Description
Marry Me Shrimp Pasta is a creamy, flavorful pasta dish featuring tender shrimp cooked in a luscious tomato and Parmesan cream sauce, enhanced with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and fresh herbs. This easy-to-make skillet recipe combines perfectly cooked pasta with a rich, savory sauce that’s perfect for a romantic dinner or a comforting weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Protein
- 12 ounces pasta such as penne, rigatoni, or fettuccine
- 1 pound medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Sauce and Seasonings
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small shallot or 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/3 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice, optional
- Extra Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.
- Prepare the shrimp: Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and season evenly with salt and black pepper.
- Cook the shrimp: Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side until they turn pink and develop a light golden color. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté the aromatics: Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet. Add the finely chopped shallot and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add tomato paste and seasonings: Stir in the tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 1 minute until the tomato paste darkens and becomes fragrant.
- Incorporate sun-dried tomatoes and broth: Stir in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, then pour in the chicken broth. Use a spatula to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan to enhance flavor.
- Add cream and cheese: Lower the heat and pour in the heavy cream, stirring until smooth. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and stir until melted and creamy.
- Return shrimp to skillet: Add the cooked shrimp back to the skillet and warm gently for 1 minute.
- Toss pasta with sauce: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss thoroughly to coat with the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen it.
- Finish and serve: Stir in the chopped fresh basil or parsley and lemon juice if using. Serve the pasta warm topped with extra Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- For best results, use peeled and deveined shrimp to save prep time.
- Adjust red pepper flakes according to your heat preference.
- Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil work best for a richer flavor but drain them before using.
- Reserve pasta water is key to smoothing out and thinning the sauce to your desired consistency.
- This dish pairs well with a simple green salad or garlic bread.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: shrimp pasta, creamy shrimp pasta, Marry Me Pasta, tomato cream sauce, easy shrimp pasta, Italian pasta dishes, weeknight dinner, sun-dried tomato pasta
