Shrimp is one of those ingredients that works in so many situations. It cooks quickly, so you can enjoy it for a midweek meal. But it’s so juicy and flavorful that it tastes like a celebration, and can be cooked when you want something special.
Shrimp and pasta are a natural pairing. Pasta is adaptable, and is a receptive base for the big and meaty flavors of shrimp. It’s also quick to prepare, so you can prepare a shrimp pasta dish in less than 30 minutes!
We’ve rounded up our favorite shrimp pasta recipes to add to your cookbook (see also “Best Instant Pot Pasta Recipes To Try“).
1. Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta: A Flavorful Delight
Prepare to discover your new go-to weeknight dinner dish. Creamy garlic shrimp pasta features all the flavors that you love in just one bowl, and it’s certain to be a crowd pleaser.
Easy enough to whip up on a weeknight, the flavors are so impressive you can even serve this on a special occasion.
The base of this sauce is olive oil, butter, and garlic, and this is where most of the flavor comes from. Heavy cream helps bulk out the dish without weighing it down, and creates a silky finish that will cling to your pasta.
2. Savor the Mediterranean: Mediterranean-Style Shrimp Pasta
Mediterranean-style shrimp pasta is best enjoyed in the sunshine, with a cool glass of crisp white wine.
It uses lots of garlic to create a flavor base, paired with the zing of fresh lemon juice, and the aroma of chopped parsley. And it all finishes with a kick of heat from red pepper flakes.
If you’re looking for a summer shrimp pasta dish, this Mediterranean-style recipe is light and bright. It also needs minimal cooking time, so you don’t have to spend ages in the kitchen.
3. Indulge in Creamy Delight: Shrimp Alfredo Fettuccine
This recipe for shrimp Alfredo fettuccine roasts the shrimp, instead of frying them. Roasting the shrimp helps lock in the moisture, giving you the best, juiciest, most tender shrimp imaginable.
Lightly coated with olive oil and smoked paprika, you’ll have to resist snacking on the shrimp straight from the oven!
Try and hold back, so you can toss them in with this delightfully creamy Alfredo sauce instead. This is a meal that tastes restaurant quality, but that you can put together in just over 30 minutes at home.
4. Spicy Lemon Butter Shrimp Scampi
There is so much flavor in every mouthful of this spicy lemon butter shrimp scampi, it will blow you away.
The recipe starts with butter, garlic, and shallots, before adding thyme, corn, and plenty of spice. Your mouth will be watering before you’ve even added the shrimp!
This recipe uses corn alongside the shrimp, which soaks up the flavors in the pan.
Use fresh corn during summer and early fall, but you can adapt the recipe with mushrooms and Brussels sprouts in the colder months.
5. Shrimp Linguine Marinara
Shrimp linguine marinara is best made in a big batch, so you can load it up with fresh herbs and plenty of mixed seafood. This is a dish for warm summer evenings spent with family and friends.
Shrimp linguine marinara is a meal that can feed a crowd, but it also cooks quickly. You just need a few minutes to unleash the flavors from the basil and oregano that provide the dish with its fragrant aroma.
6. Kick Up the Heat: Spicy Lemon Butter Shrimp Scampi
Bang bang sauce is inspired by Thai flavors, mixing spice and aroma to create a cult favorite dish. It’s normally served as an appetizer, for eager foodies to dip shrimp (or chicken, or cauliflower) into the rich sauce.
So, it might seem like an unusual choice for a pasta dish!
Bang bang shrimp pasta has the flavors you expect from your favorite bang bang sauce, but it replaces the standard mayonnaise with heavy whipping cream, and adds a generous helping of pasta.
It’s fun and flavorful, and perfect for adventurous eaters looking for something new to do with shrimp.
7. Explode with Flavor: Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta
Have you discovered the wonder of one pot recipes?
One pot recipes are your new weeknight savior; meals that require minimal effort, and almost no washing up! Instead of using one pan for pasta, one for sauce, one for shrimp and so on, everything cooks in just one pot.
You begin by cooking your spaghetti, and then leaving it to drain (making sure to keep a cup of that precious pasta water).
The shrimp can then cook in the same pan the pasta cooked in! Finish by tossing it altogether, and adding spoonfuls of the reserved pasta water until everything is lovely and clingy.
8. A Taste of Freshness: Shrimp Pesto Pasta
For an easy weeknight dinner, look no further than shrimp pesto pasta. Basil pesto is the hero ingredient here, adding so much flavor in just seconds.
It isn’t the most obvious flavor pairing for shrimp, but the two work well together, especially when you add a sprinkle of fresh Parmesan and sliced cherry tomatoes.
If you’re looking for ease, use your favorite store bought pesto. But if you have a little more time, try making your own basil pesto! It only requires a few ingredients, and you can adjust the balance to suit your tastes.
9. Lemon Pappardelle With Shrimp
Lemon pappardelle with shrimp is an easy and elegant dish that’s just perfect for date night.
It uses lashings of butter to create a sumptuous sauce that’s rich without becoming too heavy, with lots of fresh lemon juice to add a tart contrast.
White wine brings complexity to the dish, and as you only need a splash for the sauce, you can share the rest of the bottle over dinner.
Lemon pappardelle with shrimp only needs a tiny hit of garlic to ramp up the flavors. Which, as we all know, is better for date night!
10. Shrimp Scampi Greek Pasta
Greek pasta isn’t exactly a fusion food, but this recipe for shrimp scampi Greek pasta brings some unexpected additions to the party.
Olives and feta add a salty tang to the sauce, complementing the meaty taste of the large shrimp scampi.
This recipe is all about balance. Heavy cream gives the sauce a silky weight, while an equal amount of white wine brightens the flavor profile.
Be careful with your seasoning, and make sure to sample the dish as it cooks — olives and feta cheese add a lot of salt.
11. Spicy Tomato Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Red pepper flakes might not be the first thing you think to add to a pasta dish, but it really is a genius combination.
Everyone knows that spice and shrimp go well together, and some of the best foods combine tomatoes and chili. So, why not bring them all together in one meal?
This spicy tomato garlic shrimp pasta has a burning finish that’s just perfect for the sumptuous sauce. That hot kick at the end transforms the dish from simple to exciting.
12. Squid Ink Pasta With Shrimp And Cherry Tomatoes
Squid ink is a seriously underrated ingredient. Yes, it’s perfect if you want to give your food a sophisticated appearance, but it’s also surprisingly delicious. Squid ink is salty and briny and tastes like the sea, but in a good way.
Squid ink pasta with shrimp and cherry tomatoes is a dish to impress. It looks as good as it tastes, and everyone will think you’re a chef genius. Secretly, it cooks in just 30 minutes, and is easy to make.
13. Creamy Garlic Butter Shrimp Piccata
If you want a recipe to impress this Valentine’s Day or for your next date night, have a go at creamy garlic butter shrimp piccata.
The sauce is luscious and creamy, with hints of lemon and capers to add that something special.
If you want to impress your date, but your chef skills might be a little lacking, then this is the perfect dish.
The sauce takes just 15 minutes to make, and to speed things up, you can start the pasta cooking while you get on with the main dish.
14. Shrimp Scampi Fra Diavolo
Shrimp scampi Fra Diavolo is a fiery and sumptuous dish that comes together using mostly pantry ingredients!
The sauce is simple, using lots of garlic for a punch of flavor, so the shrimp scampi becomes the main focus.
Finishing with the heat of chili flakes, this is a dish with a lot of power from limited ingredients.
15. Zucchini Pasta With Lemon Garlic Shrimp
Zucchini noodles aren’t your traditional pasta, but they really are worth trying. Especially if you’re looking for something to eat with shrimp! Shrimp and zucchini are an incredible pairing.
This lighter dish allows you to enjoy your favorite pasta flavors, without the calories. It’s also a lighter meal, so it’s great for a hot day.
Final Thoughts
Whether you have cooked shrimp, frozen shrimp, shrimp with the tails on, or shrimp all ready to go, there’s a pasta match out there.
For a simple crowd pleaser, try a shrimp pasta with plenty of cream and garlic (see also “15 Best Chicken And Shrimp Recipes“). Or you can try mixing things up — shrimp pasta is a hugely versatile dish.
