Spicy Shrimp Pasta is a light pasta dish that’s perfect for the seafood lover! It’s easy to make, packed with flavor, and done in 30 minutes.
While I love seafood, I just don’t buy it all the time. But every time I do make it for dinner, I realize I should cook it more often. Luckily, recipes like this spicy shrimp pasta make it easy to do that! Like my Shrimp Pesto Pasta, it comes together in a snap, but the juicy shrimp and big spicy flavor make it taste like you ordered it from your favorite Italian restaurant.
Why This Spicy Shrimp Pasta Belongs on Your Weeknight Menu
This is a recipe you will make on the regular! Here’s what makes it so good.
- Satisfying without being heavy. What I love about this dish is that it is doesn’t leave you with that “I’m stuffed” feeling that most pasta dishes do when you’re finished. But the shrimp still make it pleasantly filling!
- Just the right balance of flavors. It has a kick of heat from the red pepper flakes, a slight hint of tomato and basil but not too overwhelming, and the perfect amount of tender shrimp mixed in with the pasta.
- Quick and easy to make. Shrimp is an awesome weeknight protein because it cooks up super fast. And so does pasta! This is a dinner you can put together even on the busiest days.
What You’ll Need
Here’s a quick list of all the ingredients you’ll need to make this spicy shrimp pasta recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Fettuccine pasta – I think this is the best pasta shape for this dish and definitely contributes to those restaurant-style vibes, but you can really use any shape you like.
- Large shrimp – Peeled and deveined.
- Seasonings – A combination of smoked paprika, cayenne, and salt, plus pepper flakes for some additional kick.
- Olive oil – Or swap in butter for a little extra richness.
- Shallot – This adds a subtle onion flavor to the dish, but you can swap in a yellow onion if you’d like.
- Garlic – I don’t think it’s possible to make a good pasta dish without garlic!
- Cherry tomatoes – Grape tomatoes work too. These make the pasta saucy without adding actual tomato sauce, which would overwhelm the shrimp.
- White wine – Be sure to use a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. Chicken broth can be used for an alcohol-free version of this dish.
- Fresh basil – Chopped basil adds a nice freshness to finish.
- Grated parmesan – For a nutty, savory richness.
How to Make Spicy Shrimp Pasta
Here’s a visual overview of the steps involved in making this easy weeknight pasta dinner!
- Cook the pasta. Follow the package instructions and cook the pasta to al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining.
- Season the shrimp. Meanwhile, toss the shrimp with the smoked paprika, cayenne, and salt.
- Cook the shrimp. Heat a skillet over medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sear the shrimp for 2 minutes per side. Transfer the shrimp to a plate.
- Cook the veggies. Add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet and cook the shallots and garlic for 2 minutes, Add the tomatoes and cook until they’re softened and blistered.
- Deglaze the pan. Pour the wine into the pan and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Add the red pepper flakes and simmer for a minute.
- Put it all together. Add the pasta, shrimp, basil, Parmesan, and reserved water to the skillet and toss to combine. Serve with additional cheese and basil for garnish, if desired.
Tips and Variations
These additional pointers will help you make the perfect plate of spicy shrimp pasta.
- Salt the water. Don’t forget to season your pasta water with salt before adding the pasta. This helps to flavor the pasta from within!
- Reserve the cooking water. It’s so easy to forget this! But that cooking water from the pasta is starchy, so it helps bring the finished dish together.
- Add more veggies. Add in some extra vegetables like zucchini, yellow squash, or red bell pepper.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this pasta with a salad on the side—my Burrata Caprese or Classic Caesar Salad would both be perfect! Or if you’d rather have your veggies cooked, pair your spicy shrimp pasta with Roasted Green Beans and Mushrooms or Sautéed Garlic Spinach.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Store leftover spicy shrimp pasta in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- To reheat: Warm your leftovers in a skillet set over medium heat with a splash of broth, or in the microwave. Just be careful not to overheat the shrimp or they’ll get rubbery.
More Weeknight Pasta Dinners
Spicy Shrimp Pasta
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This Spicy Shrimp Pasta is light and flavorful thanks to the addition of blistered cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. A 30-minute dinner!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb. of fettucini pasta
- 1.5 lbs. of large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1/3 cup diced shallot
- 3 garlic clove, minced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup of white wine
- 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water
- 1/2 cup of fresh basil, chopped
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- To a large bowl, add shrimp, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and salt. Toss everything to coat the shrimp with the spices.
- Add pasta to the boiling water. Cook until al dente, according to package instructions.
- Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and along with seasoned shrimp.
- Sear shrimp for 2 minutes per side. Remove from pan and let rest on a plate.
- Immediately add 1 tablespoon of olive along with shallots and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes, stirring throughout.
- Next, add in cherry tomatoes and cook until they are softened and look slightly blistered, approximately 4-5 minutes.
- Deglaze with the white wine and add in the red pepper flakes. Simmer for 1 minute, stirring throughout.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid and drain the remainder the of water. Add the noodles to the pot with the tomatoes, along with the shrimp, fresh basil, parmesan and cooking liquid. Using tongs, gently toss the noodles to coat and mix everything together.
- Serve immediately. Top with additional parmesan and basil as desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cup
- Calories: 452
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 895 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 59 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 224 mg
42 comments on “Spicy Shrimp Pasta With Blistered Cherry Tomatoes”
This is the best shrimp recipe I have ever eaten. Thank you!
Awe yeah! So glad to hear that!
This looks awesome! My kids love shrimp, so I’m always on the lookout for new recipes. I’d love for you to come share at Simple Supper Tuesday.
Thanks so much Cindy! If I get a chance I will totally stop by! 🙂
Pretty! I love shrimp. And rigatoni. And not feeling super full after a bowl of pasta. Pinning!
Thanks for the pin sweet friend! 🙂
Love it, love it, love it…my kind of recipe! This looks so delicious. I love olive oil with pasta and shrimp. Thanks for sharing!
Yeah, so glad you liked it Jodee! Hope you get a chance to try it!
Krista this looks great, fresh and delicious! I pinned this fabulous seafood sensation 🙂 Checking it out from super saturday link party! 🙂
Cathy
haha.. thanks Cathy. Ps love the “seafood sensation” comment. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by girl and linking up to the party!
Love this Krista! Haha, I am totally on the the “fish are friends and food” group and totally digging this dish! This looks amazing and love tasty 30 minute meals! Pinning 🙂
haha.. yeah for Fish are Friends AND Food. 🙂 I am totally all about the 30 minute meals too! Thanks for the pin friend!
I am definitely making this next week! Yum! I’d love for you to come link this up on my Tasty Tuesday blog hop!
Julia @ Mini Van Dreams
Awesome! So glad to hear it Julia. 🙂 Will definitely stop by if I get a chance, thanks for the invite!
This looks so delicious, I love shrimp and pasta! And your pictures are stunning, Krista! Pinned 🙂
Thanks so much Jenn! So glad you like the recipe and enjoyed the pics! 🙂 Thanks for the pin girl!
Shrimp and pasta are one of my favourite combinations. I love how quickly shrimp cooks up, so it’s a the perfect quick, weeknight meal.
Thanks Louisa! Yeah, shrimp does cook up ubber quick, definitely a plus for those quick weeknight meals. Thanks for stopping by girl, hope you have a great rest of the week!
I totally don’t eat enough fish, rarely cook fish, and I think only have 1 fish recipe on my blog… Arghhhh! I need to step up my seafood game big time!!! Thanks for the inspiration to get going on my seafood game!
haha… I’m right there with ya Chris. So we can go Fish Crazy together! 🙂 Glad I could inspire.
This would be a perfect dish for us on the weeknight. Looks fantastic and love all the ingredients – pretty photo too!
Thanks Deb! 🙂 I love how simple and quick this is, totally the perfect weeknight dish.
This. Looks. AMAZING! I love that it isn’t loaded with sauce and that it has a kick to it. And beautiful photos too, Krista! Pinned!
Thanks for the pin and sweet comments Julie. Loving the lack of sauce in this one too, totally the way to go. Sometimes the sauce just weighs down a dish.
This sounds delicious, Krista! I love simple pasta recipes that use fresh ingredients. Shrimp is one of my all-time faves. When my husband has evening meetings and won’t be at home for dinner he’ll often walk to the supermarket and buy me a small bag of shrimp to cook for myself for dinner. It makes a solo meal a lot more enjoyable, though I’d still rather have his company. Thanks for sharing!
oh.. such a sweet husband. PS love that instead of chocolate or flowers he brings you home shrimp. 🙂 The man knows you well, and loves you well!
Krista! This looks amazing. I keep seeing it on my various feeds, and now I am debating pausing the Bachelor (gasp), putting on real clothes, and heading to the store to get the ingredients I don’t have. That is impressive! Can’t wait to try it. mmmm
haha… love first off that you would be contemplating pausing the bachelor and that you watch the bachelor too! {intense show tonight}
This recipe is seriously awesome! I made it for a friend who just had a baby so she didnt have to worry about cooking and liked it so much that I made it again 2 days later. 🙂
True confessions? I had difficulty reading your post the photographs are so tantalizing! Wow. This looks and sounds so delicious and healthy too. Gorgeous.
haha… thanks Toni that is a great “true confession”. 🙂 Hope you get a chance to try it!
My hubby and sons are shrimp-a-holics, so I need to give this a try for them soon!
haha… love the ‘shrimp-a-holics’ comment. If they love shrimp then you totally need to try this dish Rebecca! Thanks for stopping by girl!
This pasta looks delicious. I love the spice added to it and am always looking for quick, healthy meals.
Thanks Christie, hope you get a chance to try it. You will LOVE it! 🙂
Love a little kick in my pasta.
Me too! {well, I guess you figured that out with this recipe.. haha} Thanks for stopping by Paula!
I love that this is so light and has no tomato paste sauce . Cant wait to try this!
Thanks Lara thats actually my favorite part too, hope you enjoy it!
This looks simple, fresh, and delicious, just the way I like a week night dinner to be! I wouldn’t get any complaints serving this! 🙂
Awesome Marcie, sounds like you and this dish are perfect for each other. 🙂 hehe
Krista, I love shrimp and I love pasta! This looks very delicious and sounds easy to make. I like idea of using rigatoni!! Thanks for sharing and pinning – have a happy Monday! 🙂
I officially LOVE rigatoni, its just a different kind of pasta and when it is cooked al dente it has the perfect little bit to it and goes perfect with this fresh light dish! Thanks for the pin girl, have a great rest of the week Cindy!