Pasta with Creamy Mozzarella Shrimp

Creamy Mozzarella sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and red pepper flakes top this shrimp pasta. Simple weeknight dinner!

You’ve come to the right site if you’re looking for shrimp recipes! I’ve cooked a variety of shrimp pastas throughout the years, including creamy shrimp pasta with mushrooms and pesto shrimp pasta, and this dish is without a doubt one of my favorites!

This dish combines creamy Mozzarella sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil. If you like these flavors but prefer a different protein than shrimp, try this sun-dried tomato chicken pasta or this delectable scallop pasta.

Simple Recipe
This shrimp spaghetti is a stupidly simple meal that is ideal for a weekday dinner. The recipe consists of simply four steps.

First, the shrimp is sautéed in olive oil with garlic. And your kitchen will smell amazing as you do it!
Then, prepare the cream sauce by sautéing sun-dried tomatoes and garlic in olive oil before adding cream, basil, red pepper flakes, and paprika.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain.
Finally, combine all of the ingredients: shrimp, pasta, and cream sauce! YUM!

Substitute half and half for
What exactly is half-and-half? To put it simply, half-and-half is a milk product in the United States that blends half whole milk and half heavy cream to create a lighter cream.
12 cup milk + 12 cup heavy cream can be substituted for 1 cup half-and-half.
How to Reheat and Store Shrimp Pasta
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight jar for up to 4 days.
Reheat shrimp pasta with a tiny quantity of milk or chicken broth (or water) over medium-low heat until the sauce just begins to bubble. Reduce the heat to low and continue warming the pasta without simmering.
Keep an eye on the heat and keep it on medium or low. The cream will separate if warmed over high heat.

Making it gluten-free
Gluten-free brown rice penne or any form of gluten-free short pasta can be used. Gluten-free lentil penne or gluten-free quinoa pasta can be used.
Cook the gluten-free pasta according to the package directions. After that, drain and rinse with cold water to keep the gluten-free spaghetti from becoming mushy and sticking together.

Suggestions and Tricks
Use oil-dried sun-dried tomatoes. They are typically packaged in glass jars. Before using sun-dried tomatoes in this recipe, drain them as much as possible from the oil. To sauté shrimp with garlic, use the oil from the jar.
Make sure not to overcook the shrimp. Keep in mind that overcooking the shrimp can result in harsh, rubbery, and unappealing results. That is why it is critical to have all of the ingredients ready to go and to complete this recipe as quickly as possible and to serve it immediately! That way, shrimp won’t be able to sit about and cook in their own juices.
Use short pasta (penne) to allow the sauce to cover each and every bite!
Season the shrimp spaghetti with just enough salt to bring out the basil and sun-dried tomato aromas. Don’t use too much salt, but don’t scrimp either.

Why does this recipe work?
It’s really simple to overcook the shrimp. What’s amazing about this dish is that even if you overcook the shrimp, you won’t notice since they’ll be coated in the most delicious creamy sauce, which will keep the shrimp moist and tender!

Pasta with Creamy Mozzarella Shrimp
Sun-dried tomatoes, basil, red pepper flakes, paprika, and cream are used to make this delicious shrimp pasta with mozzarella cheese alfredo sauce. You’ll get properly cooked shrimp that are soft and supple yet not dry or rubbery!

8 oz penne pasta (use gluten-free brown rice pasta for the gluten-free variation)
2 tablespoons olive oil (drained from jar of sun-dried tomatoes or ordinary olive oil)
1 pound shrimp (shelled and deveined)
14 teaspoon salt 3 minced garlic cloves
Sauce cream:
4 oz sun-dried tomatoes (uncooked)
4 minced garlic cloves
1 cup of half-and-half
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (do not use fresh mozzarella; instead, use pre-shredded mozzarella)
1 tablespoon dried basil (add more if using fresh basil)
14 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

18 tsp. paprika
12 cup (or more) saved cooked pasta water
14 teaspoon of salt

Instructions
Pasta Cooking Instructions
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Save some of the cooked pasta water. The spaghetti should be drained.
How to Prepare Shrimp
Note: If using sun-dried tomatoes in oil (in a jar), drain the sun-dried tomatoes before using them. 2 tablespoons of the drained oil should be set aside for sautéing the shrimp as instructed below:
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil (reserved from the sun-dried tomatoes jar – see note above, or use regular olive oil).

Mix in the shrimp and minced garlic. Cook the shrimp for about 1 minute on one side, or until they turn pink or golden brown. While it’s cooking, sprinkle salt over the shrimp, being sure to cover each one.
If the shrimp are crowded in the skillet, moisture will accumulate and the shrimp will not sear properly.
After 1 minute, turn the shrimp to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Both sides of the shrimp should be golden or pink, and they should not be overdone.
Transfer the shrimp to a platter while leaving all of the oil in the skillet.
Making Creamy Mozzarella Sauce
Add sun-dried tomatoes (drained from oil and chopped into smaller chunks if necessary) and extra minced garlic to the same skillet.
Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, until the garlic is aromatic in the residual olive oil from the shrimp. The pan should be heated.
Bring half and half to a boil in a heated skillet with sun-dried tomatoes.

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Stir in the shredded cheese while the skillet is still hot. Reduce to a simmer right away.
Continue to boil the sauce over low heat, stirring regularly, until all of the cheese melts and the creamy sauce forms.
If the sauce is excessively thick, thin with half-and-half or saved cooked pasta water.
Combine basil, crushed red pepper flakes, and paprika in a mixing bowl. Stir.
Add 14 teaspoon of salt gradually, stirring and tasting over low heat (you may need slightly less than 14 teaspoon).
How to Make Shrimp Pasta
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and gradually reheat on medium heat.
Add the cooked shrimp and stir to combine.
If necessary, season with additional salt.
If the sauce is excessively thick, thin with half-and-half or saved cooked pasta water.
Allow everything to boil for a few minutes on low heat to allow the flavors to blend.
Remember to season the meal just enough to bring out the flavors of the basil and sun-dried tomatoes.

Notes
What exactly is half-and-half? 12 cup milk + 12 cup heavy cream can be substituted for 1 cup half-and-half.
If you’re using sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil (in a jar), make sure to drain them before using them. 2 tablespoons of the drained olive oil should be set aside.
Fresh Mozzarella should not be used. Fresh mozzarella is typically sold in the form of a large or tiny ball in a brine or water solution. Fresh mozzarella should not be shredded.
Use part-skim low-moisture mozzarella cheese. It is typically marketed in the form of solid blocks or pre-shredded cheese in bags.
Nutritional Data Nutritional Information
Amount per serving of Creamy Mozzarella Shrimp Pasta

Disclaimer: The nutritional information on this website is simply an estimate and is offered solely for your convenience and as a service. The nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. It should not be used in place of professional nutritional guidance.