Spicy Tomato Garlic Butter Pasta with Shrimp

This Spicy Tomato Garlic Butter Pasta is a quick 25-minute dinner that’s bursting with bold, savory flavors! Juicy seared shrimp, perfectly cooked pasta, fresh cherry tomatoes, and plenty of garlic come together in a luscious, spicy tomato butter sauce. Finish with fresh basil and a sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for an incredible tasting easy weeknight dinner!

📝 Ingredients

• 10.6 ounces / 300 grams peeled and deveined Shrimp or Prawns (frozen weight, 10-14 pieces if using size 16/20) – thawed and rinsed thoroughly
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked Black Pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon / 7 grams Unsalted Butter, for cooking
• 1 small / 20-25 grams Asian Red Shallot (or use regular shallot/eschalot or red onion) – finely chopped
• 4-5 / 25 grams Garlic cloves – minced
• 1-5 / 3-15 grams fresh Red Chilies, to taste (optional – I used Thai Bird’s Eye red chilies but any variety can be used, omit for milder dish, note 1*) – finely chopped
• 7 ounces / 200 grams Cherry Tomatoes – quartered
• 1/4 cup Fresh Basil Leaves, loosely packed – thinly sliced
• 2 cups / 66 grams Baby Spinach – washed if needed
• 1/4 cup / 20 grams freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (or Parmesan cheese)
• 1/8 + 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt, divided
• 5 ounces / 142 grams uncooked Linguini Pasta (or your preferred noodle-type pasta – note 2)
• 2 tablespoons / 30 grams Unsalted Butter
• 1 – 1.25 TSP Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste (note 3)
• 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon ground Cayenne, to taste (note 3)
• 1.5 tablespoons Oyster Sauce
• 1 tablespoon Low Sodium Light Soy Sauce
• Reserved Pasta Cooking Water, as needed
• To Serve: reserved freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (plus more if desired), reserved sliced fresh Basil

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- Prep: ---
2. 2Prepare the shrimp: Thaw the frozen shrimp and rinse thoroughly. Pat-dry and add to bowl. Season with ¼ teaspoon each of kosher salt and black pepper. Mix to coat and set aside.
3. 3Prepare the fresh ingredients: Chop/slice the shallot, garlic, red chilies, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil as indicated in the ‘ingredients’ section. Season the cherry tomatoes with ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt and set aside. Use a block grater to grate the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
4. 4--- Spicy Tomato Garlic Butter Pasta: ---
5. 5Cook the pasta: Cook the linguini pasta al-dente in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain and set aside. (I run cold water over the pasta to prevent it from sticking and cooking further but this is optional.)
6. 6Sear the shrimp: Melt ½ tablespoon of unsalted butter in a medium-sized deep sauté pan or deep edged skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned shrimp and spread out the pieces in the pan. Allow to sear for 1-2 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for another 1-2 minutes or until just cooked. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.
7. 7Sauté the aromatics: In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and ½ tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over medium-heat. Add the shallots, garlic, red chilies, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, crushed red pepper flakes and ground cayenne. Sauté for a minute until the aromatics are starting to soften and everything is fragrant.
8. 8Add the cherry tomatoes and stir until they start to soften and release their juices.
9. 9Stir in the sauces: Add the oyster sauce and low sodium light soy sauce. Mix to combine and simmer for a minute to let the flavors meld.
10. 10Add the pasta and spinach: Add the cooked pasta, baby spinach and 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water. Mix well to combine, until the baby spinach starts to wilt and the glossy tomato butter sauce is coating everything.
11. 11Mix in the shrimp: Add the cooked shrimp and mix to combine.
12. 12Stir in cheese and basil: Add most of the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and fresh basil (reserve some of both for garnish) and 1-2 tablespoons of pasta water. Mix to combine until the cheese has melted. Switch off the heat.
13. 13--- instruction-step-11">Serve ---
14. 14Serve: Divide evenly onto plates and garnish with the reserved grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (plus more if desired) and sliced fresh basil. Serve immediately.