17 Easy But Elegant Shrimp Pasta Recipes To Liven Up Your Dinner Table

Pasta night has never looked more gourmet.

Grilled Shrimp-and-Squash Pasta with Summer Herbs
Photo: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Anna Hampton

Pasta night has never looked more gourmet than with these shrimp pasta recipes. These simple recipes look restaurant-worthy but come together in a snap. With quick shrimp pasta recipes like Cacio e Pepe and Shrimp Scampi Linguine, you can throw together a beautiful dinner with only the pantry staples you have on hand. 

Spice up suppertime with our Cajun Shrimp Boil Pasta, or get a taste of the coast with our Shrimp Destin Linguine. If you're looking for the lighter side of pasta night, try our Pasta Primavera with Shrimp, filled with veggies, as a healthy and bright way to enjoy lunch or dinner. These seafood pasta recipes satisfy your hearty carb cravings while keeping it light with low-calorie shrimp. These delicious recipes will get you out of your pasta night rut.

01 of 17

Cacio e Pepe with Sauteed Shrimp

Cacio e Pepe with Sauteed Shrimp
Greg Dupree; prop styling: Claire Spollen; food styling: Chelsea Zimmer

This simple pasta recipe uses pantry staples you already have on hand. Salt, pepper, and grated cheese enhance the linguini in this dish. Peel-and-eat seafood helps this dish assemble quickly.

02 of 17

Shrimp Alfredo

Shrimp Alfredo Recipe Image
Micah A. Leal

Why buy a jar of pasta sauce when making your own creamy Alfredo is so easy? Indulge in this cheesy Alfredo dish, lightened up by using shrimp for the protein. Parsley, lemon, and garlic boost the flavor quality of this restaurant-style meal.

03 of 17

Shrimp Scampi Linguine

Shrimp Scampi Linguine
Luca Trovato

Chopped fresh parsley and a hint of lemon juice brighten up this quick pasta dinner. In 15 minutes, this linguine goes from prep to platter. Serve with chopped parsley and lemon zest as toppings.

04 of 17

Grilled Shrimp-and-Squash Pasta with Summer Herbs

Grilled Shrimp-and-Squash Pasta with Summer Herbs
Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Anna Hampton

Grilling shrimp and fresh summer squash add new flavors to your boring pasta night. This refreshing pasta pairs perfectly when topped with Parmesan or crumbled feta cheese. When preparing squash, cook it fast and serve it quickly for the best flavors.

05 of 17

Creamy Pesto-and-Shrimp Penne with Peas

Creamy Pesto-and-Shrimp Penne with Peas
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Even though this pasta looks company-worthy, it comes together with store-bought shortcuts like frozen peas and a jar of pesto. Use pre-peeled shrimp for even more time-saving tricks. Save some of the pasta cooking water to add at the end to make a silky sauce.

06 of 17

Pasta with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce

Pasta with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce
Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Anna Hampton

This pasta assembles quickly for a busy weeknight meal but presents as beautifully as dinner prepared for guests. Depending on availability, substitute basil or oregano for tarragon. For best results, use fresh shrimp—not frozen.

07 of 17

Easy Shrimp Scampi with Basil

Easy Shrimp Scampi with Basil
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

If you have an excess of basil, this dish is perfect as it adds a flavorful twist to this light summertime pasta. The silky sauce assembles when combining wine, butter, and lemon juice. Substitute chicken stock instead of wine, if preferred.

08 of 17

Orzo Salad with Shrimp and Lemon Dressing

Spring Shrimp-and-Orzo Salad with Lemon Dressing
Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

This bright salad recipe replaces boring brown bag lunches, delicious at room temperature or chilled. The seasonal vegetables, tossed in a tangy dressing, complement the orzo and shrimp. Try a variety of asparagus, sugar snap peas, and English peas.

09 of 17

Pasta Primavera with Shrimp

Pasta Primavera with Shrimp
Jennifer Causey

This hearty dinner will curb your pasta cravings while also giving you and the family plenty of good-for-you benefits. Soft herbs like parsley, dill, and basil add a fresh spring flavoring. The key to this dish is to prepare it in stages—shrimp, vegetables, and pasta.

10 of 17

Shrimp and Peas with Farfalle

Shrimp and Peas with Farfalle
Alison Miksch; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Lemony breadcrumbs add a nice crunch to this fresh shrimp pasta recipe—Reserve one cup of pasta water to add at the end. After boiling the pasta, the buttery shrimp and herbs make the ideal pairing.

11 of 17

Cajun Shrimp Boil Pasta

Shrimp Boil Pasta
Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay. E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Your favorite pasta salad meets your favorite shrimp boil in this fun, family-style recipe. This pasta sauce gets its flavoring from scallions, Old Bay seasoning, lemon, and thyme. Be sure to add kosher salt to the water when cooking the pasta. This meal has all the flavors of a Low Country Boil, with smoked sausage and corn kernels.

12 of 17

Shrimp Destin Linguine

Shrimp Destin Linguine
Jennifer Davick

The best part about this light white wine sauce? There's plenty left over for you to enjoy a glass to yourself with dinner. A pinch of dried crushed red pepper adds a little spicy kick to this linguine dish.

13 of 17

Soba Noodle-and-Shrimp Bowls

Soba Noodle-and-Shrimp Bowls
Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

This healthy, one-bowl meal will add much-needed variety to your usual weeknight recipes. In 35 minutes, this shrimp recipe and soba noodles are a great match. Soba noodles get their earthy, nutty flavor from buckwheat flour.

14 of 17

Skillet Shrimp Destin with Orzo

Skillet Shrimp Destin with Orzo
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Your dinner table will look restaurant-worthy with this gorgeous, summery dinner. Make a meal with equally refreshing and rich flavoring, mainly using pantry staples. Complete the meal by topping it with a generous amount of fresh herbs, like dill and parsley.

15 of 17

Shrimp and Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta

Shrimp and Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta
Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist Christine Keely

Use yellow and red cherry tomatoes to add interest to this dish. Parmesan cheese and fresh basil help make this seafood pasta a summer favorite. With fast-cooking shrimp, this meal is a breeze to prepare.

16 of 17

Seafood Pasta Salad

Seafood Pasta Salad
Photographer and props: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

This salad mixes all your favorite seafood into one dish. Crab, shrimp, and plenty of vegetables and seasonings help coat this pasta in flavors. This seafood pasta packs a spicy punch thanks to a dash of Tabasco.

17 of 17

One-Pan Garlic-Butter Shrimp with Orzo

One-Pan Garlic-Butter Shrimp with Orzo
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Shrimp and orzo make a perfect pairing. This 30-minute pasta dish is buttery, garlicky, and full of flavor. With one pan, this shrimp and pasta dish makes a great weeknight dinner.

Try these 60 Simple Seafood Dinner Ideas for some more easy seafood dishes.

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