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Spicy Tomato Garlic Butter Pasta with Shrimp

Spicy shrimp pasta with cherry tomatoes, spinach, basil, and shredded parmesan cheese on a white plate with noodles twirled around a fork.
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This Spicy Tomato Garlic Butter Pasta is a quick 25-minute dinner that’s bursting with bold, savory flavors! Juicy seared shrimp, perfectly cooked pasta, fresh cherry tomatoes, and plenty of garlic come together in a luscious, spicy tomato butter sauce. Finish with fresh basil and a sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for an incredible tasting easy weeknight dinner!

Ingredients

Scale

Shrimp:

  • 10.6 ounces / 300 grams peeled and deveined Shrimp or Prawns (frozen weight, 10-14 pieces if using size 16/20) – thawed and rinsed thoroughly
  • ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked Black Pepper
  • ½ tablespoon / 7 grams Unsalted Butter, for cooking

Spicy Tomato Garlic Butter Pasta:

  • 1 small / 20-25 grams Asian Red Shallot (or use regular shallot/eschalot or red onion) – finely chopped
  • 4-5 / 25 grams Garlic cloves – minced
  • 1-5 / 3-15 grams fresh Red Chilies, to taste (optional – I used Thai Bird’s Eye red chilies but any variety can be used, omit for milder dish, note 1*) – finely chopped
  • 7 ounces / 200 grams Cherry Tomatoes – quartered
  • ¼ cup Fresh Basil Leaves, loosely packed – thinly sliced
  • 2 cups / 66 grams Baby Spinach – washed if needed
  • ¼ cup / 20 grams freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (or Parmesan cheese)
  • ⅛ + ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt, divided
  • 5 ounces / 142 grams uncooked Linguini Pasta (or your preferred noodle-type pasta – note 2)
  • 2 tablespoons / 30 grams Unsalted Butter
  • 1 – 1.25 TSP Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste (note 3)
  • ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon ground Cayenne, to taste (note 3)
  • 1.5 tablespoons Oyster Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Low Sodium Light Soy Sauce
  • Reserved Pasta Cooking Water, as needed
  • To Serve: reserved freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (plus more if desired), reserved sliced fresh Basil

Instructions

Prep:

  1. Prepare the shrimp: Thaw the frozen shrimp and rinse thoroughly. Pat-dry and add to bowl. Season with ¼ teaspoon each of kosher salt and black pepper. Mix to coat and set aside.
  2. Prepare the fresh ingredients: Chop/slice the shallot, garlic, red chilies, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil as indicated in the ‘ingredients’ section. Season the cherry tomatoes with ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt and set aside. Use a block grater to grate the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Spicy Tomato Garlic Butter Pasta:

  1. Cook the pasta: Cook the linguini pasta al-dente in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain and set aside. (I run cold water over the pasta to prevent it from sticking and cooking further but this is optional.)
  2. Sear the shrimp: Melt ½ tablespoon of unsalted butter in a medium-sized deep sauté pan or deep edged skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned shrimp and spread out the pieces in the pan. Allow to sear for 1-2 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for another 1-2 minutes or until just cooked. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.
  3. Sauté the aromatics: In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and ½ tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over medium-heat. Add the shallots, garlic, red chilies, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, crushed red pepper flakes and ground cayenne. Sauté for a minute until the aromatics are starting to soften and everything is fragrant.
  4. Add the cherry tomatoes: Add the cherry tomatoes and stir until they start to soften and release their juices.
  5. Stir in the sauces: Add the oyster sauce and low sodium light soy sauce. Mix to combine and simmer for a minute to let the flavors meld.
  6. Add the pasta and spinach: Add the cooked pasta, baby spinach and 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water. Mix well to combine, until the baby spinach starts to wilt and the glossy tomato butter sauce is coating everything.
  7. Mix in the shrimp: Add the cooked shrimp and mix to combine.
  8. Stir in cheese and basil: Add most of the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and fresh basil (reserve some of both for garnish) and 1-2 tablespoons of pasta water. Mix to combine until the cheese has melted. Switch off the heat.
  9. Serve: Divide evenly onto plates and garnish with the reserved grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (plus more if desired) and sliced fresh basil. Serve immediately.

Notes

  1. Fresh Red Chilies. Use more or less to tailor this dish to your heat level preference. You can leave them out completely for a milder dish or if dining with children.
  2. Pasta type. Besides linguini, fettuccine, spaghetti, pappardelle, capellini (angel hair) are all great options. You can use a short-cut pasta shape in a pinch but the sauce lends itself beautifully to a noodle-type pasta and would be preferred.
  3. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes and Ground Cayenne. Adjust the amount to taste depending on your spice level preference. Omit for a mild dish.
  4. Storing and reheating. Store leftovers in a sealed airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through, until hot throughout. You can also reheat in a pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add a splash of water to help loosen up the tomato butter sauce.
  5. Double the recipe. This recipe makes enough for 2 adult sized servings but can easily be scaled up. Click the ‘2x’ button at the top of the recipe card to display double the ingredient amounts to make 4 servings. Use a large skillet to cook if doubling the recipe.
  6. See the ‘Variations’ section in the post above if you’d like to customize this recipe.
  7. Recipe inspired by Marion’s Kitchen.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thatspicychick.com/spicy-tomato-garlic-butter-pasta-shrimp/