Shrimp Linguine with White Wine and Tomatoes
This shrimp linguine recipe is ready in 25 minutes. Juicy skillet shrimp are tossed with linguine in a garlic white wine tomato sauce, finished with pasta water and fresh herbs for a light, no-heavy-cream dinner.
Table of contents
When it comes to quick homemade meals, this is one of the best. I make this often with 21/25 shrimp because they stay juicy with a quick 2-3 minute cook, and the reserved pasta water helps the sauce cling instead of drying out.
I always have shrimp waiting in the freezer that I can thaw quickly under running water, and many of the other ingredients involved can be swapped out, depending on what you have on hand.
Dave S: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “I made this tonight and what a hit!! I could not believe how flavorful this was!”
Shrimp Linguine vs Shrimp Scampi
Shrimp scampi is made with a butter based sauce and can be served over any type of noodles or bread.
Shrimp Linguine is shrimp served directly over linguine noodles. These are a thicker style noodle compared to spaghetti. Both are very good, but this could be considered a little healthier without the use of butter.
What Kind of Shrimp to Use
Fresh shrimp vs frozen: Truly fresh shrimp is actually pretty hard to come by. Most of the shrimp sold at the grocery store has been frozen and then thawed. Don’t worry about one or the other, but if you have fresh, that is better.
Size: Here I use a 21/25 shrimp. 21/25 means 21-25 pieces of shrimp per pound. It’s always best to go by the number rather than labels like “small” or “medium” because you have a better idea of how big the shrimp really are.
Type: Some varieties of shrimp are sweeter than others, but the kind you use here doesn’t matter much. Use one you enjoy.
Step by Step Overview:
- If using frozen shrimp: Thaw in cold water. If using already thawed shrimp, skip right to making your noodles.
- Cook linguine according to your box. I like to cook 1 minute less than directed to ensure the pasta is al dente.
- Melt butter in your pan and add chilli flakes (olive oil can be used here)
- Add the shrimp to the pan and cook them nearly through, until the shrimp turn pink, which only takes about 2 minutes of cooking time:
- Error on the underside of cooking to make sure you have juicy shrimp instead of rubbery shrimp. You can always cook them more later, but you can’t undo it if they’re overcooked.
- Add lots of minced garlic cloves and toss:
- Shrimp and garlic are great friends when it comes to flavor affinities.
- Remove the shrimp from the pan, then add some chopped tomatoes:
- Saute the tomatoes for a minute or two until slightly softened, then deglaze the pan with white wine:
What Kind of Wine to Use
A crisp white wine is best here. I usually choose a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.
*use broth/stock or a non-alcoholic wine if you want to avoid alcoholic wine.
- Add the shrimp back to the pan, as well as cooked linguine noodles and a cup of the pasta water.
- Garnish the garlic shrimp pasta with snipped chives or fresh parsley:
- Fresh basil or oregano work great here too.
Stuffed Shells, Lasagna, and Mac and Cheese Bites are a few of my other favorite pasta recipes. Enjoy!
More Shrimp Recipes:
Recipe Variations for Shrimp Linguine
Fresh lemon – If you like the brightness, add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the pasta at the very end. Toss well and serve. Or serve lemon slices at the table so people can squeeze their own if desired.
Old bay seasoning – Toss the shrimp with 1 teaspoon of Old bay seasoning (or even Cajun Seasoning) for extra flavor and spice.
Parmesan cheese – I typically don’t pair dairy and seafood together, but an aged parmigiano reggiano on top actually goes really nicely here with the pasta dish.
Red pepper flakes – You may increase or decrease the amount of red pepper flakes according to your preference.
Recipe FAQ and Tips
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Absolutely. Although linguine is my favorite, you can do other kinds of noodles, or even pasta shapes like bow ties or shells. Just note that the required boiling time for uncooked linguine pasta will be different from other types, so follow the package directions.
Add 2 extra tablespoons of butter or squeeze half a lemon into your final dish while its still hot.
Tried this recipe? Leave a rating and comment below — I’d love to hear how it turned out! Or, follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!
Shrimp Linguine
Ingredients
- 1 lb linguine
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 lb 21/25 shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 cup of water from the pasta pot
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- chives or parsley for garnish
- *fried capers optional
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the linguine al dente according to package instructions, usally about 10 minutes.
- Place a large skillet over medium high heat, and melt the butter. Add the red chili flakes and stir for 15 seconds.
- Add the shrimp to the pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until nearly cooked through. Add the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds, then remove the shrimp from the pan (it’s okay if there’s still brown stuff leftover on the bottom of the pan, that’s a good thing).
- Add the diced tomatoes to the skillet and cook for 1 or 2 minutes until slightly softened. Deglaze the pan by adding the white wine, then scraping off the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Cook this mixture for another 2 minutes, then toss in the cooked shrimp (including any juices), the cooked linguine noodles, and 1 cup of pasta water. Toss well and add the olive oil and herbs. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
17 Comments on “Shrimp Linguine with White Wine and Tomatoes”
Joanne, I couldn’t agree more. Eating out is fun, but there’s something better about a home cooked meal. I always look forward to cooking in my kitchen when getting back home from a vacation . . your vacation looked fabulous by the way! I love this pasta. . anything with shrimp and linguine makes me excited! See you next month!
Wish I had this for dinner tonight!
This pasta is absolutely incredible!!!
This looks amazing!!
Yummy that sounds easy thanks 4 sharing
Wow, this pasta looks very tasty! A few years ealier I never ate dishes that were cooked with wine because I was afraid to get a fine while driving, but according to this tip: there’s nothing to worry about – the alcohol evaporates in high temperature 🙂
I know what you mean. After one of my trips I come home and make pasta and I must say that this is on my list for next time.
I feel that way after a trip too, especially if I’ve been eating really decadent foods. This pasta looks great!!
Hi Joanne
This sounds really good though I have a question.
In reading the quantities of ingredients the 1 cup of water along with the 1/4 cup wine seems like an awful lot of liquid. The pasta water is added at the end so my perception is that the pasta will sitting in a lot of liquid (and not all the wine will boil off, or the juice from the tomatoes).
Dave
Hi Dave, this is a great question. Have you ever noticed that when you take the pasta out of the water, it starts to get really dry over the next 5 minutes or so as it cools? I find that if I don’t add more water (or oil) to the pasta, it always gets kind of dried out by the time I eat because unless you run the noodles under cold water (which stops the cooking, but also rinses off starch that we want), any liquid that was there really dries up. I’ve found the amount of liquid here to be the perfect amount for this quantity of pasta. Hope that answers your question!
Hi Joanne,
I understand what you’re saying. Thanks! So far the things I’ve tried from your blog have been perfect following the directions as given.
What came to my mind was going to restaurant, getting pasta with sauce and having all that watery liquid on the bottom of the plate that wasn’t tomato sauce. 🙂
I’ll give this a try with my girlfriend in the next few days to see how it turns out.
Dave
HI Joanne,
I made this tonight and what a hit!! Funny thing that after using that Oxo garlic press, I went through about 1-1/4 heads of garlic to get the slightly more than 2 tbl of minced garlic. It’s much better than using the jarred kind.
I could not believe how flavorful this was! And you were absolutely right about the cup of water from the pasta! It was just enough!
I also sliced a purple cauliflower into slices, brushed with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and roasted at 425 degrees until browned and slightly crispy. Great (and colorful) side dish with this.
Dave
Hi Dave, that is wonderful! And yes, fresh garlic is so much better than jarred. It’s worth the trouble, though, a garlic press definitely makes it easier than mincing!
Hi,
I wanted to add ONE last comment…I promise, lol.
My whole family likes to cook (brothers, mom, my dad who passed away a few years ago). My ex wife is a great cook as is my 18 yr old daughter.
My brother gave me a great hint … he cooks fairly often and uses a lot of garlic. He will use the food processor and very finely chop about 3 heads of garlic to which he then adds a bit of olive oil…He keeps it in the refrigerator. It’s much fresher and much tastier than the bottled stuff in the stores and is always ready.
Hi Dave, that is an awesome tip!! Because yeah, I think the jarred stuff is kind of offputting. If you do it yourself and make sure the garlic is good, that’d be a lot better. Thanks!
Yummy! My favourite!
Thanks Arthur!