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Shrimp spaghetti offers a delightful combination of succulent shrimp, al dente pasta, and flavorful tomato sauce, creating a dish that is both satisfying and comforting. It’s also a versatile and customizable dish, allowing for the addition of various vegetables, herbs, and spices to suit your family’s taste. Like a lot of Italian dishes, the simplicity of ingredients and preparation allows the meal to shine.
With it’s rich tomato based sauce that coats the tender shrimp and al dente noodles, Shrimp Spaghetti brings a taste of Italy in your own home. Ready in just 30 minutes this light pasta dish is filling and delicious. It comes together quickly so it’s perfect for a weeknight meal but the addition of shrimp versus other proteins gives it date night appeal and elevates it for entertaining.
Why I Love This Recipe
- It’s comforting. Pasta can always find a way to our soul, especially this shrimp pasta!
- It’s versatile. Add your favorite vegetables, or even change the protein, to fit your family’s needs!
- It’s simple. Sometimes the simplest of dishes can actually be the best.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Shrimp: Low calorie and high protein shrimp make an excellent choice for this pasta. You can sub a different protein if you like.
- Shrimp spices: Oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper perfectly season the shrimp. You can any of your favorite seasonings.
- Sauce base: Tomato purée and diced tomatoes combine with chicken broth to give a savory base to the tomato sauce.
- Sauce spices: Basil, Italian seasonings, garlic and onion mix in the base to make a velvety tomato sauce.
- Spaghetti: You can never go wrong with this classic noodle, but feel free to sub another pasta of your choice!
- Garnish: Parmesan cheese tops it all off!
How To Make Shrimp Spaghetti
Step 1: Dry and season the shrimp. Pat dry the shrimp with a kitchen towel and season it with oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Step 2: Cook the shrimp. Heat a large skillet with oil over medium heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes until the shrimp starts to turn pink. Transfer them to a plate and set aside.
Step 3: Sauté onions and garlic. In the same skillet, add a tablespoon of oil and butter. Once the butter is melted, add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Step 4: Simmer with broth. Stir in the chicken broth and let it simmer for a minute.
Step 5: Add tomato puree and seasonings. Add tomato puree and diced tomatoes to the skillet and cook the sauce for 2 minutes. Add in the spices, Italian seasonings, basil leaves, salt, and pepper. Let the sauce simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Step 6: Cook the spaghetti. Meanwhile, in a large pot with salted water, cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions. Once done, drain the pasta water.
Step 7: Combine shrimp and noodles. Add the cooked spaghetti to the skillet along with the shrimp and toss in the sauce for 2 minutes.
Step 8: Garnish and serve. Finally, sprinkle some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped basil, and serve.
Tips To Make This Recipe
- Don’t skimp on seasoning the shrimp. The oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper will add flavor to the dish.
- Cook the spaghetti just until it’s al dente, or slightly firm to the bite. Overcooked pasta can become mushy in the sauce.
- Before draining the pasta, reserve some of the pasta water. You can use it to thin out the sauce if it becomes too thick.
- Once the spaghetti is cooked, toss it in the skillet with the sauce and shrimp. This ensures that the pasta is well-coated in the flavorful sauce.
What to Serve with Shrimp Spaghetti
My go-tos for serving with shrimp spaghetti are a fresh Salad, Cheesy Popovers and Homemade Garlic Bread. You can serve Parmesan Asparagus or Baked Brussels Sprouts as an additional side. Another option is Caprese Salad with creamy mozzarella, basil, fresh tomatoes, and balsamic glaze.
Storing and Reheating
Storing: It will keep 3-5 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
To reheat: To reheat, splash some broth or water in the skillet along with the shrimp and spaghetti. Heat until warmed through.
Freezing: Allow the dish to cool completely. Shrimp spaghetti can be frozen for 2-3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frozen shrimp is convenient and affordable. It is important to thaw the shrimp according to the package directions before cooking.
Shrimp are cooked when they turn pink and opaque with a slightly firm texture. Be careful not to overcook them, as they can become tough and rubbery. The cooking time is usually 2-3 minutes per side, depending on the size of the shrimp.
Spaghetti is the classic choice for shrimp spaghetti, but you can also use other long pasta shapes such as linguine or fettuccine. Choose a pasta shape that will hold the sauce well and provide a satisfying bite.
You can add vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini, or spinach to the sauce for added flavor and nutrition. Simply sauté them with the onions and garlic before adding the broth and tomatoes.
You can use fresh tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes. Simply chop them and cook them down in the skillet until they break down and form a sauce-like consistency.
More Pasta Recipes
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
- Angel Hair Shrimp Scampi Pasta
- Creamy Mushroom Pasta
- Creamy Gochujang Pasta
- Italian Pastina Pasta
This Shrimp Spaghetti recipe features succulent shrimp seasoned with oregano and garlic, served over al dente spaghetti coated in a flavorful tomato sauce. The dish is elevated with the addition of onion, garlic, basil, and Parmesan cheese, creating a satisfying and delicious meal ready in just 30 minutes.
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Shrimp Spaghetti
Ingredients
For Shrimp
- 1 lb fresh large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For Spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup yellow onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup tomato puree, from the can
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
- 5-6 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 8 ounce spaghetti
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Pat dry the shrimp with a kitchen towel and season it with oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Heat a large skillet with oil over medium heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes until the shrimp starts to turn pink. Transfer them to a plate and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add a tablespoon of oil and butter. Once the butter is melted, add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken broth and let it simmer for a minute.
- Add tomato puree and diced tomatoes to the skillet and cook the sauce for 2 minutes. Add in the spices, Italian seasonings, basil leaves, salt, and pepper. Let the sauce simmer for 4-5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot with salted water, cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions. Once done, drain the pasta water.
- Add the cooked spaghetti to the skillet along with the shrimp and toss in the sauce for 2 minutes.
- Finally, sprinkle some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped basil, and serve.
Notes
- Look for fresh, firm shrimp with a mild smell. Avoid shrimp that smells fishy or has a slimy texture. If using frozen shrimp, defrost completely before cooking.
- Shrimp cooks fast, so be careful not to overcook it. It only needs about 2 minutes per side in the skillet.
- Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes after adding the tomatoes and seasonings. This helps meld the flavors together.
- Before draining the pasta, reserve some of the pasta water. You can use it to thin out the sauce if it becomes too thick.
