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    Home > Pasta Recipes > Creamy Spicy Shrimp Pasta Recipe

    Creamy Spicy Shrimp Pasta Recipe

    Published: Mar 3, 2017 · Modified: Mar 5, 2023 by Lea Ann Brown · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Spicy creamy shrimp pasta recipes

    This Creamy Spicy Shrimp Pasta is simply spaghetti made heavenly with a white wine, Parmesan cream sauce. Then spiked with paprika, cayenne, thyme and garlic. Just add sauteed shrimp and you’ve got a beautiful dinner that you’ll want to make over and over again. Plus, a conversation about finding and buying quality shrimp and tips for pan frying shrimp.

    Spicy fried shrimp over pasta.

    It appears that shrimp and pasta recipes are very appealing to my readers. Due to the popularity of my Angle Hair Pasta with Shrimp and Creme Fraiche,

    I decided to feature a spicy shrimp pasta recipe. This time a little more on the wild and spicy spicy side.

    This might just be me, but one of my favorite things to do is go to a store that has a great selection of interesting pasta shapes and pick out something funky.

    Which is exactly what I did when this recipe idea came to fruition. I wanted something nubby and thick, that could easily be stabbed with a fork. Something with nooks and crannies for a cream sauce to hide and seep into creamy nirvana. Something that would compliment the shape of a perfectly little curled up cooked shrimp.

    After about 10 minutes on that pasta aisle, studying the tortellini and the ziti’s, that good old box of boring spaghetti screamed “hello creamy cheese sauce with shrimp”.  

    Done, decision made. Those little curly shrimp would look perfect on a simple bed of spaghetti that I could swirl into any shape I wanted. Perfect for my idea for spicy shrimp pasta recipe.

    Tips For Buying Quality Shrimp

    Before we get to the recipe, let’s talk about buying shrimp. And buying quality shrimp that tastes like shrimp.

     We’re big on shrimp around this house, and being landlocked, good quality shrimp can be hard to come by. I feel so fortunate that I was contacted by the folks over at the Wild American Shrimp a couple of years ago, because they have have the fabulous opportunity to learn what makes a tasty shrimp. Shrimp that tastes like it should. And to stop grabbing for those bags of frozen shrimp from Thailand. The experience of fresh caught and flavorful shrimp from the nutrient-rich waters of the Gulf of Mexico is all I will buy now. Flavor just like I remember from the wonderful dishes I had in New Orleans. Simply stated, superior in flavor and texture.
    American Shrimp

    Every Shrimp has a tail, but wild-caught American Shrimp have a story rich with flavor, history and adventure.

    It’s about hard-working families who date back to when shrimp were harvested on wooden sailing vessels and peeled by hand. It’s a story of American jobs and livelihoods and an industry’s resilience against tough times.

    Where Can I Buy Wild American Shrimp?

    You’re probably asking, where can I buy wild American shrimp? You can have their Gulf shrimp shipped directly to your doorstop or take a look at their website for a list of local shops where you can purchase American shrimp. Nationally they indicate you’ll find it at Walmart, Sprouts and Whole Foods. There is also lists of regional markets and on-line sources who will ship direct to your door.

    Tips for Pan Frying Shrimp

    • Buy easy peel, deveined shrimp. After peeling, pat shrimp dry with a paper towel before adding to hot oil. I like to lightly season them with salt and pepper.
    • Heat your pan on medium high heat before adding oil. When the pan is heated, then add oil.
    • When oil is shimmering and hot, then add shrimp.
    • Leave space between the shrimp in the pan. Don’t over crowd. This will insure a crispy sear.
    • Cook until shrimp is starting to turn pink, and no longer wants to stick to the pan. Then turn.
    • To know if shrimp are cooked properly: straight shrimp are undercooked, shrimp curled into a “C” are done, shrimp closed in a tight curl are overcooked.
    • When searing, cook shrimp on medium high heat

    This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

    Creamy Spicy Shrimp Pasta Recipe

    I hope you give this one a try and if you do, please come back and let me know how you liked it and give the recipe a star rating. Your feedback is valuable to me for developing future recipes.

    More Creamy Pasta Recipes:

    •  Italian Sausage Ricotta Pasta Sauce
    • Shrimp and Scallops with Orange Cream Sauce
    • Pasta with Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Cream
    • Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce

    And if you’re looking for more Seafood Recipes, don’t miss my Seafood Category. You’ll find the most popular seafood recipe on my site for Heavenly Halibut. Quick, easy and delish.

    And if you’re looking for unique ways to use spaghetti noodles take a look at Spaghetti Nests with Tomato Sweet Basil Sauce.

    And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

    If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. And write a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback.

    Shrimp and pasta dinner idea. With wild caught American shrimp. Creamy, spicy and succulent.

    Creamy Spicy Shrimp Pasta

    A wonderful shrimp and pasta dinner recipe. With just enough heat to spice things up.
    4.91 from 20 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Pasta Recipes
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 1150kcal
    Author: Lea Ann Brown

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound Spaghetti
    • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil divided
    • 1/4 cup hot water from cooked pasta
    • 1/2 small onion diced
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
    • 1/2 cup dry white wine Room temperature
    • 2 cups Heavy cream room temperature
    • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    • 1/8 cup fresh parsley leaves chopped
    • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
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    Instructions

    • Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Return to the pot and toss with the 1/8 cup olive oil and reserved cooking liquid. Cover to keep warm.
    • In a large sauté pan, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, cayenne, thyme, and salt. Cook, stirring for 1 minute. 
      Add the white wine and cook over high heat until nearly all evaporated. Reduce heat to medium low, add the cream, cooking and stirring occasionally until slightly reduced. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice and keep warm.
    • In the meantime, toss the shrimp with some additional paprika. Heat oil in a pan and cook for 1 – 2 minutes per side. Set aside, cover and keep warm.
    • Add the cooked pasta to the cream mixture and toss to coat. Cook until the pasta is warmed through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the Parmesan Cheese. Stir in some of the shrimp into the pasta mixture, reserving a few to garnish. Serve with more grated Parmesan, small pieces of parsley.

    Notes

    Please don’t try to skimp on fat and calories and use half and half or milk. Half and Half can be finicky and curdle if not added properly. If the heat is too high, and the half and half is not at room temperature.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1150kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 64g | Saturated Fat: 32g | Cholesterol: 457mg | Sodium: 1719mg | Potassium: 519mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2459IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 428mg | Iron: 5mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @lannisam or tag #CookingOnTheRanch!

    Spicy Shrimp Pasta … It’s What’s for Dinner

    Lea Ann Brown
    Lea Ann Brown

    Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.

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      Simply The Best Chicken Macaroni Salad Recipe
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Pauline says

      July 16, 2023 at 7:33 am

      This is one to save. I love pasta and shrimp. My Italian background, we grew up having pasta once a week.
      Can’t wait for the corn, peaches and cantaloupe. We get them here in Hutchinson. Yea!!!
      The Pueblo green chili is something I would drive back to Colorado for. Road trip 🤪

      Reply
    2. b says

      May 22, 2022 at 3:48 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent pasta dish! We both loved it. I only had half and half so added some butter to make up for it.
      Turned out great. I used smoked paprika so will have to get regular and try that. We surely will have this one many times again. Will have to make bread to get all that wonderful sauce.

      Reply
    3. Justicejmackoda says

      March 05, 2021 at 4:12 pm

      5 stars
      love it!!!!!

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        March 18, 2021 at 2:16 pm

        Thanks for your note. This is the most popular pasta recipe on my site. I’m so glad you gave it a try and liked the recipe.

        Reply
    4. Lory says

      January 15, 2021 at 6:11 am

      5 stars
      Tastes just like Oreganos.

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        January 15, 2021 at 9:50 am

        I’m assuming Oreganos is a restaurant? I’d love to know where.

        Reply
    5. Diana says

      November 16, 2019 at 1:13 pm

      5 stars
      Made this dish today and it was absolutely delicious! The cream sauce was one of the best I’ve ever had. I undercooked the shrimp a bit which I usually do as I’m frightened of overcooking it, but the sauce was so good it didn’t really matter. Shall definitely be making this again. Thanks so much for sharing.

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        November 18, 2019 at 5:55 am

        You don’t know how much I appreciate you letting me know about the Shrimp Pasta Recipe. I’m so glad you liked it.

        It’s been awhile since I’ve made it … I think it’s time to enjoy it again.

        That’s really smart about not over cooking that shrimp. They’ll continue to cook after they’re removed from the heat and the heat from the pasta will also cook them slightly longer.

        Have a delicious week! And again, thanks so much for your note.

        Reply
      • Melanie Henderson says

        March 23, 2020 at 7:43 pm

        5 stars
        Made this for dinner tonight. For us it is comfort food, and it was just what what we needed. I am a high school teacher and my husband is a principal. The schools are all closed due to COVID 19 and stress is at an all time high. This dish with some homemade crusty bread and salad was perfect. Thanks so much for the delicious recipe.

        Reply
        • Lea Ann Brown says

          March 27, 2020 at 8:43 am

          Hi Melanie. I’m so glad you liked the recipe and especially for letting me know. It’s a favorite in our house. And doesn’t a chunk of homemade crusty bread make everything better? 🙂

    6. Liane Sabby says

      October 22, 2018 at 6:44 pm

      5 stars
      I made this tonight, following the recipe exactly, and it turned out delicious! My husband and I both loved it! It sure had a spicy kick! I think I overlooked the shrimp, because it takes a while to turn them all over, and I burned the onions and spices but after combining everything, my mistakes weren’t noticeable.

      Thank you so much for this recipe!

      Reply
    7. Vina says

      October 17, 2018 at 6:54 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this dish tonight and everyone loved it. There was just enough kick that the kids loved it too. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        October 18, 2018 at 5:10 am

        Hi Vina, Fabulous! So glad you and your family liked the recipe. And thank you so much for letting me know.

        Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        October 21, 2018 at 11:53 am

        Thank you so much for letting me know. So glad it was a hit.

        Reply
    8. Angel says

      July 12, 2018 at 4:12 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious…! I have never seen my boyfriend eat a Meal so fast we loved it ? thank you for sharing the recipe

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        July 16, 2018 at 2:57 pm

        Hi Angel. Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know. — So glad that boyfriend enjoyed that pasta.

        Reply
    9. Angel says

      July 12, 2018 at 4:11 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious…! I have never seen my boyfriend eat a Meal so fast we loved it ?

      Reply
    10. Kathleen says

      July 05, 2018 at 5:05 pm

      5 stars
      Very good. Husband like it too, which was a win win meal. I fixed with fresh corn on the cob, sounds weird I know, but it was good. Didn’t know when to use to the pasta water so I didn’t use it. It wasn’t missed. Good dish and will make again!!! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        July 16, 2018 at 3:00 pm

        In just a week or so, our Colorado Sweet Corn will be available. Our growing season is late. I’d eat that stuff with about anything. 😉 I just stir in the pasta water when mixing all of the ingredients together. Just adds starch and makes everything come together.

        Reply
        • Cameron Sandwell says

          September 02, 2018 at 11:44 am

          3 stars
          What do you do with the pasta water? The recipe never adds it back in.

    11. Robin says

      June 25, 2018 at 6:55 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious! I made it exactly to the recipe and thought it turned out great; definitely spicey but my husband and I love some heat so it was great. Will definitely make this again, thank you!

      Reply
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    I'm Lea Ann, Welcome to my Colorado kitchen. I'm a Culinary School Grad with a passion to inspire you to cook as often as you can. Here you'll find Wild West Colorado inspired recipes along some Southwestern and Mexican food favorites. I also share some special recipes from school along pro cooking tips. If you're an adventurous cook looking to spice up your meal plans, you'll find plenty of reliable, approachable, easy to follow recipes.

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