Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp, Tomatoes and Fresh Basil
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A classic combination of seafood and pasta, Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp, Tomatoes and Fresh Basil makes for a simple, but elegant dinner with incredible flavors! It’s an easy-fancy meal that is just as perfect to impress somebody special as it is to satisfy a hungry family on a weeknight when you need to get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes.
Around our house, we love, love, love to eat pasta! And shrimp. However, I have never put the two together before, even though I know it’s a totally classic pairing!
Everybody at our house devoured this dinner. The girls absolutely loved the angel hair pasta and I was sneaking every last shrimp from the pan because it tasted so wonderful in the fresh, robust but light sauce made from the fresh tomatoes and basil.
I’m all about an incredible sauce over perfectly cooked pasta (remember this roasted red pepper sauce over fettuccine?) and angel hair pairs perfectly with a lighter, brighter sauce like the one created here, by ever so slightly cooking down chopped plum tomatoes with a little olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes for just a bit of kick, then adding in fresh basil for classic Italian flavors that still allow the pasta and shrimp to shine through. It’s amazing, I tell you.
Pasta is something we always have on hand in the pantry, in multiple varieties. It’s just so flexible and fits every season, and honestly, what kid doesn’t love eating pasta for dinner? It’s a no-fail option for me as an experienced home cook.
When it comes to actually prepping and cooking dinner, I love to have my girls help me in the kitchen. But some days we are all just feeling a little too done for that, so I will let the girls watch a show while I get dinner ready by myself.
It’s kind of a ridiculous thing to measure time in terms of PBS Kids shows like Peg Plus Cat or Wild Kratts, but I can tell you from experience that this is a one episode recipe, which is a win in my book, since we try to keep screen time to a minimum around here.
To make your angel hair pasta with shrimp, tomatoes and fresh basil, the first thing to do is get your water boiling for your pasta. I always prep the rest of my ingredients while that is happening so I can start the sauce while the pasta is cooking.
When a recipe calls for chopped, fresh basil, I always 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 such 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 isn’t sharp.
The plum (also known as Roma) tomatoes get deseeded (just slice them in half and run your finger inside the membrane to push out the seeds) and then roughly diced.
And other than mincing your garlic and boiling your pasta, that’s all the prep there is to this dish!
I always just use the deveined frozen shrimp that I can get in the freezer section at the store because it is just so convenient and I can keep a bag or two of it in the freezer.
Shrimp is a great solution for a weeknight dinner because it cooks so fast! In fact, the biggest thing with shrimp is to be careful not to overcook it or it will turn rubbery and tough. It really only needs a few minutes to turn from grey to pink and then it’s done!
I mean, isn’t this just a gorgeous plate of angel hair pasta with shrimp?! You can add a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the top if you like.
More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
- Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Casserole
- White Chicken Spinach Lasagna
- The Best Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe
- Copycat Costco Mac and Cheese
- BLT Pasta Salad
- Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
- One Pot Bruschetta Chicken Pasta
- Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Pasta Skillet
- Best Bolognese Sauce Recipe
Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp, Tomatoes and Fresh Basil
A classic combination of seafood and pasta, Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp, Tomatoes and Fresh Basil makes for a simple, but elegant dinner with incredible flavors! It's an easy-fancy meal that is just as perfect to impress somebody special as it is to satisfy a hungry family on a weeknight when you need to get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Golden Grain® angel hair pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 7 cloves minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 7 medium plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions, just until al dente, then drain and set aside.
- 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.
- Add the diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, and white wine or chicken broth (I just used the broth). Bring everything to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
- Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes or until the shrimp turns pink and are done. Be sure not to overcook the shrimp though or they will be tough and rubbery.
- Add butter and basil, and stir until the butter melts. Toss the shrimp, tomato and basil mixture with the cooked pasta, and serve immediately.
Notes
You can serve the pasta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top, if desired. Also, as an alternative, you could substitute 1 1/2 to 2 cups of diced cooked chicken instead of the shrimp, proceeding with the recipe as directed and just making sure the chicken is hot before combining the tomato-basil-chicken mixture with the pasta and tossing.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Amount Per Serving: Calories: 432Saturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 293mgSodium: 919mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 31g
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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!