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A bowl of creamy rigatoni pasta with shrimp, garnished with chopped parsley, sits on a wooden tray next to fresh herbs and a fork.
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5 from 3 votes

Marry Me Shrimp Pasta

🍤🍅 Juicy shrimp, tender pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, spinach, Parmesan cheese and it's all coated in the BEST creamy sauce! A restaurant-worthy meal that's ready in 30 minutes and EASY enough for weeknights or impress guests when entertaining with this meatless dinner recipe!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Course: 30-Minute Meals, Dinner, Pasta, Seafood
Cuisine: Dinner, Italian, Shrimp
Keyword: marry me pasta with shrimp, marry me shrimp pasta
Servings: 4
Calories: 592cal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces rigatoni pasta or another short shaped pasta such as ziti, penne, ditali, small shells, elbow macaroni, etc.
  • 1 tablespoon oil from the jar of sundried tomatoes (olive oil may be substituted)
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 ½ teaspoons all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
  • ¼ cup sundried tomatoes oil blotted and roughly chopped
  • 12 ounces large raw shrimp (about 14-18 count; I use fresh raw shrimp that are peeled and deveined; you may use raw frozen shrimp that are thawed and cleaned)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional and to taste (add more for a bit more kick)
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
  • 1 cup fresh baby spinach
  • ¼ cup finely minced fresh basil or to taste; plus more for garnishing if desired
  • Fresh parsley or additional basil optional for garnishing

Instructions

  • To a large stockpot, add water, salt it, add the pasta, and cook to package directions for al dente. When pasta is done, drain, and set aside. While pasta is cooking, continue on to the next step.
    Tip: Save and reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water just in case you want some later to thin out the sauce.* (see Notes about Storage and pasta water too)
  • To a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon from the jar of sundried tomatoes. If for some reason you don't have it or your sundried tomatoes aren't packed in oil, simply sub with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
  • Add the garlic, evenly sprinkle with flour, and cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes; stir nearly continuously.
    A nonstick pan with melted butter and flour mixed together, creating a light roux.
  • While whisking, slowly add the chicken broth, then the heavy cream, tomato paste, and whisk to incorporate the tomato paste; about 1 minute.
    A saucepan with creamy white sauce and a partially submerged red onion half, shown on a light-colored surface.
  • Add the sundried tomatoes, shrimp, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, optional red pepper flakes, stir to combine, bring mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, and then reduce the heat to a lower simmer and cook the shrimp just until done, about 4 minutes once simmering, and perhaps even faster is your simmer is more rapid or your shrimp are smaller.
    Shrimp Cooking Tip - Shrimp cook very quickly in a hot liquid like this so as soon as they go from gray and translucent to white-pink and opaque, they're done. They'll continue cooking due to the carryover heat so make sure not to overcook them and turn the heat off when they're done.
    A pan contains raw shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, dried herbs, and a creamy pink sauce base, ready to be cooked.
  • Add the Parmesan cheese, spinach (use more if desired because it wilts down to very little), basil, add the cooked pasta on top, and toss to combine the cheese and wilt the spinach which will happen quickly from the hot pasta and hot cream sauce.
    A pan containing cooked rigatoni pasta, chopped spinach, grated cheese, and creamy sauce, all separated before mixing.
  • Taste mixture and make any necessary seasoning or flavor adjustments. If your sauce is thicker than you'd like, add a bit of pasta water* (see Notes), 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired sauce consistency is reached.
    A skillet of creamy rigatoni pasta with shrimp and sun-dried tomatoes, garnished with herbs, surrounded by bread, cheese, garlic, spinach, and kitchen utensils.
  • Seasoning Tips - If it's at all boring or bland, it likely needs more salt so don't be afraid to add it. The same is true for pepper, but more so for salt. I absolutely recommend the red pepper flakes because they don't make the dish spicy (unless you add 1+ teaspoons), but rather just add flavor and depth. If the dish is a little sharp, you can add a pinch of granulated sugar which will tame and balance the acid from the tomato paste and sundried tomatoes, as well as balance the spinach.
    A bowl of creamy rigatoni pasta with shrimp, topped with chopped parsley and shredded cheese.
  • Garnish as desired with additional basil, parsley, or Parmesan, and serve immediately.
    A bowl of creamy rigatoni pasta with shrimp, garnished with parsley and grated cheese. Surrounding items include bread, shaved cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh parsley.

Notes

Storage: Recipe is best served warm and fresh but leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat very gently in the microwave. I don't recommend freezing this recipe - between the cream sauce and the seafood, it's a no for me. 
*It sounds a little funny, but you can place the leftover reserved pasta cooking water in a separate airtight container or mason jar and before you reheat your leftovers, add 1-3 tablespoons of it to prevent the pasta from drying out and so that it reheats creamier. It works better than just using tap water. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 592cal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 183mg | Sodium: 1352mg | Potassium: 683mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2112IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 286mg | Iron: 3mg
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