Where has this week gone? Or last week, or last month for that matter! Is it just me, or do you also feel like this year is flying by? With hardly a minute to catch your breath, it can be hard to plan, let alone execute, a homemade dinner. That is why I’m really excited to share my recipe for shrimp pasta with you.
Shrimp pasta is one of my favorite go-to meals on a busy weeknight. It’s delicious, and all of the ingredients are either freezer or pantry items, so I can easily keep them in stock. Sun-dried tomatoes give a nice, sweet balance to the slightly salty-sweet flavor of the shrimp. Crushed red pepper and garlic give it a little kick (or a lot, if you like).
Ingredients
These are quantities per person to make it easier to adjust for different family sizes:
- Spaghetti (a little less than you would normally make per person since the shrimp and tomatoes add volume)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil (or more if you like)
- 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3/4 oz (about 1/4 cup) no-salt sun dried tomatoes, sliced into strips
- 1 clove garlic
- 8-10 pre-cooked, large, frozen shrimp (pre-peeled is helpful)
Tip: if you can’t find sun dried tomatoes without added salt, you can make your own or use the kind with salt. If using sun dried tomatoes with salt, just use a few strips per person (maybe about a Tablespoon); otherwise, it will be too salty.
Here’s how to make 10-Minute Shrimp Pasta:
First, boil the water as necessary to cook the spaghetti according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Next, take a minute to assemble the ingredients, except for the frozen shrimp:
Right before you add the spaghetti to the boiling water, put everything for the sauce into a saute pan:
Then add the frozen shrimp and turn the heat to medium-low:
Now is the time to add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook it according to the manufacturer’s directions.
While the spaghetti cooks, continue to saute the shrimp mixture, stirring occasionally, until a sauce forms and the shrimp thaw:
This should take just about the same amount of time it takes to cook the spaghetti. When the shrimp start to curl a little bit more, turn the heat off. This means the shrimp are hot all the way through and starting to cook more. Since they are pre-cooked, too much additional cooking would make them a bit tough. There’s a minute or two leeway here, though, so don’t stress too much.
Let the shrimp-sauce mixture rest in the pan, with no heat, until the pasta is ready. Rinse and drain the pasta. Next, put it back into the cooking pot, add the shrimp-sauce mixture, toss to coat, and serve:
Add some Parmesan cheese, if you like, and enjoy!
I hope this shrimp pasta recipe helps you be a little creative in the kitchen, even on a busy night. For some other quick dinner ideas, try Creatorvox recipes for Southwest Sweet Potato Skillet, roasted Brussels sprouts and homemade applesauce.
As always, feel free to ask questions, leave comments, and share your photos. Don’t forget to subscribe to Creatorvox to get new posts right in your email. You can also follow Creatorvox on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more tips and tricks between posts. Thanks for reading, and happy making!