This tomato and shrimp pasta is a perfect weekday meal. Made with simple and fresh ingredients it is flavorful and done within 30 minutes. Perfect for those on the go, and it can feed a lot very easily.
I have been and always will be a sucker for a pasta dish. This was one of those I threw together when I had a bunch of cherry tomatoes around and my grandfather was visiting me. He loves shrimp and that was something he wanted me to make him. This is what I made for him and I have loved making it ever since. To this day it is a dish that he would ask me to make anytime he stayed with me. I hope you enjoy this simple easy to make dish as much as he did.Â
In this recipe
What is great about this recipe is that most of the ingredients are already found in your kitchen and the others can be purchased pretty quickly and cheaply.Â
Shrimp: you want to get large or extra large shrimp for this recipe. They can be fresh or frozen however you don’t want them previously cooked. Make sure to thaw before cooking.Â
Cream: This will make the sauce nice and rich. If you don’t want the extra calories feel free to completely omit it.
Cherry tomatoes:Â You can cook them whole or you can slice into halves or quarters.
Cooking the shrimp
One of the things that you don’t want to do is overcook the shrimp. No one likes them when they get all tough and rubbery. A good way to tell if they are done is if they are opaque and pink and also by their shape. When they are cooked well they make a c-shape. If they are overcooked they will make an o-shape and there the tail will curl back onto the head of the shrimp. If you remove the shrimp a little early they will still continue to cook once you remove them from the heat.Â
Bursting tomatoes
If you are not going to slice the tomatoes and instead make them burst you will need to add them with the shallots. It will take a couple of minutes for them to get hot enough to cause the skin to pop. Make sure that you stir them around often to keep the skin from scorching. A little is good but you don’t want them to burn. By the time the shallots have become translucent and soft the tomatoes should have burst or will very shortly.Â
Pasta water for the win
One of your best secret weapons for any pasta dish is to reserve about a cup of water. Take it out right before you strain the pasta. The starch that is released in the pasta is great for making a nice smooth sauce that clings to the pasta. The less water you cook the pasta in the starchier the water becomes. A word of warning however, do not put a ton of salt in water otherwise when you use the pasta water you will make your dish overly salty.Â
Making tomato and shrimp pasta
Once you have added the pasta water then you will want to add the shrimp and then the pasta back to the pan. Then on medium low heat toss the pasta with the tongs gently heating everything back making sure it is nice and piping hot. Once you stir in the parmesan cheese you can add more pasta water if you need to thin the sauce if it is still too thick or it isn’t coating all of the pasta. Add the parsley and serve to some happy campers.Â
Looking for other pasta recipes?
Tomato and Shrimp Pasta
Equipment
- Pot
- Sauté pan
- Tongs
- Colander
- Bowl
- Foil
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds shrimp large, raw, peeled, and deveined
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved or quartered depending on the size
- 12 ounces fettuccini dry
- ½ cup parmesan cheese fresh grated
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup shallot chopped
- ¼ cup parsley finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced about 3 cloves
- ½ tablespoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pasta water
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions to make sure it is al dente. Do not overcook the pasta. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining the pasta.
- While the pasta is cooking in a sauté pan, on medium high heat, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, shrimp, paprika, salt, pepper, and onion powder and cook until opaque but not over cooked, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Place the pan back on stove and on medium high heat add a tablespoon of olive oil and the shallots. Cook until they have softened and become translucent, about 3 minutes. Then add the tomatoes and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Finally add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add ¼ cup of the pasta water and the heavy cream and reduce the heat. Add the drained pasta and shrimp and toss to coat evenly. Add the parmesan cheese and additional water to evenly coat all of the pasta.
- Top with the parsley and serve.
Notes
Save the pasta water to thin the sauce
If you want to reduce the fat remove the cream.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Oh my, perfect comfort food that everyone will love and enjoy eating! This looks so delicious and is very yummy! I just love seafood and pasta in one dish! Such a perfect combination!
This pasta dish was super delicious! The tomatoes added great flavor and color. Will definitely make this again!
I am allergic to shrimp, but I can’t resist making this for everyone for tonight’s dinner.
Looks so delicious!