I've been sharing recipes online for over 10 years, and shrimp spaghetti is one of those dishes that sounds simple but can go wrong fast. Overcooked shrimp, bland sauce, and mushy pasta can ruin the whole meal. My recipe walks you through exactly how to get juicy shrimp, well-seasoned sauce, and perfectly cooked pasta every time. With Louisiana roots in my family, shrimp spaghetti has always been one of those meals that feels like home.
You will also love my Southern Spaghetti Recipe and Fish and Spaghetti.
Shrimp Spaghetti Ingredients
- Spaghetti Pasta: Spaghetti is my go-to for shrimp spaghetti and what I use most often. The long noodles hold onto the sauce well and give you that classic shrimp spaghetti experience. If you don't have spaghetti, linguine is probably my favorite substitute. I would stick with long pasta shapes and skip short pasta like penne or rotini. Shrimp spaghetti is meant to have those twirlable noodles coated in sauce with shrimp tucked throughout.
- Olive Oil
- Shrimp: Large or jumbo shrimp work best for shrimp spaghetti. They stay juicy, have a nice bite, and don't get lost in the pasta and sauce. I usually buy large shrimp (31/40 count) or jumbo shrimp (21/25 count).
- Spices
- Salt and Pepper
- Onions
- Bell Peppers
- Garlic
- Crushed Tomatoes
How to Make Shrimp Spaghetti
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cook the spaghetti in accordance with the instructions on the package.
- Place a large pot or Dutch oven on medium-high heat
- Season the shrimp with Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Add the seasoned shrimp to the pot and cook.
- Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside. Add in onions, green peppers, red peppers, and garlic. Saute.
- Add in crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and wine. Stir.
- Fold in the cooked spaghetti and stir.
- Cover and simmer.
- Open the pot and remove the bay leaf. Add the cooked shrimp to the pot and serve.
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Shrimp Spaghetti
Want to save this recipe for later?
I'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later! You will also grab your FREE ebook with my best 30-minute one-pot meals! Dinner stress stops here.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8-10 oz spaghetti pasta See notes.
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound raw shrimp Peeled and deveined.
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ½ cup chopped green peppers
- ½ cup chopped red peppers
- 4 garlic cloves Minced
Homemade Marinara Sauce (Feel free to use jarred, store-bought sauce if you wish).
- 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano
- 3 fresh basil leaves chiffonade, sliced into strips ½ – 1 teaspoon if using dried. Adjust to taste.
- ⅓ cup dry white wine I use Pinot Grigio.
- ½-1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning Adjust to suit your taste.
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti in accordance with the instructions on the package. Prep your vegetables while the spaghetti cooks.
- Place a large pot or Dutch oven on medium-high heat (I use the same one I used to cook the pasta) with olive oil.
- Season the shrimp with Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Add the seasoned shrimp to the pot and cook for 3-5 minutes or until it is pink and opaque.
- Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside. Add in the onions, green peppers, red peppers, and garlic. Saute until the onions and garlic are fragrant.
- Add in the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and wine. Stir.
- Taste repeatedly and adjust spices as necessary to suit your taste. The taste of the sauce is key to the overall taste of the dish.
- Fold in the cooked spaghetti and stir.
- Adjust the heat to medium-low and place the lid on the pot. Simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Open the pot and remove the bay leaf. Add the cooked shrimp to the pot and serve.
Notes
- Use less pasta if you like really saucy spaghetti and 10oz if you like an equal balance of sauce and pasta.
- Feel free to omit the wine if it isn’t your thing.
- Some people like sweet spaghetti sauce. Feel free to add sugar or sweetener if that's how you like it.
- I’m a huge fan of making this a one-pot recipe. I go for a 7-quart Dutch oven. It’s large enough to cook the pasta in and it can withhold higher heat for sauteeing the vegetables and shrimp. If you want to make this using one pot, grab one that’s large enough and retains heat well.
- As always, feel free to use a store-bought sauce if that’s your preference and you want to save some time.
- You can use whatever type of pasta you like including whole wheat (cook in accordance with the instructions on the package) or low carb spiralized vegetables.
Nutrition
Nutrition Data
Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Frequently Asked Questions and Recipe Pro Tips
People often break their spaghetti in half so that it will fit in the pot they are using to cook the pasta. I find I don’t need to do this and it’s frowned upon, especially in Italian culture. Some even consider it bad luck. The pasta is meant to be eaten by twirling it around your fork. It’s hard to do that if you have smaller pieces.
It won’t harm the pasta if you do! So if you must, feel free!
Use a pot that is large enough to fill 5-7 quarts of water. Once you add the spaghetti to boiling water it will wilt down quickly and fit the pot.
Add salt to the water when you cook your pasta. The salt will keep the pasta from being sticky and slimy. I usually add a teaspoon.
I’m a huge fan of making this a one-pot recipe. I go for this 7-quart Dutch oven. It’s large enough to cook the pasta in and it can withhold higher heat for sauteeing the vegetables and shrimp. If you want to make this using one pot, grab one that’s large enough and retains heat well.
If you use a smaller pot, the pasta has less water to cook in. This results in a higher amount of starch in the pot, which will cause your pasta will to come out sticky after you drain the water. To be safe, always go for a big pot, even if you’re only cooking a small amount of pasta. You can read about more Common Mistakes When Cooking Pasta here.
You can use any of your favorite store-bought marinara sauce for this recipe. I like to make my own because it's really simple to do. Here are the key ingredients:
Crushed Tomatoes
Dry White Wine (I use Pinto Grigio)
Basil
Oregano
Bay Leaf
Italian Seasoning
Onions
Garlic
Don't overcook it. Shrimp only needs a few minutes to cook through. As soon as it's pink and opaque, it's done. Perfectly cooked shrimp usually has a C-shape, as opposed to a tightly curled O shape. Overcooked shrimp is grayish-white in color. The flesh is tough and rubbery. A bland taste and a lack of sweetness is a sign the shrimp has been cooked too long.
The shrimp should be pink, opaque, and shaped like a loose "C." If it curls into a tight circle, it's usually overcooked.
You can, but I don't recommend it. Pre-cooked shrimp can become tough pretty quickly when reheated in the sauce. Raw shrimp gives you much better results.
Usually because the pasta absorbed the sauce while it sat. Save some pasta water or extra sauce to stir in when reheating. That brings everything back to life.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge tightly sealed for 3-4 days. I reheat in the microwave. It will maintain its consistency and flavor if eaten within 3-4 days. It often tastes even better the next day because the flavors have gotten a chance to really sink in.
I recommend heating the shrimp separately from the pasta. As noted above, shrimp cooks fast. You will only need to reheat it for a short time, but the pasta and sauce may require a longer time to reheat and you don't want to risk ruining the shrimp.
You can freeze the dish tightly covered and sealed up to 2 months. With pasta, the faster you eat it after freezing, the better the texture and consistency.
Variations and Substitutions
- Scallops
- Crab
- Lobster
- Fresh Grated Parmesan
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cajun Seasoning
- Mushrooms
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Black Olives
Pair With These Recipes
Air Fryer Garlic Bread
Air Fryer Roasted Garlic
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic
More Shrimp and Seafood Recipes
Seafood Stuffed Mushrooms with Shrimp and Crab
Seafood Jambalaya with Shrimp
Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
Shrimp Burger
Salmon Pasta Salad
Salmon Fettuccine Alfredo
Watch step by step instructions on how to make this recipe here on Youtube.
Ritu says
I find this recipe very tasty. I have made this recipe several times. This recipe can be made with ingredients in the fridge. This is why this recipe seems so easy to me.
staysnatched says
Ao glad to hear it!