PREP TIME: 30 mins | COOK TIME: 30 mins | TOTAL TIME: 1 hr | SERVINGS: 4
With this easy recipe, you won’t have to worry again about your shrimp being tough or chewy again!
Ingredients
Pasta:
8 ounces penne pasta (for a gluten-free version, use gluten-free brown rice pasta)
Shrimp:
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb shrimp (without shells, and deveined)
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil (drained from a sun-dried tomatoes jar or just use regular olive oil)
Creamy Sauce:
4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes (without oil)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded (do not use fresh
1 tbsp dried basil (if using fresh basil you can add more)
⅛ tsp paprika
¼ tsp red pepper flakes, crushed, add more to taste
Mozzarella, use pre-shredded Mozzarella)
½ c. reserved cooked pasta water (or more)
¼ tsp salt
1 c. half and half
How to make Creamy Mozzarella Shrimp Pasta
Step 1: Following the package directions, cook the pasta. Set aside some cooked pasta water and drain the rest.
Shrimp:
Step 2: In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil (or the oil reserved from the sun-dried tomato jar or just use regular olive oil) over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the shrimp and minced garlic. Cook the shrimp for about a minute on one side until pink or golden brown. Sprinkle salt over the shrimp while they cook, covering every single shrimp.
Step 3: Flip the shrimp over after a minute and cook the other side for another 30 seconds to a minute.
Step 4: To a plate, transfer the shrimp, leaving all the oil in the skillet.
Creamy Mozzarella sauce:
Step 5: Add the sundried tomatoes in the same skillet (drained from oil and sliced into little pieces if needed). Then, throw in more minced garlic. Saute for about a minute over medium heat until the garlic is aromatic.
Step 6: Pour in the half-and-half and bring everything to a boil. Next, add the shredded cheese and quickly stir. Once boiling, decrease the heat to a simmer.
Step 7: Continue to cook the sauce over low heat, stirring until the cheese has melted and the sauce is creamy. You can a little amount of half-and-half or reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce.
Step 8: Stir in the basil, crushed red pepper flakes, and paprika.
Step 9: Slowly add 1/4 tsp of salt, stirring over low heat.
To Assemble:
Step 10: To the sauce, add the cooked pasta and gently reheat over medium heat. Toss in the cooked shrimp and season with more salt if needed.
Step 11: Thin out the sauce by adding a small amount of half-and-half or reserved cooked pasta water. Simmer for a few minutes over low heat.
Notes:
You can whisk half a cup of milk with half a cup of heavy cream to swap 1 cup of half-and-half.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you’re using sun-dried tomatoes that came in oil (in a jar), you’ll need to drain the oil before you use the tomatoes. If you want to use this drained oil to sauté the prawns, set aside 2 teaspoons.
For this recipe, use low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese.
Nutrition Facts:
Amount per Serving: Calories 632, Fat 23g 35%, Saturated Fat 9g 56%, Cholesterol 330mg 110%, Sodium 1449mg 63%, Potassium 1335mg 38%, Carbohydrates 63g 21%, Fiber 5g 21%, Sugar 12g 13%, Protein 43g 86%, Vitamin A 720IU 14%, Vitamin C 18mg 22%, Calcium 444mg 44%, Iron 6.8mg 38%
Creamy Mozzarella Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- Pasta:
- 8 ounces penne pasta for a gluten-free version, use gluten-free brown rice pasta
- Shrimp:
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lb shrimp without shells, and deveined
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil drained from a sun-dried tomatoes jar or just use regular olive oil
- Creamy Sauce:
- 4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes without oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 c. mozzarella cheese shredded (do not use fresh
- 1 tbsp dried basil if using fresh basil you can add more
- ⅛ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes crushed, add more to taste
- Mozzarella use pre-shredded Mozzarella)
- ½ c. reserved cooked pasta water or more
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 c. half and half
Instructions
- Following the package directions, cook the pasta. Set aside some cooked pasta water and drain the rest.
- Shrimp:
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil (or the oil reserved from the sun-dried tomato jar or just use regular olive oil) over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the shrimp and minced garlic. Cook the shrimp for about a minute on one side until pink or golden brown. Sprinkle salt over the shrimp while they cook, covering every single shrimp.
- Flip the shrimp over after a minute and cook the other side for another 30 seconds to a minute.
- To a plate, transfer the shrimp, leaving all the oil in the skillet.
- Creamy Mozzarella sauce:
- Add the sundried tomatoes in the same skillet (drained from oil and sliced into little pieces if needed). Then, throw in more minced garlic. Saute for about a minute over medium heat until the garlic is aromatic.
- Pour in the half-and-half and bring everything to a boil. Next, add the shredded cheese and quickly stir. Once boiling, decrease the heat to a simmer.
- Continue to cook the sauce over low heat, stirring until the cheese has melted and the sauce is creamy. You can a little amount of half-and-half or reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce.
- Stir in the basil, crushed red pepper flakes, and paprika.
- Slowly add 1/4 tsp of salt, stirring over low heat.
- To Assemble:
- To the sauce, add the cooked pasta and gently reheat over medium heat. Toss in the cooked shrimp and season with more salt if needed.
- Thin out the sauce by adding a small amount of half-and-half or reserved cooked pasta water. Simmer for a few minutes over low heat.
