Tomato Shrimp Pasta

Linguine pasta gets a good makeover with this 15-Minute Creamy Tomato Garlic Butter Shrimp! A quick and easy, flavorful weeknight or weekend dinner that comes together in minutes!

15-Minute Creamy Tomato Garlic Butter Shrimp… Only 15 minutes? How much easier could a shrimp pasta recipe get?

Why This Recipe Works

This is one flavor-packed meal! Even our super picky son loved this shrimp tomato pastawhich is saying A LOT.

If you're looking for a way to change up your pasta game, this is it. The shrimp first gets sautéed in buttery garlic and a hint of basil before being smothered in a creamy marinara sauce (or passata for us over here), with linguine, spaghetti, fettuccine, or your pasta of choice mixed through with a generous amount of parmesan cheese. Good…huh?

My house used to be a crazy town back then. Videos flying left, right and centre. Children flying centre, right, and left. Food flowing out of our ears. Daily supermarket runs happening in twos or threes because chemo brain equalled colander brain (i.e., many holes in it = thoughts drained out easily). And one-pan meals, like this tomato sauce with shrimp pasta, saved our life.

You would think with all of the food being cooked in here, we wouldn't need to come up with dinners… BUUUT there are enough of us here to start a soccer team. Or, that's what it feels like with the noise reaching critical levels.

All that chaos aside, we sat myself down with a glass of wine (may have been oversized), and thoroughly enjoyed every creamy, tomato-ey, pasta-filled moment of this shrimp tomato pasta.

Passata Or Marinara?

Shrimp and tomato sauce work well together because the tomato keeps the butter and cream from feeling too heavy. For this recipe, we use either passata or marinara depending on what we have.

Passata is plain strained tomato, so you get more control over the seasoning. Marinara already has herbs, salt and sometimes sugar added, which makes things a little easier.

If you're using marinara, taste it before adding extra sugar or a teaspoon salt. Some jars already have plenty of both. With passata, you'll usually need the bouillon and seasonings in the recipe to round everything out.

For shrimp pasta in general, we like sauces that aren't too heavy. Tomato cream sauce works here, but garlic butter, lemon cream and simple marinara are all good options too.

How To Prepare Shrimp For Pasta

If you have ever cooked shrimp, you know that this ingredient cooks quickly. Most of the work is just making sure you don't leave it in the pan too long, because no one wants burned seafood.

For frozen shrimp, thaw it completely first. We like to thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, but you can also use a sealed bag under cold running water if you need it sooner. Avoid leaving shrimp out on the counter to thaw so you don't risk spoilage.

Once thawed, pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. There is no need for extra water in the pan.

If you are working with shrimp that still have the shell or vein, peel and devein them before you start cooking. We also like removing the tails for pasta because it makes the finished dish much easier to eat.

And keep an eye on the cooking time. Shrimp is done once it turns opaque and curls into a loose 'C' shape. If it curls tightly into itself and feels firm, it has probably gone a little too far.

On the stove

My number 1 tip for quick recipes starts with having EVERYTHING on the table before starting to cook, and especially with a shrimp pasta. Shrimp cooks fast, so you have to be fast too.

Grab the tomato sauce, cream, and seasonings already measured, then you are ready to start.

In a large pot, boil salted water and cook the pasta until al dente. Prepare the sauce and shrimp at the same time the pasta is cooking, so you keep everything under 15 minutes.

Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of pasta water.

Shrimp Pasta

While your pasta is boiling in a large pot of salted water (remember to save a cup of the cooking water), melt butter in the skillet over medium heat and add the cloves of garlic and onion. Stir for about 30 seconds; don't let it get brown.

Add the shrimp with salt and fresh basil. You only need to cook for about 2-3 minutes per side. Don't worry if you see that it's still raw, since the rest of the shrimp is going to get cooked with the sauce.

Pour the marinara or passata with the crushed bouillon, parsley, pepper, sugar, and remaining salt. Stir and leave the sauce to heat for a minute. Add half milk and half cream for this creamy shrimp pasta. Let it cook until the shrimp is opaque. Before the sauce starts boiling, add the cooked pasta. If the sauce is thicker than you like, add a small splash of the reserved pasta water. Sprinkle with parmesan and garnish with fresh parsley to finish.

If you want to change it up a little, add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic for some heat, or stir in about a tablespoon of lemon juice at the end for a little extra freshness. You can also top it up with some lemon zest for that additional zing.

Recipe Tips

Don't overcrowd the pan. If your skillet is too small, the shrimp will release water and steam instead of cooking properly.

Dry the shrimp first. This is especially important with frozen shrimp, which can hold quite a bit of water after thawing.

Don't cook it fully before adding the sauce. The shrimp stays in the pan while the sauce comes together, so slightly undercooking it at first helps prevent it from turning rubbery.

Watch the shape. A loose C shape usually means the shrimp is cooked. A tight curl is often a sign that it has been overcooked.

Keep raw shrimp separate from everything else. Use a separate plate or cutting board for raw seafood, and wash your hands, utensils and surfaces before they touch cooked food.

FAQ's

Yes. Thaw the shrimp completely first, then pat them dry before cooking. Frozen shrimp can hold onto extra water, which can thin the sauce once they hit the pan.

Season the shrimp before adding the sauce and build the sauce in the same pan. Cooking the onion, garlic and shrimp together first means all of that flavor stays in the skillet instead of relying on the sauce to do everything.

To quickly thaw frozen shrimp, place the container or bag in a large bowl of water, and let it sit for about 10 minutes or so. Discard the water and add some more water to help it defrost quickly.

Serve it with

Pair the creamy tomato garlic butter shrimp with a veggie side. We love teaming it up with some corn with butter and crunchy peas. Sometimes, we also make roasted mushrooms to pair with it.

If you can't resist a side of bread with your pasta, a warm slice of garlic bread never fails.

Of course, if you want to keep things fast, you can add some steamed vegetables.

This recipe is our favorite for a romantic date night or for a quick lunch. Noodles never fail, right? And if you want to take an extra step, you can spice it up a little and sauté the aromatics with a splash of dry white wine, like Pinot Grigio, to give this dish a good shrimp scampi pasta feel.

4.94 from 32 votes

Creamy Tomato Garlic Butter Shrimp

What you need

• 10 ounces linguini dry weight, or any pasta
• 1 yellow onion medium, diced
• 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 1 pound raw jumbo shrimp prawns, peeled and deveined
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt divided
• 3 cup passata or marinara sauce
• 1/2 chicken bullion cube crushed, or 1 teaspoon stock powder
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper divided
• 1 pinch granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup milk or half and half or heavy cream
• 1 handful parmesan cheese grated, to serve
• 1 pinch fresh parsley to serve

Method

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of pasta water, then drain and set aside. While the pasta cooks, prepare the shrimp and sauce.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and transparent. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
3. Add the shrimp, basil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook for about 2 minutes on one side, then flip and cook for another minute.
4. Pour in the marinara or passata, then add the crushed bouillon or stock powder, parsley, pepper, sugar, and remaining salt. Stir well and let the sauce heat through for about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the milk, half and half, or cream.
5. Avoid letting the sauce boil hard once the dairy is added. Stir the drained pasta through the creamy tomato sauce and toss until evenly coated.
6. If the sauce is thicker than you like, add a small splash of the reserved pasta water until it reaches the consistency you want. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.