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Linguini pasta gets a delicious makeover with this 15-Minute Creamy Tomato Garlic Butter Shrimp! A quick and easy flavourful weeknight or weekend dinner that comes together in minutes!

Shrimp first gets sautéed in buttery garlic and a hint of basil, before being smothered in a creamy marinara sauce (or passata for us over here), with linguini, fettuccine, or your pasta of choice mixed through with a generous amount of parmesan cheese.

Creamy Tomato Garlic Butter Shrimp in a pan

Why This Recipe Works

This is one flavour packed shrimp! Even my super picky 7 year old loved this, which is saying A LOT.

My Creamy Shrimp Pasta was already a big hit, but I really wanted to put another spin on it, and add something extra to the creamy sauce. And that’s when I thought- tomatoes! It took me back to my Creamy Sundried Tomato Chicken Zoodles recipe and how everyone raved about it. That was it! I decided to try a shrimp pasta recipe with those flavors, and that’s exactly what I did. 

If you’re looking for a way to change up your pasta game —  this is it.

Ingredients

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ingredients for 15 minute creamy tomato garlic butter shrimp all laid out in top view
  • Shrimp: I used raw jumbo shrimp. You could use medium-sized shrimp too, if that’s what you have at hand. 
  • Marinara sauce: For that tangy, tomato flavor. You can also use passata if that’s what you have at hand. 
  • Veggies: I used fresh onion and garlic to make that savory, aromatic base. 
  • Chicken bouillon: For that flavor. 
  • Pasta: I used linguine here, but you could use almost any other kind of pasta you like. 
  • Heavy cream: To add some rich and creamy flavor to the dish. You can also use half and half if that’s what you prefer. 
  • Parmesan cheese: For the cheesiness. Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese- not the packaged, grated version. 
  • Herbs: I used a mix of dried basil and fresh parsley. You can also try using other herbs like oregano or thyme if you want to. 
  • Butter: To saute the shrimp. You can use olive oil instead if you want to. I love using my homemade Garlic Butter for some extra garlicky flavor. 

Note: please see recipe card at the bottom for list of full ingredients and measurements

How to Make Garlic Butter Shrimp

pasta in a pot uncooked
  1. Cook pasta: In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and set it aside. Remember to reserve 1 cup of the pasta water too. 
butter and onion  and garlic in a skillet being sauted
  1. Saute aromatics: Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion until translucent. Next, add the garlic and saute for another minute. 
butter onion, garlic and shrimp in a skillet being fried
  1. Pan fry shrimp: Now add the shrimp along with the basil and salt. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side. 
rich red sauce in a skillet with cream being poured in
  1. Prepare the sauce: Now add the crushed bouillon, sugar, pepper, parsley and the remaining salt. Cook for a minute or two, turn down the heat and add the cream and the Parmesan cheese. 
pasta being poured into a rich red sauce
  1. Add pasta: Now add the pasta and a bit of the pasta water (if needed), and stir well. Season if needed. 
close up image of 15-Minute Creamy Tomato Garlic Butter Shrimp
  1. Garnish and serve: Take the skillet off heat and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately!  

Pair the creamy tomato garlic butter shrimp with a veggie side. I love teaming it up with my Corn on the Cob with Garlic Butter and my Sugar Snap Peas. Sometimes, I also make Balsamic Soy Roasted Mushrooms to pair with it.  

If you can’t resist a side of bread with your pasta, try my Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread recipe. 

Recipe FAQ’s

What Other Kinds Of Pasta Can I Use?

I would recommend using long pasta noodles like fettuccine, angel hair, linguine, bucatini or spaghetti. 

Can I Use Frozen Shrimp For This Recipe?

You can, but you’ll need to defrost it before you use it. Simply place it in the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight. You can then use it the next day!

How Can I Quickly Defrost Frozen Shrimp?

To quickly thaw frozen shrimp, place the container or bag in a large bowl of water, and let it sit for about 10 minutes or so. Discard the water and add some more water to help it defrost quickly. 

tongs holding up 15-Minute Creamy Tomato Garlic Butter Shrimp

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4.93 from 26 votes

Creamy Tomato Garlic Butter Shrimp

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 4 minutes
Servings: 4
Linguini pasta gets a delicious make over with this 15-Minute Creamy Tomato Garlic Butter Shrimp! A quick and easy flavourful dinner in minutes!
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Ingredients 
 

  • 10 ounces linguini dry weight, or any pasta
  • 1 yellow onion medium, diced
  • 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 pound raw jumbo shrimp prawns, peeled and deveined
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon salt divided
  • 1 passata or marinara sauce
  • 1/2 chicken bullion cube crushed, or 1 teaspoon stock powder
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper divided
  • 1 pinch granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup milk or half and half or heavy cream
  • 1 handful parmesan cheese grated, to serve
  • 1 pinch fresh parsley to serve

Instructions 

  • Cook pasta al dente according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. (While pasta is boiling, prepare shrimp sauce.)
  • Heat the butter in a large skillet or pan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry until transparent. Stir in the garlic and fry until fragrant (about 30 seconds), then add in the shrimp with the basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté shrimp for 2 minutes on one side; flip and continue to sauté on the other side for a further minute.
  • Quickly add in the sauce, crushed bullion (or stock powder), parsley, pepper sugar and remaining salt. Allow the sauce to heat through for another minute before adding the milk (or cream). Continue cooking for a further minute or until the shrimp are cooked through.
  • Once the pasta is cooked and drained, stir it through the creamy tomato sauce; toss until combined. Season with extra salt if desired.

Notes

Try eating alongside a piece of Cheesy Garlic Bread

Nutrition

Calories: 442kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 1.415mg | Potassium: 442mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 645IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 163mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this? Leave a comment below!
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Hey Good Food Lovers! It’s nice to see you! My name is Karina. Welcome to Cafe Delites, my beloved space for the last 10 years where my passion for food has flourished and connected millions!

4.93 from 26 votes

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48 Comments

  1. Zoie Penick says:

    5 stars
    My sister and I made this recipe for dinner today. Our family loved it! We loved it as well. The sauce was so good. The shrimp definitely added a lot of flavor to the sauce and pasta. We tore it up. Thanks for the recipe!

  2. Tina Shah says:

    5 stars
    Delicious every time! This is a firm, mid week favorite!

  3. Cheryl says:

    5 stars
    Made this dish this past weekend…..one of the best I have ever tasted! And it was so easy!

  4. Debbie says:

    I don’t have any chicken stock. What should I do

  5. Mo says:

    5 stars
    Made this last night for me and my parents. We had leftovers.

    Made more prawns tonight and added it to the reheated pasta and sauce.

    DELISH!

    Thanks for the share!

    Mo P.S. Pinned this recipe to My Pinterest.

  6. Fatima says:

    5 stars
    That was absolutely delicious, fast and easy to make, my family loved it !
    Thank you very much.

    1. Becky says:

      5 stars
      Made this tonight. I did shrimp for my guys and chicken for me due to allergies. Added a little spinach to it. So good! My guys even enjoyed it!

  7. Molly says:

    5 stars
    Fantastic recipe, absolutely delicious and so simple to make.

  8. Best student says:

    5 stars
    OMG I LOVE YOU KARINA! NAILED IT!

  9. Joanne says:

    5 stars
    This recipe was absolutely delicious!!! My family loved it!!!!

  10. Sadie says:

    Beautiful.

    Although I made my own Mariana sauce.

    Can’t wait to try all your other recipes.

    Many Thanks.