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What to Make With Shrimp and Pasta: 3 Fast Weeknight Dinners

Shrimp and pasta meet in the last two minutes. That is the whole trick. The pasta can boil while you peel, and the shrimp should not sit in a sauce waiting. These three are garlic and chili, lemon and butter, and a tomato skillet. If the shrimp curl tight and feel bouncy, they went too long. Got more in the fridge? Snap a photo and we'll pick dinner for you. Free.

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Quick picks: 3 dinners with shrimp and pasta in 30 minutes or less

Fastest option: a 18-minute dinner

18 min

Garlic chili shrimp pasta

Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly

Pasta water, garlic, chili, and shrimp that cook in the last two minutes.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb shrimp
  • 12 oz pasta
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 tsp chili flakes
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Steps

  1. Boil the pasta in salted water. Save a cup of the water. Pat the shrimp dry.
  2. Warm oil, garlic, and chili flakes in a skillet for 30 seconds. Don't let the garlic go dark.
  3. Add the shrimp in one layer and cook until just pink.
  4. Toss the pasta in with pasta water until the sauce looks silky. Taste. Chili should be warm, not a dare.

Keeps: Best tonight.

One-pan option

Garlic chili shrimp pasta is already one skillet. There is no second pan to wash.

The other dinners

18 min

Lemon butter shrimp pasta

Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly

A short butter and lemon pan sauce, shrimp, and pasta. No cream.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb shrimp
  • 12 oz pasta
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Steps

  1. Cook the pasta in salted water. Save some of the water.
  2. Sear the salted shrimp in a skillet until pink. Scoop them out before they curl hard.
  3. Melt the butter with the garlic and lemon juice in that skillet.
  4. Toss the pasta and shrimp back in with a splash of pasta water. The shrimp only need to warm.

Keeps: Best tonight. Butter sauces don't love the fridge.

22 min

Tomato shrimp pasta

Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly

A quick tomato pan sauce, then shrimp cooked in it just until pink.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb shrimp
  • 12 oz pasta
  • 1 cup crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Steps

  1. Boil the pasta. In a skillet, cook the garlic in oil for half a minute, then add the tomatoes and salt.
  2. Simmer the tomato 5 minutes so it tastes like a sauce, not a can.
  3. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, just a few minutes.
  4. Toss with the pasta. Don't leave the shrimp in the hot sauce while you find bowls.

Keeps: Fridge for 1 day. The shrimp will be firmer tomorrow.

Make it with leftovers

Leftover plain pasta is welcome. Warm it in the sauce. Already-cooked shrimp should be added off the heat, just to warm. This page is much better with raw shrimp cooked at the end than with shrimp you boil twice.

More dinners from leftovers

Pantry staples you'll need

  • Salt
  • Garlic
  • Olive oil
  • Lemon
  • Chili flakes
  • Butter
  • Tomato paste

No pasta: serve the garlic shrimp on rice. No shrimp: garlic pasta still works, and chicken and pasta is the other protein.

When there is nothing in the fridge

Picky-eater and healthy tweaks

Lemon butter, no chili, pasta, and shrimp that still look like shrimp. Some kids will eat the pasta and leave the shrimp. Put a few plain shrimp on the side of the sauced ones.

You don't need a cream sauce for shrimp to feel like dinner. Olive oil, garlic, and lemon are the whole coat. A modest handful of pasta per person.

More dinners in under 30 minutes

Have something else in the fridge?

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Related dinners

More dinners with shrimp

Questions

What can I make with shrimp and pasta in 20 minutes?

Garlic chili shrimp pasta takes 18 minutes, start to plate. Pasta water, garlic, chili, and shrimp that cook in the last two minutes.

What's the easiest dinner with shrimp and pasta?

Garlic chili shrimp pasta is the low-fuss one: one skillet, 18 minutes. Pasta water, garlic, chili, and shrimp that cook in the last two minutes.

Can I make this with leftover or cooked shrimp?

Leftover plain pasta is welcome. Warm it in the sauce. Already-cooked shrimp should be added off the heat, just to warm. This page is much better with raw shrimp cooked at the end than with shrimp you boil twice.

What else can I add to shrimp and pasta for a full meal?

The cards already use shrimp, pasta, garlic. A piece of fruit or a handful of frozen vegetables is enough if you want more on the plate. Don't make a second shopping trip.

Is shrimp and pasta a healthy dinner?

You don't need a cream sauce for shrimp to feel like dinner. Olive oil, garlic, and lemon are the whole coat. A modest handful of pasta per person.

How do I make shrimp and pasta kid-friendly?

Lemon butter, no chili, pasta, and shrimp that still look like shrimp. Some kids will eat the pasta and leave the shrimp. Put a few plain shrimp on the side of the sauced ones.

Can I make shrimp and pasta in one pan or a sheet pan?

Garlic chili shrimp pasta uses one skillet and takes 18 minutes. Pasta water, garlic, chili, and shrimp that cook in the last two minutes.

What if I don't have pasta?

No pasta: serve the garlic shrimp on rice. No shrimp: garlic pasta still works, and chicken and pasta is the other protein.