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Garlic Tomato & Shrimp Pasta is an easy to whip up pasta dinner and a delicious weeknight meal that takes just minutes to prepare. It’s sure to be a new favorite!
When I found out that my son is allergic to shellfish, I knew that my days of enjoying my favorite food – shrimp pasta – were over. It’s an indulgence for me to enjoy the sweet, succulent crustacean when dining without my son.
It’s rare for me to actually cook it at home, but when I get an idea, like I did for this Garlic Tomato & Shrimp Pasta, I just have to try it. I am super cautious when it comes to cooking with foods that my son is allergic to, and it’s something I rarely do and only when he’s not home. I made this spaghetti for lunch one day, and it was downright amazing.
HOW TO MAKE GARLIC TOMATO & SHRIMP PASTA
Shrimp are incredibly easy to cook…but they are also incredibly easy to OVER-cook. You only need to keep them in the skillet for a couple of minutes on each side and they need very little salt. Depending on the size they take just 4 minutes or so to cook through completely, but you want to make sure that they are completed cooked all the way through. Raw shrimp is a no-no.
Their sweetness really comes out in the cooking process and that’s why they pair so well with this sauce. It’s an easy sauce, and one that I absolutely love making because it has my secret ingredient – apple juice. now, typically a sauce like this would call for white wine but I don’t drink wine and I don’t even keep it in my house for cooking with. Just not a fan. However if you do have some on hand you could easily swap out the wine for the apple juice if you like.
What’s with the Apple Juice in this Shrimp Pasta?
Well, the tomatoes can be so acidic that they really need some salt and some sweetness to cut that down. The apple juice adds that sugar and an added flavor that really marries well with the rest of the ingredients. I love using fresh cherry or grape tomatoes, but you could also use a couple cans of drained tomatoes. The tomatoes break down and together with the juices and the onions create this incredibly tasty sauce that just lightly coats the shrimp pasta for a delectable bite.
Tender pasta, succulent shrimp, and a sweet, fresh tomato sauce make this Garlic Tomato & Shrimp Pasta dish classy and elegant enough for company, but easy enough to throw together on a busy weeknight. Enjoy!
Here are some more delicious shrimp and pasta recipes to try:
- Creamy 4-Cheese Spaghetti
- Homemade Alfredo
- Tomato Basil Pasta
- Chicken Spaghetti
- Grilled Shrimp Pasta Salad
- Shrimp Fried Rice
- The Best Shrimp Ceviche
Tools used to make this Shrimp Pasta
3 ½ Quart Enameled Cast Iron Pan – A versatile, multi-use pan that is a great addition to your kitchen.
Wooden spatula – This versatile piece is another essential. It’s works great at stirring food in a skillet, and it perfect for scraping up all those little bits of flavor that often get left behind.
Garlic Shrimp & Tomato Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti cooked
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2-3/4 pound shrimp peeled and deveined (about 20)
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup natural apple juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes slice in half
- Fresh grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and season with a pinch of salt. Cook until shrimp is bright pink (no gray), turning every minute or so. Transfer to a plate.
- Add onion to the pan and cook until onion starts to soften; about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook for 2 more minutes. Stir often so the garlic doesn't burn.
- Stir in apple juice, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, oregano and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and add cherry tomatoes. Simmer about 3-5 minutes, stirring often.
- Toss shrimp with the sauce, then the linguine. Sprinkle fresh grated Parmesan on top of the pasta and toss lightly. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
I doubled this and it worked very well. I find it hard to flavor shrimp so I used a cast iron skillet and seared them pretty hard to get a little blackening. The apple juice, onion and garlic did a great job of getting rid of the “fish” taste and the tomatoes added a burst of sweetness. The flavor was fantastic. My wife loved it. I put an asterisk next to recipes we like. Add this one to that list. Thanks.
One of my favorites – so glad you enjoyed it!
Wonderful flavor. Used precooked frozen shrimp as it was what I had on hand. Definitely will be making this again.
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Lisa.
I Will be making these for the New Year’s Day , for my friends, Thank you for the recipe.
Greetings from Greece.
That’s awesome anastasia! Thanks for stopping by all the way from Greece.
Thanks for the great and easy recipe! My family loved it!
So happy that you and your family loved this recipe! Thanks for stopping by Anne.
Loved the recipe. The cherry tomatoes gives it a sweet taste.
Thank you Diane! And thanks for sharing your positive experience.