Italian Shrimp Tomato Pasta Recipe (No Cream No Cheese)

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Light and fresh, this Italian shrimp tomato pasta (pomodorini e gamberi) is a perfect one-dish meal, full of sweetness from the fresh shrimp and the cherry tomatoes. A healthy thick sauce with stir-fried cherry tomatoes and shallot finished with fresh basil, no need for cream. It is so easy to make, a delicious weeknight meal ready in only 20 minutes. Add small scallops or lobster tails for a fancy dinner, and deglaze with a dry white wine.

This dish is easy to make and uses only healthy Mediterranean ingredients, no cream or butter, and no grated parmesan cheese.

Italian never use cheese with seafood, only on rare occasions.

The tomato sauce is naturally thick and creamy from the juices of the cherry tomatoes. Thiken by adding some of the pasta cooking water full of starch.

The white wine, the shallots, and the basil add flavor, keeping the sauce light and healthy.

A delicious dinner done in only 20 minutes is the perfect dish for a fancy dinner party.

For more pasta recipes with seafood, you can check linguini with clams, pasta with black ink, pasta with zucchini and shrimp, and spaghetti with Bottarga.

For seafood ideas for the Feast of Seven Fishes, check out this Web Story.

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How to buy raw shrimp
The other ingredients
Instructions
Tips for making a creamy sauce
Variation
FAQ
📋Italian Shrimp Tomato Pasta Recipe (No Cream No Cheese)

shrimp tomato pasta with a fork holding a bite

How to buy raw shrimp

For this shrimp pasta recipe, I use fresh raw Prawns from San Remo, and to add an extra fancy ingredient, I added some small scallops.

Shrimp are slightly different than Prawns, but the taste is very similar.

You can taste the scent of the sea, and when you touch them, you can feel the freshness.

To know if raw shrimp (or prawns) are fresh, touch their shells, and if they are slimy, I won't buy them.

I clean and devein the shrimp for this recipe, but do not throw away the heads and the shells as they make a great fish stock.

If you don't have fresh shrimp, you can use frozen ones, but they have to be raw, and make sure you choose a good quality large shrimp.

You want to have some nice chunky bites in your pasta. Defrost completely before using them; otherwise, they will be too watery.

Adding shrimp to the sauce can differ if you are using peeled or unpeeled shrimp:

If you use raw peeled shrimp tails, add them at the end, as shrimp should never cook too long.
If you use raw unpeeled shrimp, add them to the oil at the beginning so the oil gets the flavor of the shrimp. Once cooked, remove them and add them back at the end.

The other ingredients

Pasta: For this recipe, I used fusilli. I like this pasta because it is nice and firm. You can use linguini or spaghettoni. I wouldn't use short pasta as the long pasta rolls around the shrimp, making the perfect bite.
Shallots: I usually prefer to use shallots over onions when I cook fish, as shallots have a more delicate flavor. I wouldn't use garlic with shallots, it is an Italian thing.
Tomatoes: I use fresh cherry tomatoes as they are nice and sweet, but you can also use long fresh tomatoes like Roma or San Marzano tomatoes.
Fresh basil: the basil adds a finishing touch to the dish; you can also use oregano or parsley
White wine: it is optional, but deglazing this sauce with a dry white wine will make this dish divine

Instructions

The sauce is cooked for 20 minutes, and you can make it while the pasta is boiling to save time.

Depending on the type of pasta you choose, make sure you start the sauce a few minutes before the pasta so they are ready simultaneously.

Make the sauce

In a large skillet, stir fry the shallot at medium heat with extra virgin olive oil

stir fry the cherry tomatoes and add basil

Once the shallot is translucent, cut the cherry tomatoes and chopped basil leaves in half. Season and stir with a wooden spoon.

Let it simmer covered for 15 minutes at low heat. Stirring occasionally.

Cook pasta

In the meantime, boil a large pot of water and add a tablespoon of salt

Cook the pasta al dente

Hint: I usually boil for 1 minute less than the cooking times indicated on the pasta package instructions

To cook pasta like an Italian you can check the article: 38 tips on how to cook pasta like an Italian

Cooking shrimp

Add the raw shrimps to the cherry toamtoes

Add the raw shrimp and the scallops and simmer for 3-4 minutes until they are cooked

deglazing the cherry tomatoes with white wine

Adds a splash of white wine to the pasta sauce and let it evaporate

Pasta with shrimp and cherry tomatoes in a pan

Add the cooked pasta to the pan and stir as soon as the seafood is cooked.

Mixing the shrimp sauce with the pasta adding black pepper

Adjust the seasoning, add freshly grated black pepper, and serve

Tips for making a creamy sauce

To make a creamy sauce without adding heavy cream, you must ensure the juicy cherry tomatoes simmer covered at low temperatures.
If you want more juices, add some water from the pasta, as the starch released will act as a thickening agent.
Add ½ cup of white wine at the end before adding the pasta for extra flavor. Let it evaporate for 1 minute.
Remember: seafood should not cook for too long. Add at the end and remove from the stove as soon as the seafood is cooked.
Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce as soon as it is ready. Combine immediately.
For a spicy tomato sauce, add some red pepper flakes
If you have leftovers, store them in the fridge in an airtight container for 2 days

Pasta with shrimp and cherry tomatoes served on a plate

Variation

I added some small scallops to the shrimp, but that is optional.

Instead of shrimp, you can also use other seafood like calamari/squids or mussels.

To learn more about the difference between calamari and cuttlefish, read the article: What Are Calamari Squid Cuttlefish and Octopus.

Italian Shrimp Tomato Pasta Recipe (No Cream No Cheese)

FAQ

When do you add the shrimp to the sauce?

If you are using peeled shrimp, add them at the end. For succulent shrimp, never cook them for too long. If you are using unpeeled shrimp, you can add them to the oil at the beginning so the oil gets the flavor of the shrimp. Once cooked, remove them and add them back at the end.

Do you add Parmesan to the shrimp tomato pasta?

Italians would never add Parmesan cheese to seafood pasta, especially if the seafood is fresh. It ruins the flavor of the seafood.

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