Description
Shrimp Tomato Basil Pasta is a vibrant and flavorful dish featuring large shrimp sautéed with garlic, shallots, and chili pepper, combined with cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. Tossed with perfectly cooked linguine and finished with a splash of white wine, this pasta balances savory, spicy, and fresh notes in about 40 minutes, making it a perfect weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Shrimp and Seasoning
- 1 1/4 pounds large shrimp (21/25 count, cleaned and deveined)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Pasta
- 1 pound linguine
- 2 cups pasta water (reserve from cooking)
Sauce
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large shallots (sliced)
- 3 cloves garlic (sliced)
- 1 small red chili pepper
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes (halved)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1/4 cup packed basil (hand torn)
Instructions
- Prepare the Shrimp: In a bowl, toss the cleaned and deveined shrimp with baking soda and kosher salt. This helps tenderize the shrimp and enhances flavor. Set aside.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve about 2 cups of pasta water before draining the pasta.
- Sauté Shallots and Garlic: In a large skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced shallots and garlic, cooking gently until fragrant and translucent, about 2-3 minutes, taking care not to burn the garlic.
- Add Chili Pepper and Wine: Add the small red chili pepper to the skillet and pour in the dry white wine. Allow the wine to simmer and reduce by half, infusing the sauce with a slight kick and acidity.
- Cook the Tomatoes: Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the skillet. Cook until the tomatoes soften and release their juices, forming a light sauce, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook the Shrimp: Push the sauce to the sides and add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook the shrimp until they turn pink and opaque, about 2 minutes per side. Stir gently to combine shrimp with sauce.
- Toss Pasta with Sauce: Add the drained linguine to the skillet along with reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Toss everything together carefully so the pasta is well coated with the garlicky tomato and shrimp sauce.
- Finish with Basil: Remove the skillet from heat. Stir in the hand-torn fresh basil leaves to add a bright, aromatic finish to the dish.
- Serve: Plate the shrimp tomato basil pasta immediately, optionally garnishing with extra basil or grated Parmesan if desired.
Notes
- Shrimp tomato basil pasta combines al dente linguine and shrimp that’s tossed in a garlicky cherry tomato, shallot, and chili sauce and finished with fresh hand-torn basil.
- So simple and ready in about 40 minutes, perfect for a quick yet elegant meal.
- Reserve pasta water carefully to adjust sauce consistency as needed.
- Adjust chili quantity to your spice preference.
- Use dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc for best flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 737
- Sugar: 4.5 g
- Sodium: 501 mg
- Fat: 17.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14.6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 95.1 g
- Fiber: 5.1 g
- Protein: 47.8 g
- Cholesterol: 299 mg
