Shrimp Spaghetti Aglio Olio (20 minute, only 5 Ingredients)

Shrimp Spaghetti Aglio Olio is a recipe that you must have up your sleeve because it only requires 5 ingredients and is ready in 20 minutes. It has the easiest, most delicious pasta sauce you'll ever make!

I've been pretty quiet around here because of the holiday hangover, you know! We just came back from a fabulous trip around UK and Europe and it has been so so hard to get back to work.

But here I am with the easiest, most delicious pasta recipe that's the best way to ease back after a particularly strong holiday hangover - Shrimp Spaghetti Aglio Olio.

You know we are aglio olio fans around here. I already have a Bacon Aglio Olio and Mushroom Aglio Olio recipe in the archives which are always one of your top ten favorite recipes. And there are even more variations that we end up making that I haven't even shared here!

I'm going to be honest - the bacon spaghetti aglio olio recipe is still my favorite, because can you ever beat bacon and pasta? But this shrimp spaghetti aglio olio is definitely a close second when it comes to my favorite pasta recipes!

You don't really have to stop at shrimp. You can easily turn this into a seafood aglio olio so go wild and add shrimp or prawns, mussels, fish, squid and just make this your own.

Also see: How to defrost prawns safely with four simple methods

Aglio Olio e Peperoncino is really one of the easiest and probably the most underrated Italian pasta recipes. But it brings us sooo much joy that we make it EVERY SINGLE WEEK. Peperoncino is chilli flakes so this pasta has a nice touch of heat that really makes that sauce glow.

What is aglio e olio sauce?

Aglio e olio is a simple pasta dish that comes from Naples and its probably the easiest Italian sauce that there is. The main ingredients that go into an aglio e olio sauce are olive oil, garlic, peperoncino (or chilli flakes), parsley and some pasta water that turns everything into a smooth sauce.

This is basically such a quick and easy recipe that all I'd tell you is - use the best ingredients you can find. Because those are what will make this shrimp spaghetti aglio olio shine. So use good quality olive oil, fresh garlic and juicy, plump shrimp or prawns. And of course, a generous helping of parmesan on top helps but is completely optional. I never leave it out though because cheese is everything.

More Recipes with Prawns:

• Creamy Prawn Scampi Pasta
• The Best Tandoori Prawns
• Goan Prawn Curry with Coconut
• Mexican Prawn Avocado Taco Salad

Shrimp Spaghetti Aglio Olio

Shrimp Spaghetti Aglio Olio is a 5 ingredient pasta recipe (shrimp, olive oil, garlic, peperoncino or chilli flakes and parsley) that is ready in 20 minutes and has the easiest, most delicious pasta sauce you'll ever make!

4.50 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4 Portions

Calories: 392kcal

Author: Richa

Ingredients

• ▢ 250 grams Spaghetti
• ▢ 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Garlic finely minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Chilli Flakes
• ▢ 250 grams Large Shrimp or Prawns cleaned and de-veined
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Parsley chopped
• ▢ Parmesan grated for topping
• ▢ Salt to taste

Instructions

• Boil spaghetti in salted water as per package instructions until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water.
• Heat olive oil in a pan and add garlic. Saute the garlic on a low flame till fragrant. Add chilli flakes and add the shrimp. Cook the shrimp for 3-4  minutes. Add pasta water to the pan and bring to a boil.
• When the pasta water has reduced a little and thickened into a sauce (about 2 minutes), add the drained pasta and toss in the sauce. Add the parsley and parmesan and mix everything. Serve immediately.

Notes

1. Always add the pasta to boiling water. Never add pasta to warm or room temperature water. Time it and cook it till al dente. 
2. Reserve some of the pasta water as the starch present in this will help thicken the sauce.
3. Cook shrimp on medium high heat instead of low heat. Slow cooking tends to overcook it. 
4. Time it so that the spaghetti gets cooked just about the same time the sautéed shrimp aglio olio is ready. This way the spaghetti and shrimp won't harden.
5. Feel free to swap the shrimp for something else like bacon (see bacon aglio olio) or mushroom (see mushroom aglio olio)

Nutrition

Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 158mg | Sodium: 499mg | Potassium: 199mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 232IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 2mg

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