çMediterranean cuisine draws from the sea and the surrounding cultures of France, Italy, Greece, and more.
This dish is not only amazing in flavor, but it's also incredibly easy to prepare and is healthy, too! If you're feeling really ambitious, make the pasta from scratch! And the dish comes together in about 30 to 40 minutes! Perfect for a weeknight meal or a glorious dinner party on the weekend!
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HOW TO MAKE MEDITERRANEAN PASTA AT HOME
Pick yourself up some nice large shrimp from your favorite fish market.
The other Mediterranean ingredients we love to use include:
- Artichoke hearts
- Sun-dried tomatoes (in oil)
- Olives (we love Kalamata)
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Red pepper flakes
- Fresh parsley
SEARING THE SHRIMP
Part of what makes this dish so quick is that none of the elements requires an extended cook time. Searing the shrimp is no exception.
We simply heat 4 tablespoon of good-quality olive oil in a nice large skillet over medium-high heat and then add the seasoned shrimp. After 2 or 3 minutes, simply flip the shrimp, and cook until they've curled a bit and are beautifully pink.
EXPERT TIP: All that's needed to season the shrimp are a few pinches of salt and pepper. Once placed in the hot oil, don't move the shrimp around until they are ready to flip, about 2 to 3 minutes. Another option would be to rub a little olive oil all over the shrimp, salt and pepper them, and then grill them over hot heat for a few minutes per side. Either way of preparing them is great, but we really love searing them in the same skillet that you'll be preparing the rest of the dish in.
Remove the cooked shrimp to a clean plate.
Next, it's time to toss in the halved, or quartered, artichoke hearts, onion, garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes.
Sauté them until softened and the artichokes are starting to brown, just a little.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT WINE
White wine is the basis for many Mediterranean Pasta dishes.
We love a good dry wine such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.
EXPERT TIP: Bring the sauce to a boil, and then lower the heat slightly and simmer for about 10 minutes. This will remove all but very small traces of alcohol in the dish. If you prefer to not cook with wine, then omit it completely, increase the stock to 2 cups and add 1 tablespoon of your favorite vinegar; balsamic would be a good choice.
Now, it's time to bring this amazing Mediterranean Pasta home!
Add in the remaining ingredients (except for the cooked shrimp) and simmer until slightly thickened, about another 10 minutes.
We love the combination of these ingredients, but you could also include sautéd mushrooms, sausage, and/or spinach.
EXPERT TIP: This is a good time to bring a pot of salted water to a boil. We love using linguine, but many types of pasta would work. Long pasta, such as bucatini, spaghetti, angel hair, or fettucini would be great choices.
Once the sauce has thickened slightly, all that's needed is the shrimp.
Slowly transfer the shrimp to the pan and stir to combine.
Drain the pasta, and stir it in until fully mixed.
THE PERFECT WEEKNIGHT DINNER
This dish is incredibly delicious but is also so quick and easy to prepare, it's perfect for those busy weeknights.
But, just look at this dish, too.
It would be a gorgeous pasta dish for a glorious dinner party. Serve it with a Classic Ceasar Salad and a nice crusty loaf of Italian bread.
MEDITERRANEAN PASTA WITH SHRIMP FAQs
- Can a different protein be used in the dish? Absolutely! This dish is extremely adaptable to what your favorite ingredients are and what you have on hand. Grilled chicken breasts would be fantastic. Just cook them, slice them, and then stir them in at the end. Italian sausage is great, as is chicken or turkey sausage. You could even leave the meat out completely, use vegetable stock, and have a delicious vegetarian dish!
- Can I use dried sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil or water)? Of course! You'll just need to re-hydrate them by soaking them in warm water for about 10 minutes. You can also use bottled sun-dried tomatoes in water.
- What wine pairs best with the dish? We'd go with a nice, crisp Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, or Pinot Grigio. Get a couple of bottles, and be sure to use it in the dish. That makes a big difference!
- How much can be made in advance? Since this dish is so quick to prepare, we recommend serving this fresh from the stove. You could cook the shrimp up a few hours early and also cook the pasta, then add a few dashes of olive oil to coat the pasta and then cover until ready to add to the sauce. Although, the sauce can be made in advance (up to 1 day), and you'll still have a wonderful dish. But, we think fresh is best!
Ready to make the best pasta dish this side of the Amalfi Coast? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a picture, post it on Instagram, and tag @howtofeedaloon and hashtag #howtofeedaloon!
Mediterranean Pasta with Shrimp
Video
Equipment
- Large (12-inch) saucepan/skillet
- Pot for boiling pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp large, peeled and deveined
- salt and pepper
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts drained, halved or quartered
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more, to taste
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and roughly chopped
- 1 cup kalamata olives pitted, left whole or halved
- 2 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley fresh, chopped, divided
- 12 oz linguine fresh or dried
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, sprinkle the shrimp with salt and pepper all over.
- In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, without moving them around, for 2 to 3 minutes, until nicely pink and starting to brown on the edges. Use a spatula to flip and cook the other sides for another 2 to 3 minutes, until fully cooked, slightly curled, and bright pink. Set aside on a plate or platter.
- In the same pan, sauté the artichokes, onion, garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes until the artichokes slices and onion start to brown, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Add the wine and stir gently to dislodge any bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat slightly and simmer until reduced by about half, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the stock, lemon juice, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, 1 tablespoon of parsley, and ¾ teaspoon salt, and a healthy pinch of black pepper.
- Simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta. Drain and return to pot.
- Return the shrimp to the sauce just to warm through, about 2 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir around with tongs or a large wooden spoon until all the pasta is well-coated with the sauce.
- Turn the pasta into a serving dish, or individual bowls. Garnish with the remaining parsley and serve at once.
Notes
Nutrition
POST UPDATE: The recipe was originally published in June 2014 but was updated with improved tweaks to the recipe, tips, new photography, and a fabulous new video in March, 2020!
Jennifer Letch says
Absolutely delicious!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Jennifer! Woo hoo! We are so happy you made the Mediterranean pasta with shrimp and loved it! It's one of our favorites, too! Thanks so much for sharing and for the wonderful review! That means the world to us! Please stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley
susie says
This was outstanding. My only change would be to add a little more shrimp- or maybe I used too much pasta. Regardless, it was just delicious and even better on subsequent days as we consumed the leftovers.
Mark French says
This was really delicious. The only thing I will do differently next time is chop the artichokes into smaller pieces. But, that's so minor. All the flavors worked well together. I even used my homemade fettuccini which worked well. Thank you!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Mark! We are sooo glad you enjoyed the Mediterranea shrimp pasta! Cutting down the artichokes is totally understandable! And wow! Over homemade fettuccini sounds heavenly! Thank you so much for sharing and for the GREAT review. That means the world to us! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Pankaj verma says
I must say that this is one of the best recipe i have ever tried at home till date.
Trish says
This pasta was definitely fine restaurant quality. I followed the recipe exactly, and my family loved it. Thankyou for your time to post it. You guys are my current binge culinary stars.
Kris Longwell says
Trish! You just filled our hearts with joy!! We are THRILLED you loved this Mediterranean pasta! This has been one of our favorites for many, many years and has a special place in our hearts! We are so happy you had such great success with the dish and that the family loved it! Big WIN!! And thank you so much for letting us know and for the wonderful review! We truly appreciate that so very much!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Joe says
I've made this dish several times in the past, not long after you introduced it to the world wide internet. Absolutely love it. Its tried and true. Such a simple but heavenly flavor!
Kris Longwell says
Thank you, Joe!!
Joe says
I would love to do a mix and match with scallops and shrimp for this dish.. any objections. I would cook the scallops same as shimp..would love some feedback..
Kris Longwell says
Hi Joe!! So sorry for the delayed response!! A mix of scallops and shrimp would be amazing!!! We'd recommend cooking the scallops separately from the shrimp. Not sure of their size, and just to make sure everything is cooked evenly and fully, keep them seperate, and then mix it all together with the pasta and rest of the sauce. Sounds so good! Let us know how it turns out! Best, Kris & Wesley
Ayako says
So delicious!
Just like you were saying, not difficult to cook but the flavor was restaurant level!
Thank you so much as always for wonderful recipes.
Kris Longwell says
Hi Ayako! Yay!! Another one of our all-time favs! You are hitting them out of the park! Thanks so much for letting us know and for the wonderful review!!! xoxoxo Kris & Wesley
Mary says
Absolutely delicious and easy to make!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Mary! We are SO THRILLED you loved this pasta dish! It's been one of our favorites for so many years and it makes us so happy you enjoyed it, too. And thank you so much for letting us know! We appreciate that so much!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
John says
Tried that recipe it was really tasty. Also write an article on fast-food recipes
Tracey says
Delicious! I doubled this recipe last night for my family (5 adults,1 child). We all loved it so much and it looked beautiful and rustic in our large serving bowl. Thank you for the recipe we are excited to have the leftovers for lunch!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Tracey!! Woo hoo!! That is absolutely wonderful to hear! We are thrilled to hear that you and the family loved our Mediterranean Pasta dish! That's been one of our favorites for many, many years!! Thanks for letting us know and for the GREAT review!! That means the world to us!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Vatsal Sharma says
This recipe was really helpful. Also write an article on Shrimp Scampi Recipe
Sarah says
Love you guys and your recipes!! Made this tonight , added roasted red peppers & asparagus, peas , feta and few capers ... delicious !
Keep up the videos, you make me smile !!
Vera says
I noticed in your recipe that you didn't include kalamata olive that you used in your dish,,
Kris Longwell says
Thanks for the heads up, Vera! We added that into the ingredients! Thanks again!
Kelly Lawhorn says
I make a similar pasta and then add feta or goat cheese crumbles on the top. Love it!
Kris Longwell says
Sounds heavenly, Kelly! Such great flavors that go perfectly together. We love feta AND goat cheese!!
Anne C. Marsh says
SOOOOO GOOD! Glad I'm single so I don't have to share!
I used the oil from the sundried tomatoes rather than draining it. Also added about 1 Tblsp of oregano and a good eight or nine grinds of my Italian seasoning mix. Thank you for this recipe!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Anne! This all sounds absolutely fantastic! We are so happy you had success with the recipe and your tweaks are wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing and especially for the GREAT review. That means the world to us!!! xoxo Kris & Wesley