Name: Tomato Shrimp Pasta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 pound spaghetti (uncooked); 3 tablespoon olive oil; 1 pound shrimp (peeled and deveined if needed); 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste); 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 medium onion (chopped); 4 cloves garlic (minced); 28 ounce crushed tomatoes; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 teaspoon oregano (dried); 1 cup white wine (dry); 1/3 cup parsley (fresh, chopped)

This Tomato Shrimp Pasta is a delicious and oh so satisfying weeknight dinner. If you’ve never made your own red sauce before, this simple recipe will knock your socks off! Best of all this dinner can be ready and on your dinner table in just 30 minutes!

overhead shot of Tomato Shrimp Pasta on a white plate

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Are you looking for a way to spice up your usual weeknight pasta dinner? This Tomato Shrimp Pasta is the perfect twist on a classic, its savory and rich tomato based sauce studded with plump juicy shrimps is delectable spooned over some twirl-able spaghetti. A little red pepper flakes and dry white wine set this dish off!

Homemade Is Best

While jarred pasta sauce has its place as an easy and tasty addition to a quick dinner, I prefer to go the homemade route when it comes to this dish. There’s just something about the flavors we’re going to achieve today from a fresh sauce that simmers away, infused with spice and garlic. Is your mouth watering already?

Ingredients In Tomato Shrimp Pasta

overhead shot of ingredients needed to make Tomato Shrimp Pasta

Pasta – We’re using spaghetti today but feel free to use any pasta shape you have on hand.
Shrimp – Peeled and deveined.
Olive oil – We want something neutral tasting to cook our shrimp down in.
Onion – One medium sized onion chopped up, we want something that cooks down well like white or yellow.
Spices – Dried oregano and red pepper flakes are all we need today.
Garlic – Fresh is always best but if jarred is all you have keep in mind that 1 1/2 teaspoons equals 1 fresh clove.
Tomatoes – We want to use an entire can of crushed tomatoes as the base of our sauce.
Sugar – Our sauce needs a little sweetness to cut through all of the acidity from our tomatoes.
Wine – We want to use a dry white wine for this recipe. A sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio works wonders.
Seasoning – Salt to taste is all we’re using today.
Parsley – Fresh and chopped up fine to be sprinkled liberally on top of our finished dish.

How To Make Tomato Shrimp Pasta

Prepare the pasta: Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Cook the shrimp: In a large pot or dutch oven add 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the shrimp and season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes. Spread the shrimp evenly over the bottom of the pot and cook for 1 minute till the shrimp turns pink and slightly brown before transferring the shrimp to a plate.
Create the sauce: Add the remaining olive oil to the pot and saute the onions and garlic till the onion is translucent and soft. Add the canned tomatoes, sugar, remaining salt and red pepper flakes, oregano and white wine. Stir and bring the sauce to a simmer before allowing to cook for an additional 5 minutes till the sauce has thickened.
Finish the dish: Return the shrimp to the pot, including the accumulated juices, to the sauce. Stir in the parsley and cooked spaghetti. Toss everything together and serve hot.

How To Serve

This simple but flavorful dish pairs perfectly with a nice bright salad, I’ve included some of my favorites below.

What Else Can Be Used In This Dish?

If you’re looking to bulk up your pasta a bit , I won’t stop you! Try adding some of these veggies and meat:

Veggies

This tomato shrimp pasta pairs well with almost anything, these veggies will create a heartier and healthier dinner.

Mushrooms
Zucchini
Bell peppers
Carrots
Spinach

Meat

Want to create a sauce with a little more texture and savory umpf? These meats pair great with your shrimp.

Sausage of any kind, crumbled up and drained before being incorporated into the sauce.
Ground beef, browned and drained before being incorporated into the sauce.
Ground pork or veal, browned and drained.
Bacon or pancetta

Some Tips

The longer you let your sauce simmer the more flavor you’ll develop, so feel free to let it bubble away!
If you don’t want to cook with wine, substitute this ingredient for more broth.
Be sure to use good canned tomatoes, I like to use San Marzano tinned crushed tomatoes for this simple sauce.
Fresh basil and tomato paste will add beautiful extra flavor dimension to this dish. Add the fresh basil when you add the parsley and feel free to slice thinly and garnish on top of the dish.

Leftovers

Fridge

This sauce will keep for up to 5 days if stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Just reheat in the microwave or on the stove when ready to eat.

Freezer

Unfortunately pasta doesn’t freeze well so prepare this component of the dish on the day you would like to eat it. To freeze the sauce ladle it into shallow airtight containers and place in the freezer once cooled, this method will keep the sauce fresh for up to 5 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge and reheat on the stove top.