One Pot Creamy Shrimp Pasta

This One Pot Creamy Shrimp Pasta is such a delicious 30 minute meal! Made with simple and easy ingredients, this shrimp and pasta recipe is perfect for busy weeknights and is sure to be a keeper.

We recently started doing something at dinner where we ask our kids to say something nice about their siblings. We started this on a day when they were being a little nasty to each other. I tried not to tie the two things together, and they didn’t really seem to notice my motivation.

I wasn’t sure how it was going to go, but it was incredible to watch them easily come up with lists of things they love about each other. They said very real things that they admired about each other or that particularly made their own lives better, like, “She always tries to make me feel better when I’m sad.” I loved it. And I also loved that it kind of forced them to get more comfortable with receiving compliments.

It actually made this creamy garlic shrimp pasta taste even better. I’m not kidding. This is a truly delicious dinner that I love making again and again, but the sweet words that went with it made it even better.

How To Make Creamy Shrimp Pasta

Here is a brief overview of how this recipe for creamy garlic shrimp pasta comes together in one pot. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full recipe including all measurements.

Gather all your ingredients. Measure everything out before you start cooking so that you aren’t scrambling to open that can of tomatoes and suddenly your garlic is burning.
Cook the garlic. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or stock pot and cook the garlic until it’s fragrant.
Make the sauce. Add crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, red pepper flakes, basil, and parsley, stirring to combine. Then add the penne.
Cook the pasta. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the penne just has a small bite to it. Rather than cooking it separately, the pasta cooks right in the sauce.
Add the shrimp. Stir in shrimp and cook until it just turns pink. Shrimp cooks quickly so be sure to watch it closely. Stir in the heavy cream and remove from heat.
Serve and enjoy! Top with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil to serve.

overhead view of creamy shrimp pasta recipe garnished with parsley and parmesan. - 2

Buying Frozen Shrimp

I love keeping frozen shrimp on hand. It is great in so many recipes and makes this a meal you can make last minute or when fresh seafood isn’t available. If you are lucky and live near the sea, you can absolutely use fresh shrimp in this recipe. You will want it to be thawed before making this dish. You can leave it in the refrigerator overnight or run it under cold water.

Tips and Substitutions

Use a different pasta. Penne works great with the creamy sauce, but any pasta will work. Fettuccine or linguine would be delicious, just like in my Shrimp Pasta .
Make sure to use heavy cream. I don’t recommend using regular milk in this recipe as you want the creaminess from heavy cream.
Top with fresh Parmesan. I love grating fresh Parmesan cheese over pasta dishes to serve. The flavor it adds is so delicious!

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Store any leftover shrimp pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat the portion you plan to eat in a skillet over low heat until heated through.

If you make this creamy shrimp pasta recipe or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear what you think!

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
16 ounces penne uncooked
1 pound shrimp raw and deveined
1 cup heavy cream
shredded Parmesan for serving
fresh basil for serving

Instructions

Gather and measure all of your ingredients.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet or stock pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds. Watch your garlic closely, if it burns start over with a clean pan. 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 cloves garlic
Add crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, red pepper flakes, basil, and parsley, stirring to combine. Season lightly with salt and pepper. 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, 3 cups chicken broth, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 tablespoon dried basil, 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
Stir in penne. 16 ounces penne
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes (or until the penne just has a small bite to it), stirring occasionally.
Stir in shrimp and cook until it just turns pink. Stir in the heavy cream and remove from heat. 1 pound shrimp, 1 cup heavy cream
Top with Parmesan and fresh basil to serve. shredded Parmesan for serving, fresh basil for serving

Recipe Video

Notes

did you make this