Spicy Shrimp Pasta
Updated Mar 04, 2026
Pasta Arrabiata is a traditional Italian spicy tomato-based sauce pasta made with garlic, tomatoes and chili peppers, try it with shrimp!
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SPicy Pasta with SHrimp!
We make pasta for quick weeknight meals very often and I like adding shrimp to pasta to bulk it up with more protein, like I did with my Shrimp Pesto Pasta, Garlic Shrimp Spaghetti and now this Spicy Shrimp Pasta, inspired by Arrabiata Pasta. If you want to try the recipe, you’ll be happy to know it’s ready in less than half an hour and is packed full of flavor and a little kick.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Spicy Shrimp Pasta Ingredients
- Pasta: Use any pasta of choice. I love making it with penne or a short-cut pasta so it’s easier to eat with the shrimp.
- Olive oil: Go for extra virgin olive oil for a better flavor that works well with the spicy shrimp pasta sauce.
- Onions & garlic: These are the only aromatics needed for the recipe, and they add a lot of flavor to the tomato sauce.
- Tomato sauce: Use canned tomato sauce for convenience. About 3 cups works well for the recipe, but feel free to use a little more or less. You can swap it for diced tomatoes or tomato paste thinned out with water.
- Crushed red pepper: This is how we add the heat to the spicy pasta sauce. You can also use chili peppers.
- Basil: For a little freshness and sweetness to balance the spice; parsley is also great here.
How to Make Spicy Shrimp Pasta
Spicy Shrimp Pasta
Spicy Shrimp Pasta is inspired by Arrabiata – a traditional Italian spicy tomato-based sauce pasta made with garlic, tomatoes and chili peppers.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 small onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 3 cups tomato sauce
- ¼ cup fresh basil roughly chopped, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a pot of salted water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking pasta liquid.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp to the pan, season with salt and black pepper, and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until shrimp is opaque, transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce and basil and simmer on low for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
- Transfer the cooked pasta on top of the sauce, and add some of the reserved cooking liquid, if desired. Serve with shrimp on top and extra basil, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
Storage: Refrigerate any leftover pasta in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezing : You can make a big batch of the arrabiata pasta and freeze it for up to 3 months. It’s best to cook it without the shrimp for freezing and it will last for 3 months.
Make Ahead Suggestions: You can make the arrabiata pasta up to 4-5 days in advance and then just add freshly made pasta and warm through.
Nutrition
Calories: 457kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 183mg, Sodium: 1310mg, Potassium: 1025mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 1024IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 125mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcook the shrimp. They cook quickly and only need 2-3 minutes on each side. If you over cook them, they can become tough and rubbery especially since you’ll be tossing them with the pasta.
- Salt the water you will be cooking the penne in generously. This will help to add flavor to the dish right from the start especially since we’re not adding any salt to the sauce.
- Use red chili peppers. For a truly authentic taste, use fresh peppers instead of crushed red pepper flakes. This makes the dish more spicy but make sure to remove the seeds from the pepper though if you’re using them.
- Add sugar for a sweeter taste. Most restaurants add sugar to their pasta sauces to balance the acidity of the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Canned tomato sauce can be acidic but the basil helps to take off some of that edge. Feel free to add a teaspoon of sugar though.
Comments
Bonjour. Can you tell please how much is 8 ounces of pasta in grams? Every time I struggle to find the right measurements in grams.
Hi there, it’s about 227 grams! I’m not able to easily add metric units to my website at this time. So sorry!
This was an excellent recipe. The balance of the flavors are just perfect. Family loved it!!
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! That’s so great!! You’re so welcome!
So good!
Thank you!
I tried this and love it! I actually added some zucchini to the garlic/red pepper/sauce step for some extra veggies. And I used whole grain rotini. Thank you for sharing!
Yay! So glad to hear that! And I love that you used whole grain rotini and added in the zucchini…sounds delicious with it!
Very excited that this showed up on the site
Yay! Hope you try it!