Pasta Pomodoro with Shrimp

Angel hair pasta with sautéed shrimp, garlic, tomatoes, and basil.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated January 12, 2025
Elise Bauer
Pasta Pomodoro with Shrimp
Elise Bauer

What's your go-to quick midweek meal? Mine often involves angel hair pasta, because it cooks in only 3 minutes. My other standby is shrimp, which also cooks almost as fast.

In this pasta pomodoro topped with shrimp we are using both, and tossing them with quickly cooked fresh tomatoes (that's the "pomodoro" part), garlic, and basil.

You could use canned tomatoes, but if tomatoes are in season, and they are ripe and juicy, you can use them with hardly any extra time.

September is peak tomato season here in Sacramento, even more than August. Our tomatoes are all ripening at once, catching the last rays of sunshine before we slip into fall. They're sweet and ripe, perfect for using for a quick pasta dish like this one.

Pasta Pomodoro with Shrimp
Elise Bauer

Fresh tomatoes do require peeling which you can easily accomplish by scoring them and blanching them in boiling water. Our trick for saving time? Since you're already boiling water for the pasta, you can use that water for a minute to blanch the tomatoes, before cooking the pasta.

More Pasta Dishes for Busy Nights

Pasta Pomodoro with Shrimp

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 3 to 4 servings

To safely defrost frozen shrimp, place in a bowl of ice water.

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 4 medium ripe tomatoes

  • 3/4 pound raw, peeled, deveined shrimp (medium sized)

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1/3 cup torn fresh basil leaves

  • Kosher salt

  • 1/2 pound angel hair pasta

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

Method

  1. Blanch and peel the tomatoes:

    Fill a large pot with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil. (You will be using this water to both blanch the tomatoes and boil the pasta.)

    Core the tomatoes and use a sharp knife to cut a small X into the bottom end of each tomato. When the water is boiling, use a slotted spoon to lower the tomatoes into the water.

    pasta-pomodoro-method-1
    Elise Bauer
    pasta-pomodoro-method-2
    Elise Bauer

    Blanch for no more than one minute, just enough to loosen the skins. Remove tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a bowl of icy water, saving the blanching water.

    pasta-pomodoro-method-3
    Elise Bauer
    pasta-pomodoro-method-4
    Elise Bauer

    Peel off the tomato skins from the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes crosswise in half, and squeeze out most of the seeds and juices.

    Chop the tomatoes into 1-inch pieces.

  2. Sauté the shrimp:

    Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Turn the shrimp over in the pan. Lower the heat to medium.

  3. Add the garlic, tomatoes, and basil, season:

    Add the garlic, cook a minute more. Add the chopped tomatoes and basil. Sprinkle with salt. Cook for a minute more and remove from heat.

    pasta-pomodoro-method-5
    Elise Bauer
    pasta-pomodoro-method-6
    Elise Bauer
  4. Cook the angel hair pasta:

    Add a tablespoon of salt to the water you used to blanch the tomatoes. Bring to a boil again. Add the angel hair pasta and cook for 3 minutes.

    pasta-pomodoro-method-7
    Elise Bauer
    pasta-pomodoro-method-8
    Elise Bauer
  5. Add the cooked pasta to shrimp and tomatoes:

    Drain the pasta and immediately add to pot with the shrimp and tomatoes. Drizzle the pasta with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Then stir the pasta in with the shrimp and tomatoes.

    Serve immediately or at room temp.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
302 Calories
12g Fat
24g Carbs
24g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 302
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 16%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 179mg 60%
Sodium 894mg 39%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 24g
Vitamin C 18mg 90%
Calcium 103mg 8%
Iron 2mg 8%
Potassium 503mg 11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.