This Tuscan shrimp pasta is super creamy, flavorful, and delicious! It combines the most delicious Italian flavors with juicy shrimp and an irresistible creamy pasta sauce. Plus, it comes together in only 30 minutes, making it perfect for a simple yet satisfying dinner at home!
This Tuscan shrimp pasta is a variation of classic Tuscan chicken. It uses juicy shrimp, flavorful sun-dried tomatoes, and a creamy pasta sauce that is super simple yet incredibly delicious!
You can use any type of pasta to make this dish, I used linguine as I simply love how the creamy sauce clings to the pasta. It's one of the best pasta shapes for a variety of pasta dishes such as my tomato basil pasta and creamy miso pasta that I recommend trying, too!
Tuscan Shrimp Pasta Ingredients
To make this Tuscan shrimp pasta you'll need the following ingredients:
- Shrimp: I recommend using large frozen shrimp for this recipe. They don't overcook as easily and stay very juicy. The great thing about frozen shrimp is that they are very fresh, they can be stored in your freezer, and they thaw quickly when placed in a bowl filled with cold water. I recommend using peeled and deveined shrimp. You can keep the tail on or off. I like to keep the tail on when I want the dish to look extra nice but removing the tail makes the shrimp easier to enjoy.
- Pasta: You can use any shape of pasta that you like. I think that linguine is perfect as the sauce clings beautifully to the pasta. But feel free to use another shape of pasta!
- Aromatics: You'll need yellow onion and garlic for this recipe. If you prefer another type of onion, feel free to use it.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: You'll need sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil for this recipe. They usually come in glass jars. I don't recommend sun-dried tomatoes that aren't packed in oil as they aren't as plump and delicious as tomatoes packed in oil.
- Baby spinach: Baby spinach is another ingredient that's needed to make Tuscan shrimp. It's a delicious vegetable for many types of pasta dishes!
- Seasonings: You'll need Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes for this Tuscan shrimp pasta recipe.
- Heavy cream: The sauce is made with heavy cream and pasta water. You can use another type of cream that can be used to make sauces if you want to keep things lighter.
- Parmesan: Parmesan adds flavor to the sauce and makes it extra creamy, so be sure to use it! I recommend grating it at home as it tastes a lot more flavorful this way.
- Basil: Fresh basil leaves are amazing for pasta sauces. Definitely make sure to use some fresh basil when you make this Tuscan shrimp pasta!
How to make Tuscan shrimp pasta
Season the shrimp. First, place the shrimp in a bowl and add some olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss until combined.
Sear the shrimp. Next, preheat some olive oil in a pan over medium to medium-high heat. Sear the shrimp from both sides until fully cooked. Then remove the shrimp from the pan.
Sauté the onion. Now add the onion to the pan and sauté until it turns translucent. Season with some salt.
Cook the pasta. In the meantime, start cooking the pasta in a pot filled with salted boiling water according to the package instructions. Remove the pasta 1-2 minutes earlier while still al dente. Save some pasta water, drain, and set aside.
Continue to sauté. Next, add the minced garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and red pepper flakes to the pan. Continue to sauté until fragrant.
Add the sauce ingredients. Add the heavy cream, pasta water, grated parmesan cheese, and baby spinach to the pan. Stir and let the sauce simmer until the baby spinach wilts. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Combine. Now add the cooked pasta and shrimp to the pan. Toss until the sauce clings to the pasta and add more pasta water if needed.
Serve. Garnish with more grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!
Tips & Notes
- Cook the shrimp until they are done but don't overcook them. Shrimp cook very quickly, so it's easy to overcook them when they are left in the pan for too long. They usually are done when they are opaque and they curl. You could also take a look at the package for the correct cooking time, as it varies with the size of the shrimp. Also, keep in mind that they continue cooking even when they are removed from the pan.
- Cook the pasta until al dente. As the pasta continues to cook with the sauce, you don't want to cook the pasta until it's fully cooked. Remove it a few minutes earlier than the package recommends.
- Add as much pasta water as you need. Pasta water is needed to emulsify the sauce and to make sure that it clings to the linguine. So feel free to use as much pasta water as you need to make the sauce clingy.
Variations
- Use another shape of pasta that you like. You could use rigatoni, fettuccine, or even ravioli or tortellini. It's totally up to you!
- Add fresh parsley instead of fresh basil. Fresh parsley is another incredibly delicious herb for pasta dishes! So feel free to replace the basil with parsley.
- Chop up a fresh chile pepper and make the sauce spicy. If you love spicy food, you might already have fresh chile peppers sitting in your refrigerator. Using them is a great way to add flavor and heat to your sauce!
- Pick more vegetables and add them to the creamy pasta sauce. Zucchini, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes are great options for this dish! Feel free to use more vegetables than the recipe states.
- Use a tablespoon of tomato paste when sautéing the aromatics. If you want a bit of extra flavor, feel free to add some tomato paste to the sauce! It's another delicious way to prepare a creamy pasta sauce.
- Replace the heavy cream with half and half or whipping cream for a lighter sauce. If you don't want your pasta dish to be as indulgent, you can use another type of cream with a lower fat percentage. The pasta water will make the sauce creamy and cling to the pasta. So feel free to replace the heavy cream with your favorite alternative!
- Add a splash of white wine to the sauce when adding the liquids. I absolutely love adding some white wine to creamy pasta sauces as it really adds to the flavor of the sauce. I just decided to skip the white wine in the recipe box to keep this recipe alcohol-free. But definitely add some if you want to!
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it's not an authentic Italian dish. But it tastes super delicious! It's a variation of Olive Garden's Tuscan chicken. Even though it's not an Italian dish, I highly recommend trying it if you like creamy pasta sauces!
It is super creamy, flavorful, and delicious! It uses flavor-packed ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and parmesan cheese and combines them with simple ingredients such as heavy cream and shrimp. It's a really delicious pasta dish and perfect for anyone who likes creamy pasta sauces!
I wouldn't call this dish spicy as you don't feel the heat of the red pepper flakes too much. I think it's just well-seasoned. So if you want a bit of spice, feel free to use more red pepper flakes or chop up a fresh chile pepper.
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days. When you reheat them, add a splash of water to make the sauce creamy.
More simple and delicious pasta recipes
If you love to make pasta for dinner, I recommend checking out the following recipes. They are super easy to prepare and taste amazing!
Tuscan Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined, tail on or off
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 small yellow onion finely diced
- 12 ounces linguine or another shape of pasta
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil sliced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup pasta water more as needed
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups baby spinach
- fresh basil torn, for serving
Instructions
- First, place the shrimp in a bowl and add olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss until combined.1 pound shrimp, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper
- Next, preheat some olive in a large pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp and sear from both sides until cooked, around 3-4 minutes. Then remove the shrimp from the pan.2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Now add the onion to the pan and sauté until it turns translucent. Season with some salt.1 small yellow onion
- In the meantime, start preparing the pasta according to the package instructions. Cook the pasta for 1-2 minutes less than the package states. Then save some pasta water, drain, and set aside.12 ounces linguine
- When the onion has turned translucent, add the minced garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and red pepper flakes. Continue to sauté until fragrant.3 garlic cloves, ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Now add the heavy cream, pasta water, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and baby spinach. Stir together and simmer for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.1 ¼ cup heavy cream, ¾ cup pasta water, ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, 2 cups baby spinach
- Now add the cooked linguine and shrimp to the sauce. Toss until the sauce clings to the pasta. Use more pasta water if needed.
- Serve and garnish with freshly torn basil. Enjoy!fresh basil
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