Description
This Spicy Shrimp Pasta with Tomatoes and Garlic is a flavorful, restaurant-quality dish inspired by shrimp fra Diavolo. It features succulent shrimp, fresh cherry tomatoes, and a rich, garlicky, spicy sauce made with homemade shrimp stock. Perfect for summer dinners and impressing guests with minimal effort.
Ingredients
- 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (reserve peels)
- 2 cups water
- A few sprigs of parsley, plus more for garnish
- 6–8 whole peppercorns
- 12 cloves garlic (6 whole, 6 sliced)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 (14.5 oz) can San Marzano-style diced tomatoes
- ½ – 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons cold butter
- 8 ounces linguine, capellini, or spaghetti
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Make shrimp stock: In a pot, combine shrimp peels, 2 cups water, parsley sprigs, peppercorns, 6 whole garlic cloves, and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Strain and reserve 1 cup of the stock.
- Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta 1–2 minutes less than package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Sauté aromatics: In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Slice the remaining 6 garlic cloves and sauté them with red pepper flakes for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Build sauce: Add ¾ cup shrimp stock and bring to a simmer. Add halved cherry tomatoes and canned tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to medium, and simmer another 5 minutes to thicken sauce.
- Cook shrimp: Add shrimp to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add cold butter and stir until melted. Cook for another 30–60 seconds until shrimp is just cooked through.
- Finish pasta: Add cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Add remaining shrimp stock a little at a time if needed to loosen the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Serve: Sprinkle with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use fresh, high-quality shrimp for best flavor.
- Adjust the red pepper flakes based on spice preference.
- Reserve some pasta water as an alternative to shrimp stock if needed.
- Best served immediately, but leftovers can be stored for up to 2 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 180mg
