Description
This Shrimp Pasta with Creamy Tomato Basil Sauce recipe is simple to make, full of delicious flavors, and it also happens to make for GREAT leftovers!
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces dried pasta (I used penne)
- 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper, divided
- 1 cup diced white onion (about 1 small onion)
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
- 3 Tablespoons julienned or chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus extra for sprinkling
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- pinch of granulated sugar (optional)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- optional toppings: freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, extra fresh basil, extra crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook pasta al dente in a large stockpot of generously-salted boiling water according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, as the pasta water is heating, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add shrimp and season evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Then saute for 4-6 minutes, flipping once or twice, until the shrimp are cooked through and pink and no longer translucent. Transfer the shrimp to a separate plate and set aside.
- Return the saute pan to the stove and increase heat to medium-high. Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil, then add the onion and give it a stir to coat it evenly with the olive oil. Saute for 4-5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent, stirring occasionally. Then stir in the garlic, and saute for an additional 1-2 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally. Add in the crushed and diced tomatoes, basil, crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, sugar, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium and simmer (uncovered) for 8-10 minutes, or until the mixture is reduced and is fairly thick. Stir in the heavy cream until combined.
- Then once the pasta is cooked and drained, combine it with the creamy tomato basil sauce and the cooked shrimp, and toss until combined.
- Serve immediately, with the optional toppings if desired. Or transfer to a sealed container (such as Reynolds Heat & Eat Containers) and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.