Easy Italian Shrimp Pasta
This Shrimp Pasta, is a delicious fresh herb Italian sautéed shrimp recipe, made even better served tossed with pasta. Fast and easy never tasted so good. Make it your next dinner idea, perfect for a family or special occasion get together!
I have to admit I am not a great lover of fish. I have come to enjoy a few types of fish such as Italian baked trout or even a delicious seafood appetizer, but I would have a hard choice of choosing fish or meat unless of course you might be talking about this shrimp & pasta dish!
I am a devout follower of anything made with pasta. I can’t get enough. And this shrimp pasta is easy and delicious, so what more could you ask for? It is the perfect quick and easy dinner recipe, ready in about 15 minutes. It’s even fancy enough for guests.
Ingredients for the recipe
- Shrimp
- Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Fresh Italian Parsley
- Salt
- Hot Pepper Flakes
- Cooked Pasta
What is the best shrimp to use?
Be sure to use good quality fresh or frozen shrimp that is peeled, or peel and devein it yourself. Any size of shrimp works here as long as you don’t overcook it. I sometimes get pre-cooked shrimp and that only take 1-2 minutes to cook.
How to make Shrimp Pasta
In a large pot, boil the water, add salt and the pasta, continue on a hard boil stirring often. Cook the pasta until al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, in a large frying pan add the olive oil, garlic, fresh parsley, shrimp, salt and hot pepper flakes if desired. Cook on medium heat until the shrimp are cooked and no longer pink.
When shrimps are cooked, add the cooked al dente pasta and some of the pasta water, cook on high heat tossing together until the water has evaporated almost becoming a creamy mixture, serve immediately topped with fresh chopped parsley.
How to cook pasta
Always cook the pasta in enough water, you will need 4 cups (1 litre) for 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) of pasta. Be sure to choose the correct size pot, you don’t want the water to reach the rim and overflow, because pasta, when cooked, can increase in volume up to three times. Always cover the pot when boiling the water, but remove it once the pasta has been added.
Calculate about 5g (1 teaspoon) of salt for every litre (quart) of water. Add the salt only when the water has reached a boil and never before.
After adding the pasta to the pot, bring it back to a boil and keep it at a boil while the pasta is cooking. This allows the pasta to achieve an even cooking, be sure to stir frequently while it is cooking.
Never pass the freshly drained pasta under running tap water. You should never stop the cooking, even when you are making a cold pasta salad, let it cool by adding a drizzle of olive oil to prevent it from sticking.
Drain the pasta al dente, this is done by tasting, if it has a bite to it it’s ready, nothing worse than mushy pasta. If you have to toss the pasta in a pan with sauce then cook it at least one minute less. And be sure to leave some pasta water to add to the pan.
What is the best shrimp to use
I usually use medium to large shrimp. You can either use peeled shrimp or leave it unpeeled. I was always taught to leave it unpeeled, that way you eat the delicious pasta that is full of so much flavour, from the shrimp, olive oil and fresh parsley, a meal in itself first.
And then you dine on the shrimp. Much like the peel and eat shrimp you have in a restaurant. Believe me for something that comes together so quickly it is hard to imagine it could taste so amazing.
Or if you prefer peel the shrimp before cooking and then you just eat the pasta together with the shrimp. Either way it is the perfect Italian Pasta dish that takes no time to make and that is really yummy.
What is the best pasta to serve with shrimp?
I prefer to use a long pasta, either spaghetti or linguine would work. I am not a big lover of spaghettini or angel hair so I wouldn’t recommend either. I like more of a bite. But again, it’s up to you. This recipe calls for three cups cooked pasta, which means that two ounces of dried pasta should give you more or less one cup of cooked.
How to store leftovers
Store any leftovers in an air tight container, properly stored, the pasta will last for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Can I add tomatoes to the shrimp?
Yes you can, I recommend adding 15 or so halved grape tomatoes to the garlic and oil, cook for about 10 minutes then add the shrimp and continue with the recipe.
can you use frozen shrimp?
You can use frozen shrimp, just make sure there is nothing added, no sauce or spices. Let it thaw then drain and pat dry to remove excess moisture.
More shrimp recipes to try
So if you are looking for a quick and easy Pasta recipe I hope you give this Shrimp Pasta a try and let me know how it turns out. Buon Appetito!
Easy Italian Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 1½-2 cups shrimp (medium or large, peeled and deveined)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3-4 tablespoons Italian parsley (freshly chopped divided)
- 1-2 pinches salt (additional salt if desired)
- 1-2 dashes hot pepper flakes or black pepper (if desired)
- 3 cups cooked long pasta (spaghetti)*
*1 cup cooked pasta equals approximately 2 ounces dry.
Instructions
- Cook the pasta al dente in a large pot of boiling salted water. Stirring often.
- While the pasta is cooking, in a large frying pan add the olive oil, garlic, chopped parsley, shrimp, salt and hot pepper flakes. Cook on medium heat until shrimps are cooked and no longer pink approximately 5-6 minutes, if you use pre-cooked shrimp then cook for only 1-2 minutes, but watch them and stir occasionally, because you don't want them to burn or stick to the pan.
- When shrimps are cooked, add the cooked al dente pasta and ¼ cup (60 grams) of pasta water, cook on high heat tossing together until the water has evaporated approximately 1 minutes, almost becoming a creamy mixture, serve immediately topped with fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Updated from February 25, 2014.
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This is one of my family’s favorite meals. We are fortunate to live on the west coast of Florida and have access to fresh seafood all year. I sometimes make this with risotto too. Thank you for sharing so many of the recipes I enjoyed at my Nana’s table.
Hi Marcella, thanks so much so glad everyone enjoyed it and I could bring back memories! Take care.
Made this for Good Friday dinner. Was a big hit with the family. So easy, yet so delicious!!
Hi Joan, thanks so much, so glad everyone enjoyed it. Happy Easter.
Can I freeze this?
Hi Sammie, I wouldn’t freeze pasta but you could freeze the cooked shrimp. 🙂
Fantastic and simple. I made this recipe tonight. I wanted something simple and I had all the ingredients in hand. It took hardly any time to prepare . I made a salad and had some French bread. It was amazing and my husband loved it. Thank you.
Hi Nancy, thanks so much, so glad you both enjoyed it. Have a great weekend.
I made this dish for my husband last night…had to tweak it a bit because I didn’t have the parsley and we don’t do red pepper flakes, lol. I also added broccoli. But I think it took our marriage to another level…he loved it! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Andrea, thanks so glad you both enjoyed it. Take care.
I prepared this dish this evening. I don’t think I did anything wrong, as I followed the recipe exactly. The pasta had no flavor or taste. The shrimp turned out perfectly, but did nothing for the flavor of the pasta. In my opinion, for what it’s worth, is that some additional flavoring needs to be added to this recipe.
Hi Sherry, you should probably add more parsley, a little more salt and even some hot pepper flakes if you find it too bland. Let me know.
This recipe was super easy to make. I added grated parmesan cheese for an extra touch of flavor.
Hi Kendra, thanks so glad you enjoyed it.
This looks so amazing, and delightfully easy. I find dishes that have that a very simple ingredient list and directions tend to be the most flavorful and rustic. This is a must try for me.
Hi lla, thanks so much, let me know how you like it.
just to let you know…iam so enjoying your recipes!!!…
Hi Rebecca, thanks so much. 🙂
May i know how can i prepare this dish for a party? Can i prepare this 1-2 hours before serving ? Will the pasta dry out or become soggy?
Hi Pauline, no I would not recommend making this 1-2 hours before serving, it will become gluey and stick together. It’s best made and served immediately. What you could do is make the shrimp part ahead of time and 15 minutes before the time to serve, cook the pasta, heat the shrimp again and then add the pasta and serve. That would work. Hope that helps.
This is delicious and because i must incorporate mushrooms into my diet i add sliced mushrooms. It keeps my sugar down.
Hi Judith, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Sounds delicious with the addition of mushrooms.