I have such a weird relationship with shrimp. Most of the time I don’t like it, then suddenly, out of the blue, I get this really intense craving for it and I’m all like, “Who are you and where did you come from?” Well, when that craving hit last week, I whipped up this super fast and easy Blackened Shrimp Pasta, featuring a homemade blackened seasoning mix. If you want BIG flavor without a lot of work, this pasta is your answer.
Should I Use Fresh or Frozen Shrimp?
Fresh shrimp is always best, but for most people frozen is going to be the most readily available and cost effective. Either will work for this recipe. Frozen shrimp thaws quickly when placed in a colander with cool water running over it.
What Size Shrimp is Best for Blackened Shrimp Pasta?
When buying shrimp you’ll notice some numbers on the package (mine said 25/35), which refer to the size, or the number of shrimp per pound. The smaller the number, the larger the shrimp. I used 25/35 because that’s what was available that day, but I think I would have preferred to use 31/45 so that I could get more pieces and more shrimp per bite in my pasta.
Larger shrimp are prettier, of course, but since I was being budget conscious and only used 1/2 lb. shrimp, more pieces would have distributed the shrimp throughout the pasta better.
What Type of Pasta Should I Use?
I had angel hair pasta in my pantry, so I went ahead and used that, but this dish would work equally as well with just about any other shape of pasta. I think bowtie would be nice, as would penne, or fettuccine. The pasta is just the vehicle for the amazing spices and shrimp essence in this Blackened Shrimp Pasta, so the shape doesn’t matter so much. :)
Is This Blackened Shrimp Pasta Spicy?
I would call this shrimp pasta “medium” spicy, but sensitivity to heat does vary from person to person. I used a homemade Cajun Seasoning Blend in this recipe, which allows you to adjust the heat to your liking. If you want it less spicy, reduce the cayenne pepper by half. If you want it more spicy, add more cayenne pepper.
Blackened Shrimp Pasta
Servings 4Ingredients
BLACKENING SEASONING
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika ($0.30)
- 1 tsp thyme ($0.10)
- 1 tsp oregano ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp cumin ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp onion powder ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- Freshly cracked pepper ($0.05)
SHRIMP PASTA
- 1/2 lb peeled and deveigned shrimp ($4.31)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.25)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes ($1.09)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/2 lb pasta ($0.50)
- 2-3 green onions, sliced ($0.17)
- Handful fresh parsley ($0.20)
- 1 lemon ($0.69)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the herbs and spices for the blackening seasoning. Rinse the shrimp under cool water, drain, and then pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the blackening seasoning over the shrimp and stir to coat.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until tender (7-10 minutes). Reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta in a colander.
- While the pasta is cooking, mince the garlic and add it to a large skillet with the butter. Heat the butter and garlic over a medium flame until the butter starts to foam and sizzle. Continue to sauté the garlic in the sizzling butter for about one minute. Add the shrimp and sauté until they are opaque and slightly firm (3-5 minutes), then remove them from the skillet.
- Add the diced tomatoes (with juices) and about 1/2 cup of the pasta water to the skillet. Stir and cook over medium heat, dissolving the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let the sauce simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Taste the sauce and add salt if needed (I added 1/4 tsp salt).
- Add the cooked and drained pasta to the skillet and toss with the sauce (add some of the remaining reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta). Return the shrimp to the skillet and stir to combine.
- Slice the green onions and chop the parsley leaves. Sprinkle both over top. Serve with sliced lemon to squeeze over top.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Blackened Shrimp Pasta – Step by Step Photos
Begin by preparing the blackening seasoning – In a small bowl stir together 1 Tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper (about 20 cranks of a pepper mill).
Rinse 1/2 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp under cool water, let them drain, then pat dry with a paper towel (that helps the seasoning stick). I used 25/35 size shrimp, but I think a 31/45 might have been even better. Smaller pieces means more pieces throughout the pasta.
Pour the prepared seasoning over the shrimp and stir until they’re well coated.
Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Once boiling, add 1/2 lb. pasta and cook until tender. Reserve about one cup of the starchy water before draining the pasta in a colander. I used angel hair pasta, but you could use just about any shape for this dish. When using a long pasta, like spaghetti or angel hair, I find it helps to break it in half before cooking. It makes stirring in large pieces, like shrimp or diced tomatoes, a LOT easier.
While the pasta is cooking, get started on the shrimp and sauce. Mince two cloves of garlic and add them to a large skillet with 2 Tbsp butter. You really do need to use butter for this recipe to get that authentic “blackened” flavor. Heat the butter and garlic over medium heat until it starts to foam and sizzle, then continue to sauté for about a minute to cook out the raw garlic flavor.
Next, add the seasoned shrimp and continue to sauté until the shrimp are opaque and slightly firm. Shrimp cook very fast, so this should only take about 3-5 minutes depending on the size of your shrimp. It’s important not to over cook the shrimp because the longer you let shrimp sit on the heat, the more the proteins contract, and the more firm and rubbery they become. So, remove them from the skillet as soon as they turn opaque and firm up.
Now you’ve got all these fantastic browned butter and seasoning drippings stuck to the skillet. We NEED that flavor, so we’ll be deglazing the skillet…
Add a 15oz. can of petite diced tomatoes (with the juices) and about 1/2 cup of that starchy pasta cooking water. Stir to dissolve that good stuff off the skillet. Fire roasted diced tomatoes would also be awesome with this, but I don’t think anyone makes them in a petite dice, so you’ll have larger tomato pieces.
Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes to reduce and thicken. Taste the sauce and add a little salt if needed (I added 1/4 tsp salt).
Add the cooked and drained pasta to the skillet and toss until it’s coated with the sauce. Add a little bit more of the reserved pasta water, if needed, to help loosen the pasta (but don’t add a lot or you’ll thin out the sauce too much).
Finally, return the cooked shrimp to the skillet and stir to combine with the pasta and sauce.
Slice a couple green onions, chop a handful of parsley leaves, and slice a lemon.
Sprinkle the parsley and green onions over the pasta and serve with the lemon slices.
Wowza, that Blackened Shrimp Pasta is NOT foolin’ around.
Very delicious! Will make it again.
Eek! I forgot that along with the 16 oz of pasta, 2 cans stewed tomatoes and 1 thinly sliced chicken breast – I also used 3 T of butter and 4 cloves of garlic. Thanks again for the solid recipe!
This was delicious! I needed to feed 5 people, so I doubled the pasta, used 2 cans of stewed tomatoes and added 1 thinly sliced chicken breast while keeping everything else the same. The spiciness was perfect for my kids, but I’d double the blackened spices if I wanted it just for me. Thanks so much for this recipe – I love how I can make this all with only two pans. I would be happy to get this pasta in a restaurant and am so happy I can make it at home!
Hi Beth,
Thank you so much for this recipe! My husband loves blackened anything, so I made this for him last night and he claimed that it is a restaurant quality dish! It was so easy to make, your directions made it fool proof!
Made this and it was so amazing that I’m going back to the store so I can make it again within the same week. It reheats great too!
Question: Could the petite diced tomatoes be replaced with tomato sauce? How much sauce would you recommend? I’m not a huge fan of tomato pieces and would love it if the sauce were a bit thicker.
Thanks as always for a delicious recipe, Beth!
I woud use crushed tomatoes, then. They have an almost smooth texture, but not all the added salt and seasoning that tomato “sauce” has. I’d probably use a 15oz. can. :)
WOW again! Made shrimp per the recipe and it was *delicious,” using canola oil instead of butter for a restricted diet. Instead of the pasta, we added 1 c. cooked rice and 1 15-oz can of kidney beans where you’d add the cooked pasta. Boom . . . quick-and-dirty rice!
This pasta dish is really good. Full of flavor.
I substituted chicken for shrimp since I live in the Midwest and cheap fresh shrimp is hard to come by. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Turned out great! Will definitely do this again.
This looked so good, but I was a little disappointed. I love this website but this is not my favorite. The directions scared me about the shrimp overlooking, so I didn’t let the canned tomatoes stew. The tomatoes were only in the pan for a couple minutes so the sauce didn’t have a “cooked” flavor and nothing was as well blended together as I like. In my opinion, the sauce should have stewed for a lot longer. And I thought the sauce was pretty thin/watery and also light (it mostly just absorbed into the noodles). The shrimp ended up being washed almost clean too, so I had basically tasteless shrimp mixed with uncooked-tasting tomatoes and sauce less but flavorful pasta.
Despite all that, I thought the recipe went WAY up (to the point that I might make it again) when I added the parsley (lots), green onions (only a little), salt, and a nice big sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. I also subbed half the shrimp with sausage, which added a lot more flavor.
Sorry this didn’t work for you – did you remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside before adding the tomatoes? I had to think about that step, but it was the key for a rich sauce. (I also added the rest of the blackening spices left over from coating the shrimp.)
I thought this receipt was really good! Our only change to it was fresh parmasian as a garnish.
Unbeliveable! Delicious, easy, inexpensive
This was really good. I usually follow recipes to a T but had a little bacon drippings and added for a little deeper flavor. But really delicious ! Thank you!
Delicious wouldn’t change a thing. Perfect! Husband loved it too!
Came out great! Used Black Bean Pasta due to slow carb diet and it was tasty!
Do you think this would work with pre cooked frozen shrimp?
Well, if it’s pre-cooked it might over cook the shrimp and make them tough when you sauté them in the skillet. That’s the only tricky thing with shrip–they cook very fast!