I love this dish! The flavors are delicious and the sauce is creamy and rich without being heavy. The shrimp pasta recipe is fairly quick and easy to make, which is perfect for busy weeknights.
This shrimp pasta recipe with creamy mozzarella sauce is the perfect weeknight meal. It’s quick and easy to make, and the cheese sauce is so delicious!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4 servings
What You Need To Make This Dish:
Ingredients:
Pasta:
8 oz pasta penne (gluten-free version: use gluten-free brown rice pasta).
Shrimp:
2 tablespoons olive olive oil (drained from sun dried tomatoes jar, or use regular olive oil).
1 lb shrimp, deveined and without shells
3 minced garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
Creamy Sauce:
4 oz sun-dried tomatoes without oil
4 minced garlic cloves
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded (do not use fresh Mozzarella, use pre-shredded Mozzarella)
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, taste and add 1/4 teaspoon to the mix
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup reserved pasta water (or more).
1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
How to make pasta
Follow the package directions to cook pasta. Reserve some pasta water. Drain the pasta.
How to cook shrimp
Note: If you are using sun-dried tomato oil (in an oil jar), drain the oil from sun-dried tomatoes before using them. This oil can be used to saute the shrimp in 2 tablespoons.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive olive oil (reserved in the sun-dried tomato jar – see note above or regular olive oil) on medium-high heat.
Mix minced garlic with shrimp. The shrimp should be cooked on one side for approximately 1 minute until they turn pink or golden brown. Sprinkle salt on each shrimp while it is cooking.
Don’t crowd the shrimp in the skillet. Otherwise, moisture can form and the shrimp won’t cook right.
Flip the shrimp and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
The shrimp should be cooked to a golden color on both sides.
Transfer the shrimp to a plate.
How to make creamy Mozzarella sauce
Add sun-dried tomatoes to the same skillet. If necessary, cut them into smaller pieces and add more minced garlic.
Saute sun-dried tomatoes in olive oils (remaining from shrimps) over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring occasionally, until the garlic becomes fragrant. The skillet should be very hot.
Half and half of the sun-dried tomatoes to the hot skillet and bring to boil.
Stir in the shredded cheese while you boil. Reduce heat to low.
Continue to cook the sauce over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted and the creamy sauce has formed.
You can thin the sauce by adding a little half-and-half, or reserving cooked pasta water, if it is too thick.
Mix in basil, crushed red pepperflakes, and paprika. Stir.
Slowly add 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring on low heat. Taste and adjust the heat.
How to make shrimp pasta
Cook the pasta in the sauce and heat gently on medium heat.
Stir in the shrimp.
Season the dish with salt if necessary.
You can thin the sauce by adding a little half-and-half, or reserving cooked pasta water, if it is too thick.
Allow everything to simmer for a few minutes on low heat so flavors can combine.
Take care to not salt the dish too much to bring out the flavor of sun-dried tomatoes and basil.
