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Easy Shrimp Arrabbiata

by 50 Comments

Disclosure – I was compensated by Dreamfields for recipe development and this post as part of #HealthyPastaMonth. As always, all opinions are my own.

In my family, pasta for dinner brings smiles to those around the table. While we do love it plain with just a bit of cheese and oil, or layered in a baked dish, our all-time favorite is topped with sauce.

Great flavor without fuss is my mantra. Simple fresh tomato-based sauces are fabulous, but once the summer tomatoes are gone, I look for ways to spice up the sauce. This easy shrimp arrabbiata fits the bill and makes weeknight dinner delicious, as well as quick.

Pasta Arrabbiata is a spicy pasta, perfect for a weekday dinner, but also elegant enough for company. | Mother Would Know

Arrabbiata is Italian for “angry,” a nod to the spiciness of this sauce. By adding shrimp, you make the dish into a protein-rich full main course. Traditionally arrabbiata sauce is paired with penne pasta, but I prefer rotini because the spiral shape holds the sauce better. Red pepper flakes are the spice in this version; start with ½ teaspoon, which will give the sauce a bit of a kick, without making it fiery. If you and your family or guests like food on the hot side, consider adding more, up to another ½ teaspoon. The optional tiny bit of sugar cuts the acidity of the tomato sauce.

And while many Italian chefs and home cooks would not add grated cheese to a seafood pasta like this one, in my house grated cheese on pasta is a given. 

Pasta arrabbiata with cheese, an easy and delicious weeknight dinner. | Mother Would Know

The ingredients are simple and the sauce comes together while the pasta cooks.

Ingredients for easy pasta arrabbiata | Mother Would Know

I use frozen shrimp so that I always have the ingredients for this dish on hand. My choice was based on my own taste test and reading the label to make sure that the type I purchased had not been kept in sodium-laden seawater or a brine solution. (Best to avoid “hidden” sodium.) Of course, if you have easy access to good quality fresh shrimp, by all means use them. 

Dreamfields pasta is my kind of ingredient. Made with US-grown premium durum wheat semolina, a one-cup cooked serving (2 ounces dry) has 5 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein. My official taste tester has given Dreamfields his seal of approval; he announced that he could not tell the difference between that and the imported Italian pasta he loves with a passion. Delicious and healthier – that’s a winning combination in my book.  

Pasta arrabbiata is an easy and tasty weeknight dinner. | Mother Would Know

As part of the #HealthyPastaMonth, Dreamfields is offering one of my readers a family pack of their pasta (1 of each of the 7 shapes) plus a $25 gift card. To enter, just check out the giveaway entry form at the bottom of this post. 

Print Recipe
 Easy Shrimp Arrabbiata Yum
This simple version of pasta arrabbiata is a one-dish weeknight dinner that is elelgant enough to serve company.
Easy Shrimp Arrabbiata | Mother Would Know
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Easy Shrimp Arrabbiata | Mother Would Know
Instructions
  1. Cook pasta according to directions on the package.
  2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion slivers to the skillet and sauté until transparent (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic; sauté 2 more minutes, stirring frequently. Push onion-garlic mixture to one side of the skillet.
  3. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the shrimp; sauté until transparent (about 4 -6 minutes), turning halfway through cooking. Transfer shrimp to a medium bowl and set aside.
  4. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, pepper flakes, salt, and sugar if desired, to skillet. Simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return shrimp to sauce; stir to combine. Remove from heat.
  5. Top pasta with sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and top with basil as desired.
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Pasta arrabbiata is a quick weekday dinner, but elegant too. | Mother Would Know

Comments

  1. Jeffrey says

    I’ve actually never had shrimp with pasta sauce but really want to try it, bet the combined flavors are awesome!

    Reply

    • Laura says

      Jeffrey, I hope you will try it – the combination is quite flavorful and the recipe comes together in just a few minutes. Seafood with red (tomato-based) sauce is wonderful. Have you ever had cioppino? I’ll put a recipe up on the blog for it soon – a combination of different seafoods in red sauce – also fabulous.

      Reply

    • Laura says

      Cris, Hope you’ll try it. This recipe is quite simple. You could even cheat by buying the shrimp already cooked and skipping that step, but don’t tell anyone I suggested that:)

      Reply

  6. Susan P. says

    Pasta has always been part of our meal plan and Dreamfields makes it easy to make pasta dishes nutritious. #HealthyPastaMonth I also prefer rotini because the spirals hold the sauce.

    Reply

  7. Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says

    My husband’s mother is Italian, and it is a running joke in our family that SOME of us add parmesan to our seafood pastas. I would be one of those someones. I love a little kick to my sauces…this looks delicious! Definitely trying it and entering your giveaway too!

    Reply

    • Laura says

      Michelle, Great on all counts. I’ll tell my husband that there are “real” Italians who add cheese (I’m always reminding him that we’re breaking a tradition when he insists on cheese with all pasta, even when it includes seafood.

      Reply

    • Laura says

      Sarah, You’re so right – and mac ‘n cheese weather (with Dreamfields elbow macaroni) is right around the corner, at least here in the mid-Atlantic US.

      Reply

    • Laura says

      Ah, Tina – so glad to meet another pasta arrabbiata fiend. Do try adding the shrimp – so easy and quite delicious. Plus it turns the pasta into a one-dish supper.

      Reply

    • Laura says

      Russ, Many thanks for catching that – I’ve fixed the reference to include it in the list of ingredients as well as the instructions.

      Reply

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