If you are looking for quick dinner ideas, here are a few favorite shrimp & pasta recipes, easy and delicious, for you to consider. Shrimp and pasta are two of my favorite “go to” ingredients for quick easy dinner recipes.

With a box of pasta in the pantry and bag of defrosted frozen shrimp, a quick easy deliciously satisfying dinner can be on the table in 30 minutes or less.

The key is easy recipes with just a few more common ingredients to add to your shrimp and pasta – not a bunch of hard to find things that require several supermarket stops!

While I love great food and cooking, I’m a lazy cook. When I read recipes with long lists of ingredients my eyes start to glaze over and I get tired just thinking about attempting to make them.

For me the best part about dinner at home, is sitting around the table sharing precious time with my family, not killing myself in the kitchen.

What you need are simple pasta recipes.

So here are several easy pasta recipes for dinner including an easy spaghetti recipe with shrimp, quick and spicy shrimp linguini, easy shrimp & pasta arrabbiata, scampi shrimp and fettuccine, shrimp alfredo primavera and  shrimp and pasta marinara with vegetables. Enjoy!

(PS, most of these easy pasta recipes call for finely chopped fresh garlic, which tastes great. But if you are short on time, one of my favorite convenience ingredients to keep in the refrigerator is a jar of already chopped garlic. I like Trader Joe’s brand, most every grocery store stocks it these days.)

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Easy Shrimp and Spaghetti Recipe

This is a very quick easy pasta recipe with shrimp. The only ingredients you need for this quick easy dinner dish are probably already in your pantry. It’s on of my favorite easy spaghetti recipes.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Pinch of red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/3 cup dry white wine or vegetable broth
3/4 pound uncooked, peeled deveined shrimp, thawed if frozen
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Cook and drain the pasta as directed on the package instructions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large 12-inch deep skillet over medium high heat. Cook the garlic and chili pepper flakes in the oil, stirring occasionally, for about 1 minute. Stir in the wine or broth and shrimp. Reduce the heat and cover the skillet, letting the mixture simmer until the shrimp are firm and pink, about 5 minutes.

Mix the pasta and shrimp mixture together and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes more. Serve immediately.

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Quick & Spicy Shrimp Linguini

A great easy shrimp and pasta recipe for people who like to spice up supper!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked, linguini
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) spicy stewed tomatoes
1 red pepper, diced
1 pound uncooked deveined peeled large shrimp, thawed if frozen, tail shells removed
2 green onions, sliced thinly
Grated Parmesan cheese, if desired

Directions

Cook and drain the linguini according the package instructions.

Meanwhile prepare the shrimp. In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with their juice and the pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and green onions, and cook, stirring often, until the shrimp are pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the linguini to the skillet and toss well to combine. Serve immediately.

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Easy Shrimp & Pasta Arrabbiata Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Arrabbiata, which is the Italian word for angry, is a Roman spaghetti sauce of made from garlic, tomatoes, and red chili that are cooked in olive oil. There are many good bottled jars of arrabbiata sauce in grocery stores these days. If you prefer, you can spice your favorite marinara sauce with dried red pepper flakes to taste.

Ingredients

12 ounces linguine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound large raw peeled deveined shrimp (26 to 30), thawed if frozen
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
1 jar (25 ounces) arrabbiata sauce
1/3 cup chopped parsley

Preparation

Cook and drain pasta directed on the package.

Meanwhile heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the shrimp and sauté over medium high heat just until the shrimp turn pink, about 1 minute. Add the wine, if using and cook until most evaporates, about 30 seconds. Add sauce and heat just until simmering and shrimp are cooked through. Combine the shrimp, sauce and parsley and toss until well mixed. Serve immediately.

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Easy Shrimp Alfredo Recipe Primavera

Using prepared Alfredo sauce – either refrigerated or jarred makes this a perfect easy shrimp recipe for dinner any night of the week. If you prefer to make creamy Alfredo sauce from scratch, simply toss the pasta, shrimp and peas with a sauce made from 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 cup warm heavy cream and 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese instead of the jar of Alfredo sauce.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

3 cups uncooked bow-tie (farfalle) pasta
2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1-1/2 cups frozen sweet peas
1/4 cup water
1 pound uncooked deveined peeled medium shrimp, thawed if frozen, tail shells removed
1 jar or container (10 ounces) prepared Alfredo sauce (about 1-1/4 cups)

Directions

Cook and drain the pasta according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large 12-inch skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Stir in the peas and water; cover and cook until the peas are tender, 3 to 4 minutes and the water has evaporated. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the Alfredo sauce and pasta and cook, stirring occasionally until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Enjoy!

Alfredo Sauce from scratch

In a saucepan combine 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup heavy cream and heat, stirring often, until bubbly. Simmer gently over low heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the grated Parmesan Cheese. Toss with hot pasta and serve immediately.

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Easy Shrimp Scampi Fettuccine

A great easy pasta recipe for shrimp scampi lovers. I sometimes like to add a bit more lemon juice to my shrimp scampi so remember to taste and adjust the seasonings to suit before serving.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1-1/2 pounds uncooked deveined, peeled medium or large shrimp, thawed if frozen, tail shells removed
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 medium green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice, or more to taste.
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Cook and drain the fettuccine according to the package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the shrimp. In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring often, until the shrimp are pink and firm, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and toss the fettuccine with the shrimp mixture in the skillet. Serve immediately.

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Shrimp and Pasta Marinara with Vegetables

A great easy pasta recipe to make, especially during the summer when your garden or the market, is overflowing with zucchini and yellow squash.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked thin spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup red onion slices (cut into thin half moons)
1 medium zucchini cut into thin half moons
1 medium yellow squash cut into thin half moons
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound uncooked deveined peeled medium or large shrimp, thawed if frozen, tail shells removed
1-1/2 cups marinara sauce
2 teaspoon chopped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves

Directions

Cook and drain the spaghetti according to the package instructions.

Meanwhile, prepare the shrimp and sauce. Heat the oil in a large 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is a bit softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and squash to the pan along with the salt. Cook, stirring frequently, just until the squash is tender, another 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the skillet and set them aside.

Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook them over medium heat, stirring often, until they are pink, about 1 or 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the skillet, adding them to the vegetables you have set aside.

Add the marinara sauce to the skillet, and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until it is hot. Add the vegetables and shrimp back into the skillet and stir to combine. Remove from the heat. Add the pasta into the skillet and toss to combine everything well. Sprinkle with basil and serve immediately.

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More Simple Quick Easy Pasta Recipes

Easy Baked Ziti – an old favorite easy pasta recipe from childhood
Easy Italian Sausage & Pasta – a great recipe from an old Jacques Pepin cookbook that the whole family loves
Easy Healthy Wholewheat Fettuccine with Brie - a great easy pasta recipe with a no cook sauce
Easy Mediterranean Chicken & Pasta – pasta, chicken, tomatoes, olives and feta cheese -quick, easy and delicious
Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage - an easy pasta recipe perfect for fall