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Spicy Shrimp Pasta in Garlic Tomato Cream Sauce - shrimp seared on stove top with crushed red pepper, paprika, and salt, then smothered in a spicy cream sauce made with chopped onions, minced garlic, crushed tomatoes and cream. Seasoned with basil and oregano. Delicious, creamy shrimp pasta recipe with lots of bold flavors!
This spicy shrimp pasta has everything you crave for in an Italian pasta: easy creamy tomato sauce made from scratch, seafood, spices (garlic, paprika, basil, oregano, crushed red pepper) - all of that over the perfectly shaped penne pasta. Simple recipe that you can make at home.
Penne is perfect for this pasta dish as it holds the sauce very well, and with every bite you will get not only pasta and shrimp but a generous scoop of spicy tomato cream sauce too! I've used gluten free pasta (brown rice penne) for this dish as well, and it was marvelous!
Whichever pasta you use, make sure to cook it al dente, then rinse it with cold water, drain it, and only then add it to the sauce. This will preserve the pasta structure and prevent it from getting mushy in a creamy sauce.
How to make spicy shrimp pasta with garlic tomato cream sauce:
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat and cook shrimp on one side for about 1 minute, until shrimp turns pink on that side. While it cooks, GENEROUSLY sprinkle the top of shrimp with crushed red pepper, paprika and SALT to cover every single shrimp. Do not crowd the shrimp and don't skimp on spices:
Using spatula, turn the shrimp over to the other side and cook for 2 more minutes (on medium-high or medium heat):
Remove shrimp to a plate, being careful to leave all the oil in the skillet. To the same skillet, add chopped onion and minced garlic and cook on medium high heat in the olive that will have a nice reddish color from paprika and crushed red pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes until onions soften:
Next, add crushed tomatoes and chicken bullion cube dissolved in ¼ cup boiling water. Add basil and oregano, mix everything, bring to boil, reduce to simmer. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes, mixing occasionally and crushing all tomatoes into very small bites, until the garlic tomato cream sauce reduces just a bit. Season with more red pepper and salt, if needed.
Add heavy cream, while on simmer, and mix it in on very low simmer:
Almost immediately after you added cream and mixed it in on low simmer, remove the skillet from heat. Your garlic tomato cream sauce should look like this:
Add back the shrimp and pasta. Mix everything well to combine. Add more salt and pepper if necessary. Add more spices (crushed red pepper, basil, oregano), if needed. Gently reheat your spicy shrimp pasta.
Spicy Shrimp Pasta in Garlic Tomato Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound shrimp without shells, and deveined
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cube chicken bullion (I used Knorr)
- 1 tablespoon basil
- ¼ teaspoon oregano dried
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 8 oz penne pasta (for gluten free version, use brown rice penne)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook on one side for about 1 minute, until shrimp turns pink on that side. While it cooks, sprinkle the top of shrimp with crushed red pepper, paprika and salt to cover every single shrimp. Make sure not to crowd the shrimp in the skillet, otherwise moisture will form and shrimp won't sear right. And, don't skimp on spices. Using spatula turn shrimp over to the other side and cook for about 2 more minutes.
- Remove shrimp to a plate, being careful to leave all the oil in the skillet.
- To the same skillet, add chopped onion and minced garlic and cook on medium high heat in the olive oil that will have a nice reddish color from paprika and crushed red pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes, occasionally stirring, until onions soften.
- Add crushed tomatoes and chicken bullion cube dissolved in ¼ cup boiling water. Add basil and oregano, mix, bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes, mixing occasionally and crushing all tomatoes into very small bites, until the sauce reduces just a bit. Season with more red pepper and salt, if needed. In the end, while on simmer, add heavy cream, mix it in, and immediately remove from heat.
- In the mean time, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta al dente according to the package instructions. Drain.
- Add back the cooked shrimp and cooked and drained pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Mix everything well to combine. Reheat on low simmer, if needed. Do not bring to boil or high heat as it might affect the sauce texture. Add more salt and pepper if necessary.
- When serving, I like to sprinkle the top of pasta with just a touch of crushed red pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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YUM! I just made this a second time for my husband's birthday dinner. My husband, toddler and I all give it two thumbs up. I may have to add another half pound of shrimp next time since my son eats 10-20 himself! Sauce seems very forgiving - I used whole milk instead of heavy cream and diced tomatoes instead of crushed bc it's what I had on hand. Sauce looked a bit more rustic bc of the diced tomatoes, but tasted awesome. Thanks so much for this killer recipe!!
Hello,
I realized that i misread the recipe - you call for two cups of crushed tomatoes, not two cans!
I made the recipe yesterday and it was super tasty, thanks julia! I bought a 28 oz can, but did not use the whole thing. Next time I make it, I will probably use the whole can to have more sauce. Cant wait to make this again!
Thank you! I am really glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
hey julia,
what are the correct tomato can sizes to use for this recipes? Many have asked you in the comments, but there was no answer. Thanks!
Yes, it's 2 cups of crashed tomatoes.
Is that 1 tablespoon of basil fresh or dried?
Made this two weeks ago. It was absolutely amazing. Thank you.
Thank you - so glad you liked it! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Wow! Even I couldn't mess this up. This is so, so very tasty... I made it after work (4am) and I'm going to make it for my wife when I get back home. Lady, you rock!
Thank you! So glad you liked it! 🙂
I made this tonight. I omitted red chili flakes because some family members are sensitive to spice. This is a great recipe! I loved all the flavours combined. I will definitely be making this again. Thanks!
Thank you, Lee! I am so glad your family enjoyed this recipe!
Just made this dish...it is fabulous! I have been a long time looking for a "rose" sauce. This is my new go to shrimp recipe.
Thank you, Ciara! So happy to hear this is your new "go to" shrimp recipe! 🙂
Nice recipe, but the 15 min prep time? I want to meet the person who can properly peel and devaine a pound of shrimp, chop up the garlic, chop the onions, precook the pasta, and have everything prepped and ready to go in 15 minutes. Im not a chef but I've spent years in the restaurant business and i believe its almost impossible even for the most skilled chefs!
The recipe says 15 minutes prep time + 30 minutes cook time = 45 minutes total cooking time - that's pretty accurate! To be even more detailed, the shrimp is supposed to be already deveined and peeled (that's how it's listed in the ingredients list).
Hi Julia
What kind of shrimp are you using? I have seen on other recipes of yours that you use unfrozen uncooked shrimp. Is that the same for this?
Yes, that's exactly the shrimp I use - unfrozen, uncooked shrimp. The shrimp I use comes unpeeled and undeveined, so before even starting the recipe I have to peel and devein the shrimp, but this kind of shrimp is so worth the effort! 🙂
Hi Julia
I was just wondering what kind of shrimp you are using. I've seen other recipes of yours that specify to use unfrozen uncooked shrimp. Is that the same for this recipe? Thanks.
Julia, this tastes absolutely delicious & so easy to make! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Jody! So glad to hear you liked it! 🙂
I just made this and it turned out really well and tasty
Thank you, Farah! I am glad you liked it! 🙂
This is pictured with Ziti pasta.. Just saying