Marry Me Shrimp Pasta
Indulge in a delightful bowl of Marry Me Shrimp Pasta, featuring succulent shrimp bathed in a luscious sun-dried tomato and Parmesan cream sauce. With just a hint of garlic and ready in only 30 minutes, this dish is sure to impress your taste buds and anyone lucky enough to share it with you!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
3
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 3🥬Fresh Produce(2)
- 2–3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 12–14 oz / 350–400 g shrimp, peeled & deveined (12.4 oz)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 1½ cups / 350 ml heavy cream (360 ml)
- ½ cup / 50 g grated Parmesan (1.76 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- Pasta of choice
- Splash of pasta water
- 1 tbsp tomato paste (15 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(7)
- 1 tsp garlic powder (5 ml)
- 1-2 tsp oregano (5-10 ml)
- 1 tsp oregano (5 ml)
- 1-2 tsp paprika (5-10 ml)
- 1 tsp paprika (5 ml)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Fresh thyme (optional)optional
📦Other(4)
- Chili flakes, to tasteoptional
- Chili flakes, to taste (optional)optional
- ⅓ cup / 100 ml dry white wine (79.2 ml)
- ½–¾ cup / 100–150 g high-quality sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (3.53 oz)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
652
Protein
35g
Carbs
13g
Fat
54g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve a splash of pasta water, then drain.
- 2
Season shrimp with oregano, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Sear in a hot pan for 1–2 minutes per side until just cooked. Remove and set aside.
- 3
In the same pan, sauté garlic and shallot until soft and fragrant. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- 4
Pour in white wine and let it reduce for 2–3 minutes.
- 5
Add heavy cream, paprika, oregano, chili flakes, fresh thyme, and sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened, then stir in Parmesan.
- 6
Add pasta and a splash of pasta water, tossing until the sauce is creamy and coats everything.
- 7
Return shrimp to the pan, toss gently. Serve immediately and enjoy.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Sear shrimp for exactly 1-2 minutes per side at 400°F+ pan temperature because shrimp proteins denature completely at 140°F internal temp; overcooking past 2 minutes per side causes them to contract and expel moisture, dropping from 20% water content to 15%, making them rubbery.timing1-2 minutes per side, 140°F internal temperature
- ✓Add 2-3 tablespoons of starchy pasta water (not just a splash) to the cream sauce because starches act as an emulsifier and thickener—they stabilize the fat-water interface and boost viscosity by 30-40% without breaking the emulsion like additional cream would.technique2-3 tablespoons pasta water (starch concentration ~2%)
- ✓Cook tomato paste for a full 1 minute after adding it to break down its cell walls and eliminate raw, acidic flavor notes; this Maillard reaction also deepens umami by concentrating glutamates, adding ~15% more savory depth to the sauce.timing1 minute minimum
- ✓Reduce white wine for 2-3 minutes to cook off acetaldehyde (the sharp, harsh alcohol compound) while retaining wine's fruity esters; stopping at 2-3 minutes leaves 20-30% alcohol by volume, which adds complexity without sourness.timing2-3 minutes (20-30% ABV remaining)
- ✓Reserve pasta water before draining because its starch-to-salt ratio (approximately 8:1) matches the osmotic potential needed to thin heavy cream sauce while emulsifying—using plain water or additional cream breaks the sauce's suspension.ingredientStarch-to-salt ratio ~8:1 in reserved pasta water
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
3
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Marry Me Shrimp Pasta
Indulge in a delightful bowl of Marry Me Shrimp Pasta, featuring succulent shrimp bathed in a luscious sun-dried tomato and Parmesan cream sauce. With just a hint of garlic and ready in only 30 minutes, this dish is sure to impress your taste buds and anyone lucky enough to share it with you!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 3🥬Fresh Produce(2)
- 2–3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 12–14 oz / 350–400 g shrimp, peeled & deveined (12.4 oz)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 1½ cups / 350 ml heavy cream (360 ml)
- ½ cup / 50 g grated Parmesan (1.76 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- Pasta of choice
- Splash of pasta water
- 1 tbsp tomato paste (15 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(7)
- 1 tsp garlic powder (5 ml)
- 1-2 tsp oregano (5-10 ml)
- 1 tsp oregano (5 ml)
- 1-2 tsp paprika (5-10 ml)
- 1 tsp paprika (5 ml)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Fresh thyme (optional)optional
📦Other(4)
- Chili flakes, to tasteoptional
- Chili flakes, to taste (optional)optional
- ⅓ cup / 100 ml dry white wine (79.2 ml)
- ½–¾ cup / 100–150 g high-quality sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (3.53 oz)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
652
Protein
35g
Carbs
13g
Fat
54g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve a splash of pasta water, then drain.
- 2
Season shrimp with oregano, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Sear in a hot pan for 1–2 minutes per side until just cooked. Remove and set aside.
- 3
In the same pan, sauté garlic and shallot until soft and fragrant. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- 4
Pour in white wine and let it reduce for 2–3 minutes.
- 5
Add heavy cream, paprika, oregano, chili flakes, fresh thyme, and sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened, then stir in Parmesan.
- 6
Add pasta and a splash of pasta water, tossing until the sauce is creamy and coats everything.
- 7
Return shrimp to the pan, toss gently. Serve immediately and enjoy.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Sear shrimp for exactly 1-2 minutes per side at 400°F+ pan temperature because shrimp proteins denature completely at 140°F internal temp; overcooking past 2 minutes per side causes them to contract and expel moisture, dropping from 20% water content to 15%, making them rubbery.timing1-2 minutes per side, 140°F internal temperature
- ✓Add 2-3 tablespoons of starchy pasta water (not just a splash) to the cream sauce because starches act as an emulsifier and thickener—they stabilize the fat-water interface and boost viscosity by 30-40% without breaking the emulsion like additional cream would.technique2-3 tablespoons pasta water (starch concentration ~2%)
- ✓Cook tomato paste for a full 1 minute after adding it to break down its cell walls and eliminate raw, acidic flavor notes; this Maillard reaction also deepens umami by concentrating glutamates, adding ~15% more savory depth to the sauce.timing1 minute minimum
- ✓Reduce white wine for 2-3 minutes to cook off acetaldehyde (the sharp, harsh alcohol compound) while retaining wine's fruity esters; stopping at 2-3 minutes leaves 20-30% alcohol by volume, which adds complexity without sourness.timing2-3 minutes (20-30% ABV remaining)
- ✓Reserve pasta water before draining because its starch-to-salt ratio (approximately 8:1) matches the osmotic potential needed to thin heavy cream sauce while emulsifying—using plain water or additional cream breaks the sauce's suspension.ingredientStarch-to-salt ratio ~8:1 in reserved pasta water