In my house, creamy pasta reigns supreme. And this amazingly simple tuscan shrimp pasta might have bumped its way straight to the top of the favorites list. A simple cream sauce coating plump garlic shrimp, juicy cherry tomatoes, and spinach sounds like heaven in my mouth.
If it were up to my fiance, we would have chicken alfredo twice a week. Just chicken, pasta, alfredo sauce, and extra parmesan. Not that I am complaining, but every now and then it doesn’t hurt to throw in some veggies in. That’s why I love this recipe, it is all the comfort of a classic alfredo with just a few added touches.
Garlic Shrimp
I think shrimp is my all-time favorite protein! And although I could eat it any way you serve it (queue up the Forest Gump shrimp scene), you can never go wrong with a simple garlic lemon butter sauce.
And by simple I mean 5 ingredients max! Just saute about two-three tbsp each of salted butter and minced garlic in a hot pan until fragrant. Add in your peeled and deveined shrimp and the squeeze of half a lemon and cook until the shrimp are barely opaque. Finish with some chopped fresh parsley or grated parmesan and serve!
I could eat them just like that, but in an effort to really start adulting, it’s probably best to add them to a more substantial meal.
Let’s Talk Veggies
To elevate this dish to something slightly more sophisticated than my fiance prefers, I enlisted the help of some vegetables. First, I started with a cup of whole cherry tomatoes. When the shrimp is removed from the pan, throw them right in and crank of the heat if needed. The goal is to get them to brown slightly but still remain intact so you get a nice burst when you bite into them.
Then, right before the dish comes together, drop in 2 cups of fresh spinach (or 10oz frozen, thawed and drained) 2 minutes before serving. Spinach is the magic leafy green that wilts almost instantly so not a lot of time is needed to cook it.
But why stop there? This dish would be delicious with crimini mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, roasted broccoli, or even artichoke.
Cream Sauce
While jarred cream sauces are always convenient in a pinch, I really do prefer making my own when I can. I just like being able to control the flavors and make more or less than a standard jar. Luckily, they are one of the easiest sauces to make.
Start with the same pan you cooked the shrimp and tomatoes in (why waste all that delicious flavor) and deglaze it with 1/2 cup of wine and 1/2 cup of chicken stock (or 1 cup of chicken stock if not using wine). Let that liquid reduce by half, and add in 2 cups of heavy cream, 1/2 cup of grated parmesan, and a teaspoon of onion powder and dried basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and let it simmer for 5 minutes, or until it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Bring it all together by adding the shrimp, tomatoes, and cooked pasta back to the pot, along with a generous heap of fresh spinach and stir! Once the spinach wilts you are ready to serve!
Top with more grated parmesan and sever this tuscan shrimp pasta as an easy weeknight dinner or a romantic dinner for two in less than 30 minutes!
Want Other Easy Dinner Recipes?
- Chicken Thighs With Lemon Orzo Pasta
- Garlic Hoisin Pork Tenderloin
- Jerk Chicken With Mango Salsa
- Slow Cooker Ribs With Alabama White Sauce
Tuscan Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry rigatoni Can sub penne or other short cut pasta
- 3 tbsp salted butter divided
- ¾ lb raw jumbo or large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 tbsp garlic divided
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ½ cup dry white wine or more chicken stock
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup grated parmesan plus more for finishing
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried basil or Italian Seasoning
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups fresh spinach or 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions in salted water.
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, add 2 tbsp butter, shrimp, 1 tbsp of garlic, and lemon juice. Cook until the shrimp are just barely opaque, about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add in the whole cherry tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to brown slightly on the outside. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, add remaining butter and garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.Add in white wine (if using) and chicken stock to deglaze the pan. Bring to a simmer and allow to reduce by half.
- Add in heavy cream, parmesan, onion powder, dried basil, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and allow the sauce to thicken for about 5 minutes, or until it coats the back of a wooden spoon.
- Add the shrimp, tomatoes, and cooked pasta to the pan and stir to combine. Add in the spinach and simmer for another 2-3 minutes until the spinach has wilted (if using fresh).
- Serve immediately, topped with additional grated parmesan.
