Craving pasta with the flavors of the Mediterranean? This Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp, Tomatoes, and Basil tastes just like something you would eat while dining al fresco in Italy.
Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp
Everybody at our house devours this angel hair pasta with shrimp, tomatoes, and fresh basil whenever I make it for dinner. The girls love angel hair pasta and I’m always sneaking the last shrimp from the pan because it tastes so wonderful in the pomodoro sauce made from the fresh tomatoes and basil.
Angel hair pairs perfectly with a lighter, brighter sauce like this one. It’s made by cooking down chopped roma tomatoes with a little olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes for just a bit of kick. Then we add fresh basil for classic Italian flavors that still allow the pasta and shrimp to shine through. You can add a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the top if you like.
It’s easy and fast for a weeknight, but special enough to serve guests.
Shrimp and Tomato Pasta Ingredients
This is a quick overview of some of the important ingredients you’ll need for this angel hair pasta with shrimp recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Shrimp: Peeled, deveined shrimp is best and can be purchased frozen at the store. It is convenient and I can keep a bag or two of it in the freezer. I like the presentation of tail-on shrimp, but removing the tails before cooking will make this dish easier to eat.
- Tomatoes: Fresh roma tomatoes are cooked down to create a flavorful pomodoro sauce. Canned whole plum tomatoes can also be used instead.
- Basil: Fresh basil leaves makes all the difference with a simple recipe like this. Dried can be used in a pinch, but fresh really is preferable for this dish.
How to Make Shrimp Pomodoro (Shrimp Tomato Pasta)
- To start, get your water boiling for your pasta. I always prep the rest of my ingredients while that is happening so I can make the sauce while the pasta is cooking.
- Chiffonade or chop the basil and deseed the tomatoes by slicing them in half then running your fingers along the inside to push out the seeds. Roughly dice the tomatoes, then mince the garlic and you are ready to start cooking.
- Drizzle a large pan with a little olive oil, then cook the garlic and red pepper flakes for 30-60 seconds.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and chicken broth, then season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Add the shrimp to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp turn pink. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp or they will get rubbery and tough. They really only need about 3-4 minutes total.
- Add the fresh basil and a little nub of butter to the pan, then stir to combine. The buttery gives a wonderfully rich and silky finish to the sauce.
- Add the cooked and drained angel hair pasta to the pan and toss everything with tongs to evenly coat the pasta in the sauce. Serve with extra basil and freshly grated parmesan cheese for sprinkling on top.
Angel Hair Shrimp Pasta Tips & Variations
- Shrimp cooks fast. Shrimp is a great solution for a weeknight dinner because it cooks so quickly, but if you overcook it you will end up with tough bites. It really only needs a few minutes to turn from grey to pink and then it’s done!
- Reserve some of the pasta water before draining. You can add a little of the starchy water to finish the pasta dish to moisten things up a little if it needs it after tossing the pasta with the sauce. It gives a wonderfully silky texture and flavor to the dish.
- Use another protein or go meatless. Substitute 1 ½ to 2 cups of diced, cooked chicken or veggies like bell peppers, eggplant, or mushroom for the shrimp.
- Use a different type of pasta. This sauce pairs particularly well with the thin shape of angel hair pasta, but regular spaghetti or fettucine can be used. Keep in mind that they have longer cooking times so you may want to start them earlier than indicated in the recipe.
- Replace the chicken broth with white wine. This sauce can be made with white wine as the liquid instead of chicken broth, if you prefer.
How to Store Pasta with Shrimp
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash or two of chicken broth to loosen up the pasta and keep it from drying out.
Shrimp and Angel Hair Pasta Recipe FAQs
Pomodoro is Italian for tomato. This sauce is made with fresh, ripe tomatoes, garlic, olive, oil, and red pepper flakes for a little bit of heat.
The safest and best way to thaw frozen shrimp is in a bowl in the fridge overnight. But if you forget to pull it out the night before you can also run the shrimp under cold water for a few minutes until the shrimp has thawed.
When a recipe calls for chopped, fresh basil, I like to do a chiffonade, which is where you stack your basil leaves, roll them up into a cigar, then slice into thin strips. It’s great for presentation because it makes pretty, bright green ribbons of basil and it’s easy to do as long as you have a good, sharp knife. Basil bruises really easily and you can crush the edges if you knife is dull.
Pomodoro sauce and marinara sauce are both tomato-based sauces, but pomodoro sauce is a simpler sauce made primarily with tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and basil. It is typically simmered briefly to meld the flavors together but is not cooked for an extended period of time. Pomodoro sauce tends to have a fresh and vibrant tomato flavor with subtle hints of garlic and basil.
Marinara sauce, on the other hand, is a slightly more complex sauce that is simmered longer and often includes additional ingredients such as onions, garlic, herbs (such as oregano and parsley). It also typically has a thicker consistency and more of a rich and robust tomato flavor with layers of savory and herbal notes from the added ingredients.
More like this Angel Hair Shrimp Pasta:
- Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Casserole
- One Pot Bruschetta Chicken Pasta
- Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Pasta Skillet
- Best Bolognese Sauce Recipe
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Ingredients
- 8-12 ounces angel hair pasta, cooked and drained
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 7 medium roma or plum tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 Tablespoon salted butter
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent the garlic from burning.1 Tablespoon olive oil, 6 cloves garlic,, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Add the diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, and white wine or chicken broth (I just used the broth). Bring everything to a simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.7 medium roma or plum tomatoes,, Salt & pepper,, ½ cup chicken broth
- While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente (typically 3-4 minutes). Reserve about ½ cup of the starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta.8-12 ounces angel hair pasta,
- Add the shrimp to the skillet and nestle them in the sauce. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, turning the shrimp halfway through, until the shrimp turns pink. Be sure not to overcook the shrimp though or they will be tough and rubbery.1 pound medium raw shrimp,
- Add butter and basil, and stir until the butter melts. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper, as needed.1 Tablespoon salted butter, ¼ cup fresh basil,
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss to coat. Add as much of the reserved pasta water as you would like to moisten the pasta if needed, then serve with additional chopped basil and the parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese,
Notes
- Shrimp cooks fast. Shrimp is a great solution for a weeknight dinner because it cooks so quickly, but if you overcook it you will end up with tough bites. It really only needs a few minutes to turn from grey to pink and then it’s done!
- Reserve some of the pasta water before draining. You can add a little of the starchy water to finish the pasta dish to moisten things up a little if it needs it after tossing the pasta with the sauce. It gives a wonderfully silky texture and flavor to the dish.
- Use another protein or go meatless. Substitute 1 ½ to 2 cups of diced, cooked chicken or veggies like bell peppers, eggplant, or mushroom for the shrimp.
- Use a different type of pasta. This sauce pairs particularly well with the thin shape of angel hair pasta, but regular spaghetti or fettucine can be used. Keep in mind that they have longer cooking times so you may want to start them earlier than indicated in the recipe.
- Replace the chicken broth with white wine. This sauce can be made with white wine as the liquid instead of chicken broth, if you prefer.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in January, 2017. The photos and content were updated in January, 2022.
Yum! My family loves both shrimp and pasta – this classic dish looks great. Making it with the chicken broth keeps it nice and light – thanks for sharing 🙂
Amy, this looks absolutely stunning! Love how easy it is to prepare – the step by step pics show that!!
Going to add this to my meal rotation.
Thanks, Kylee! It’s definitely in our rotation now, too!
Looks so fresh and delicious! You can’t go wrong with pasta!
This looks delicious! I love that you stuck with simple, fresh flavors just like true Italian dishes do. It sounds amazing! And what a fun matchmaker site to find recipe ideas!
Thanks, Kim! It really is a fun site to check out!
Lucky you to have such a cute little helper! This looks like a really delicious dinner – shrimp is one of my favorites but we don’t eat it very often — I guess I’m too lazy to go to the fishmonger… That’s going to change!
I’m too lazy to go to the fishmonger too, lol. That’s why I almost always just use frozen shrimp. Better than nothing, I guess, right?
This sounds simple to make and absolutely delicious!
Angel hair pasta is my all time fav. Love it a lot. Great shots.
Wow, how delicious. I love how quickly the dish comes together, perfect for a mid week meal. Your photos are amazing, thanks for sharing.
Fast & easy pasta dishes are the best! Thanks, Sarah!
I like pasta with loads of veggies:) your pictures are very good!
Thanks, Uma! Me too!
Thanks for sharing!
YUM! I love how easy this is and it looks absolutely delicious. I’m totally craving pasta right now (ok, I kind of always am….) but I think I may make this tonight! thanks for the recipe!
I’m always craving pasta too, lol!
I’m in love with your pics. Thanks for sharing this recipe, I think the basil makes everything just perfect!
This looks and sounds simply delicious. Perfect weeknight meal.
That looks absolutely delicious!
DEFINITELY making this with spaghetti squash! YES YES and YES!
I looked at this post both before and after eating dinner… and I was craving it equally as much both times. Simple ingredients, short prep time… what’s not to love?! Thanks for sharing! #client
Thanks, Carrie! I couldn’t agree more!
We enjoy a nice simple pasta dish any night of the week, but especially on weekends. Hubby LOVES angel hair pasta and I love shrimp. Fresh basil is always a get addition to pasta.
This really looks delicious! I love shrimp and pasta mixed together and this light sauce looks yummy!
Stunning photos and adorable shopping buddy! And the preparation sounds like the perfect way to warm up a wintry evening. Luxurious but simple.
You just combined all my favorite foods into one dish! Your shrimp pasta with tomatoes and fresh basil looks absolutely amazing! Can’t wait to make this when I have fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden, pinning till then!
Sounds delicious! I need to introduce my girls to the “angel hair” name… they will love it! Here in UK we call it simply spaghetti but the younger one often calls it “scarpetti” as she can’t pronounce it.
Such a fantastic looking pasta. It reminds me a little bit of this low fat shrimp and vegetable pasta my mom used to make when we were growing up. Boy do I miss that pasta.
I don’t think I ever remember my mom cooking shrimp when I was a kid. But we were in landlocked Nebraska much of the time where seafood wasn’t on the menu much! Love that you have memories of dishes similar to this!
I can’t resist anything with fresh basil! Love this.
Love your photography! this recipe looks great too! haha
Angel hair and shrimp dishes are a staple in our house. I have never prepped it this way and can’t wait to try.
My family loves the combo of pasta and shrimp. I love that it is so quick, easy and delicious. This is a great contest by Golden Grain
I love the light freshness of this dish. And your pictures are gorgeous! I am a new blogger and hope that my pictures can look like yours someday (with my own flair obviously!). Great recipe!
Super good. The red pepper flakes added a nice touch of heat that was barely there but made a difference. We added veggies: red pepper, zucchini, and yellow squash, cut thin and quartered or julienned, after the shrimp had been going for a minute or two. Came out crisp perfect. Added extra broth for the veggies, but it was not needed. Splash of lemon juice for brightness and fresh ground Parmesan and Romano. Yummy!
Tried this recipe w/ a small modification last night. I added 2 cups of sugar snap peas to the recipe. Looked like the flag of Italy – red, white and green. It turned out really, really well.
Excellent recipe! I used whole wheat linguini rather than angel hair, and the linguini worked well. I also used even more garlic–can one use too much garlic? I’m trying to find out apparently 😉
Easy, tasty, healthy–what more could one want from a dinner recipe? Was a big hit at my house.
Thanks!
This is an awesome recipe. Thanks!!
Well that was delicious and easy!! I used a 14.5 oz can of fire roasted crushed tomatoes instead of fresh and it still tasted great! Easy weeknight meal.
Thank you for this recipe. It was excellent. We tried it the first time and the sauce was a little bit too thin and Bland. So the second time I didn’t add the chicken broth and I added about 6 tsp of marinara sauce and the juice of half of a lemon. And even my daughter liked it. The pickiest of all eaters!
It’s simply amazing. Prep work but with a glass of wine and music while you prep!
Made this with just a few adds, capers, sliced black olives and lemon juice. So easy and delicious! Thanks for sharing! 🥰