemade tomato sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 oz spaghetti pasta
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 4 oz Campari tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon
- 4 oz peeled and deveined shrimp or jumbo prawn, butterflied
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chopped Italian parsley
Directions
- 1
Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Cook the spaghetti al dente, according to package instruction.
- 2
In a skillet or pan on medium-low heat, add the extra virgin olive oil. Saute the garlic until sizzling but not browned. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth and chicken bouillon. As soon as it bubbles, add the shrimp. Cook and stir until the shrimps are cooked and the tomatoes break down.
- 3
Add the spaghetti, salt and generous dose of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine well. Turn off the heat.
- 4
Top the Shrimp Pasta with chopped Italian parsley and serve immediately.
Jenn G
This was SO good. I added a few crushed red pepper flakes and some Italian seasoning when the broth was added. Threw in a handful of baby spinach and stirred at the end. Really delicious! Also quadrupled the recipe for all ingredients, leaving oil as instructed in original recipe to feed my family. Thanks for sharing!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Jenn thanks for trying this Italian shrimp pasta recipe. I am so glad that you like my recipe. Please try more recipes on my site: https://testing.rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Dee
Very easy to make and I loved the flavor.
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome Dee. Yes this Italian shrimp pasta tastes just like the ones in Italy!
Lee
The BEST shrimp pasta ever. Better than any regular Italian restaurants I’ve tried.
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome thanks Lee. Please try out more recipes on my site, they are all easy and delicious: https://testing.rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Neli Howard | Delicious Meets Healthy
I’ve been looking for a good shrimp pasta that packs in a bunch of flavor. Thanks for sharing this recipe, I know my son will love it.
Hannah
Would this be good over rice?
Rasa Malaysia
I wouldn’t serve shrimp pasta over rice.
Tina
Rice in place of the pasta?
Rasa Malaysia
No. It’s a pasta dish.
karen marie
This is so good! I modified it with what I had on hand (no compari tomatoes, to start).
Since I was using canned tomatoes, I skipped the chicken broth and bouillon. I finely diced three fat cloves of garlic, sauteing them briefly in olive oil, then dumped in the can of tomatoes, brought them to a simmer. I added several shakes of red pepper flakes, a little bit of salt (only a little because I heavily salt the pasta water). Given the timing of the pasta water coming to a boil and the pasta cooking, I was concerned about the volume of liquid in the tomatoes, so I added a shot or two of vodka. When the pasta was nearly ready, I threw about 10 very large shrimp in that had been cut into bite size pieces (because I”m lazy and it’s easier to cut them before they go in the pan than after they’re on my plate). If shrimp are cooked too long, they get tough, so I watched them closely to make sure they were still just slightly underdone when I drained the pasta (reserving a cup of pasta water) and tossed that into the pan with the sauce and shrimp, tossing it together to coat the pasta and finishing the cooking of the shrimp. I then threw in a swirl of olive oil and finely chopped fresh basil., and it was FANTASTIC!
Not exactly your recipe but without your recipe, I would never have thought to do this. So thank you very much!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Karen, sounds very delicious, yummy! Next time try to follow my recipes, you might like the Italian Shrimp pasta recipe I have here. :)
karen marie
I had the leftovers for dinner last night – cold from the fridge – and I have to say BRAVO! It was even better cold last night than it was the first time, when it was fantastic!
Rasa Malaysia
Hey Karen, awww, so happy to hear that you love the Italian shrimp pasta so much! :)
Jane
Hi Bee! I love your recipes! Can I use a whole pound of spaghetti? And if I do, would I just quadruple the rest of ingredients?
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Jane, yes it should work the same. Might need to cut down on the salt and add to your taste. :)