Shrimp Pasta with Tomatoes, Burrata Cheese, and Pine Nuts
Shrimp Pasta with Tomatoes, Burrata Cheese, and toasted Pine Nuts is a Mediterranean-style dinner packed with fresh flavors and whole ingredients. This 30-minute Pescatarian recipe features a refreshing olive oil-based sauce made with fresh cherry tomatoes, lots of garlic, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes! You can use fresh Mozzarella cheese instead of Burrata.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Drain.
In the meantime, proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Cook shrimp
Heat a large, high-sided, skillet until hot on medium heat. Add olive oil - it should run easily but not sizzle or burn. Add shrimp without overcrowding (you might have to cook in 2 batches). Sprinkle shrimp with seasonings (Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper).
Cook the shrimp, flipping once or twice, on medium heat until pink in color, about 3-4 minutes total. Add extra seasonings as it cooks, if you want. Do not overcook, or it will taste rubbery.
Remove shrimp from the skillet.
Cook tomatoes
In the same, now empty, skillet, combine the halved cherry (or grape) tomatoes, minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the tomatoes on medium heat for about 5 minutes until they soften and release juices.
Assembly
Add cooked and drained pasta to the same skillet with cooked tomatoes. Add 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Mix everything well. Season with salt, if needed.
Top the pasta with cooked shrimp, add burrata cheese, and top it with some of the tomato juices from the skillet.
Sprinkle toasted pine nuts, red pepper flakes, and chopped parsley over the shrimp pasta.
Notes
Toast the pine nuts in the preheated oven at 350 F for only 5 minutes. Observe the oven - the nuts can burn quickly.
Make it gluten-free. Use GF pasta. All other ingredients are gluten-free.
Veggies. In addition to tomatoes, my favorite veggies for this shrimp pasta are spinach, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, and asparagus.
Cheese. You can use fresh Mozzarella cheese or grated Parmesan instead of Burrata cheese.
Fridge. Store leftovers refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer. This recipe is freezer-friendly and perfect for meal prep! You can freeze it (without the cheese!) for up to 1 month.
Reheating tips. Reheat the leftovers over low-medium heat in a pan on the stovetop or a microwave-safe dish in the microwave oven. When reheating, add a small amount of olive oil and just a touch of water to prevent the pasta from sticking, and stir it often.