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No one will believe this flavorful shrimp marinara takes under 30 minutes to make! It’s an easy dinner recipe that works for entertaining, too.
If you’re looking for easy and healthy dinner recipes, this shrimp marinara is going to be a new favorite in the rotation. It combines the most flavorful, simple marinara sauce with tasty sautéed shrimp.
Serve this over pasta, and it’s a classic Italian recipe that has the carefree vibe of the Mediterranean without the fuss. This one is approachable enough that your kids will love it as much as you do. (You know this one was taste-tested by the biggest critics at my house!)
It’s also showy enough for entertaining, too. With a big salad, it’s great for an easy dinner party. Let’s get cooking!
Tips for the best shrimp marinara
Honestly, I didn’t know shrimp marinara was a thing until I started playing with other types of seafood for date nights. I know I told you the kids will love this one, but there’s something romantic about seafood pastas, like my mussels marinara.
It’s unclear whether the shrimp version is traditional classic Italian fare or an Italian American invention, but that doesn’t make it less delicious. (All signs point to marinara sauce itself coming from Naples or Sicily.)
The shrimp, zesty marinara sauce, and hearty pasta combine for a Mediterranean diet recipe that’s healthy, too. How can you go wrong with that?
There isn’t a lot of technique involved in making this one, but here are the keys to the best shrimp marinara:
- Pat the shrimp dry. After you thaw the shrimp (see the section below), make sure to pat them dry. Otherwise, you’ll have too much standing water.
- Cook the shrimp until almost cooked through. Cook the shrimp until they’re almost done, then remove them to a bowl and simmer the marinara. Once you add them back to the hot marinara, they’ll cook the rest of the way in the warm sauce.
- Make a homemade marinara sauce. OK, you could definitely substitute a store-bought pasta sauce here, but why not make your own? My recipe is seriously simple and takes just 15 minutes to simmer.
How to thaw frozen shrimp
A myth about fish is that “fresh is best,” but if you’re wondering about fresh vs. frozen shrimp, frozen is fine! As soon as an animal dies, it begins to decompose. Freezing suspends this process.
If a fish is frozen when it was caught and stays frozen until it gets to your kitchen, it will be higher quality than a raw fish that has taken a week to get to your plate. Here’s the bottom line: either works!
There are a few different options for thawing frozen shrimp, depending on how much you’ve thought ahead.
- Place the frozen shrimp in the refrigerator overnight.
- If you’re using them the day of, place the frozen shrimp into a large bowl with very cold water. Stir the bowl every 5 minutes to break up clumps of shrimp that freeze together. The shrimp should be defrosted in about 15 minutes.
Buying sustainable shrimp
Are you looking at buying sustainable fish for this shrimp marinara? (If so, kudos!) Here are a few pointers for buying sustainable seafood:
- Look for wild-caught fish if possible. If you live in the U.S., look for U.S.-caught. About 90% of the seafood we eat in the U.S. is imported. Imported seafood runs the risk of being overfished, caught under unfair labor practices, or farmed in environmentally harmful ways.
- How your fish is caught matters. Look for hook and line as one example of a sustainable gear type. Bottom trawling is considered the most destructive and least sustainable method.
How to serve shrimp marinara
Shrimp marinara is perfect for a cozy Italian dinner party or a weeknight dinner. The freshness of a crisp green salad is the perfect pairing. Here are a few more sides I’d serve with shrimp marinara to make it a meal:
- Favorite Chopped Salad: This Italian-style chopped salad features my homemade Italian dressing, olives, and pepperoncini.
- BEST Kale Salad: This Tuscan salad is doused in a bright lemon Parmesan dressing for flavors that are perfectly in harmony.
- Spinach Apple Salad: This salad is so easy, and the tangy apple pairs perfectly with zingy balsamic vinaigrette.
- Easy Garlic Bread: This easy garlic bread is SO good! It’s crunchy on top, chewy on the inside, and full of flavor.
More easy Italian recipes
Easy Italian recipes are my forte! Here are a few more I’d recommend:
- Tuscan Lentil Stew: This easy and hearty stew features kale, tomatoes, and artichokes. It’s a healthy and easy soup recipe that’s full of Italian flavors.
- Skillet Eggplant Marinara: Here’s an easy take on eggplant marinara in a skillet! No breading or frying eggplant required.
- Easy Creamy Gnocchi: This is basically a fancy Italian mac and cheese that comes together in 15 minutes with Pecorino cheese and pepper.
Want a meal plan?
This recipe is included in my Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan! Check it out for a full month of recipes, including a meal planning spreadsheet download.
This shrimp marinara recipe is…
Pescatarian. For a dairy-free option, use olive oil.
Easy Shrimp Marinara
No one will believe this flavorful shrimp marinara takes under 30 minutes to make! It’s an easy dinner recipe that works for entertaining, too.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
For the shrimp and pasta
- 8 ounces spaghetti noodles
- 1 pound large shrimp, deveined (peeled or unpeeled)
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil)
- Parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)
For the marinara sauce
- 28-ounce can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes (or best quality crushed tomatoes)*
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 fresh basil leaves, plus more for the garnish
Instructions
- Thaw the shrimp (according to the package instructions, or see the section above). When thawed, pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel or clean rag.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta until it is al dente. (Start tasting a few minutes before the package recommends. You want it to be tender but still a little firm on the inside.) Drain.
- In a large skillet, heat the butter on medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, basil, and kosher salt. Cook the shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes per side until almost cooked through, turning them with tongs. (They will cook additionally when you add the marinara at the end.)
- Remove the shrimp from the pan into a bowl, leaving the juices inside the skillet.
- In the same skillet, add the marinara sauce ingredients, scraping any bits off the bottom of the skillet as you stir them together. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add shrimp to the skillet and remove from heat. Serve over pasta and top with Parmesan cheese (optional) and chopped basil.
Notes
*If you can’t find fire-roasted tomatoes, use the best quality tomatoes you can find. Taste the tomatoes before you start. If they taste bitter, you may need to simmer the sauce a little longer than the stated timing. Fire roasted tomatoes taste sweet right out of the can so they can simmer for less time, whereas other brands taste bitter and need longer to simmer.
the recipe was delicious. we loved and will use this from now on when cooking.
Thank you💜💜