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Shrimp Arrabbiata Pasta has layers of flavor from savory tomatoes, herbs and four different forms of heat! Seasoned shrimp are seared then combined with spaghetti and fresh parsley in a very spicy marinara spiked with white wine, garlic, anchovies, cherry peppers in vinegar brine, red pepper flakes and Calabrian chili paste. A paradise for seafood and spicy food lovers alike!
While I love my spicy calamari ragu and scungili pasta fra diavolo recipes, there’s just something about shrimp and pasta that is so mouthwatering. You’ll never find me turning down a good shrimp scampi pasta–that’s for sure!
This spicy shrimp arrabbiata recipe is one of, if not the best of all spicy pasta recipes with shrimp, in my humble opinion.
So, “arrabbiata” translates to English as “angry“, and the sauce is supposed to taste fiery, like the sauce itself is angry, and like it was made by an angry person.
That is to say, it must be HOT. The heat is what makes it arrabbiata sauce: the fiery, piquant anger of it. It usually has a fair amount of garlic, too!
There are different ways to impart heat to the sauce, such as fresh chilis, dried chilis, etc. And, I’ve tried them all.
Like rigatoni arrabbiata, this spicy shrimp pasta pairs features a rich and super piccante tomato sauce made with four forms of heat. Each imparts not only fire, but also layers of flavor: dried red pepper flakes, Calabrian chili paste and vinegar-marinated hot cherry peppers along with some of its hot vinegar brine.
Shrimp, anchovy and white wine then round out the dish creating the most unique, well-balanced and intense flavor profile of any spicy shrimp marinara recipe out there! Add this recipe to your menu soon. Mangia bene!
More Recipes with Shrimp: Shrimp Francese, Spicy Garlic Shrimp, Shrimp Fra Diavolo, Shrimp Scampi Pasta, Shrimp Oreganata in White Wine Lemon Butter, Italian-Style Fried Shrimp.
Main Ingredient Notes
Here are the main ingredients we’ll be using in this spicy shrimp arrabbiata recipe:
- Shrimp: A medium-sized shrimp works well here, such as a “31 to 36”, which means there are approximately 31 to 36 shrimp in one pound. The shrimp must be 100% cleaned (i.e., deveined and peeled) with the tail removed. If starting with frozen shrimp, be sure to fully defrost them in the refrigerator before using. Do not defrost them in cold water as they will get water-logged.
- Hot Peppers: This recipe has multiple forms of heat, each imparting not only fire, but also layers of flavor: dried red pepper flakes, Calabrian chili paste and vinegar-marinated hot cherry peppers along with some of the hot vinegar brine–the star of the dish! While I used a combination of different types of hot peppers, you can actually use whatever hot peppers that you like, even fresh! (I do recommend the vinegar-marinated chili peppers regardless, though–their brininess makes the dish!)
- Anchovies: Anchovies (and anchovy oil) complement the shrimp so well in this recipe. You don’t really taste them, per se, but they contribute to the amazing layers of flavor that make this recipe so darn special!
- Pasta: I made this dish with spaghetti, but it would honestly work with any and all pasta shapes, short or long. Some other popular shapes for this sauce are rigatoni, penne rigate and linguine.
- Tomatoes: I generally prefer to use whole canned tomatoes and then hand crush them as they are less processed than other types and I prefer a chunky sauce. However, you can also use diced or even crushed tomatoes (if you prefer a smoother sauce) in this recipe. Also, choose a high-quality canned tomato, such as a San Marzano tomatoes, for this recipe. As there are so few ingredients, their quality really matters.
- White Wine: Contributes acidity and earthiness to the dish. Be sure to use a dry (i.e., not sweet) white wine and always select a wine that you would actually like to drink. I generally use a dry Pinot Grigio when cooking and never spend more than $9.99 on the bottle! If you prefer to not cook with wine, you can just leave it out and use a little water to deglaze the pan.
- Garlic and Fresh Herbs: Garlic and herbs are important aromatics in this recipe. Fresh parsley is preferred, but can be substituted with a small amount of dried in a pinch. If you use dried herbs, add all of them at the same time as the tomatoes so that they are able to rehydrate. Arrabbiata sauce tends to have more garlic than others, but use as much or as little garlic as you like!
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Used to sauté the aromatics and add some final richness to the finished pasta. Use a great quality olive oil for final drizzling.
How to Make Shrimp Arrabbiata Pasta
- Prep all ingredients. Peel, devein and remove the tails off the shrimp if not already purchased cleaned. Chop the garlic, herbs, anchovies and cherry peppers. Put a large pot of water on to boil.
- PRO-TIP: Use none, some or all of the cherry pepper seeds. The more you include, the hotter the pasta will be.
- Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel, then season both sides of the shrimp with salt and black pepper.
- Heat half the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, place the shrimp in a single layer in the hot pan and sear both sides of the shrimp until pink and cooked through (about 2 minutes per side). Transfer the cooked shrimp to a plate.
- PRO-TIP: Work in batches and do not overcrowd the pan.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, then combine the remaining olive oil, half the parsley, anchovies and anchovy oil, garlic, Calabrian chili paste and crushed red pepper in the same pan.
- Cook until the garlic starts to soften and brown, about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour the wine into the pan and deglaze, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden utensil.
- Then, add the tomatoes, hot cherry peppers and vinegar marinade and salt and stir until well-combined. Simmer, partially covered, for 10 to 12 minutes or so to reduce and thicken the sauce, stirring occasionally.
- Cook pasta for two minutes less than al dente. Then, transfer it to the spicy tomato sauce along with some starchy pasta water. Stir well to fully combine all ingredients and let the pasta finish cooking in the sauce and absorb all of those wonderful flavors!
- Fold the cooked shrimp into the pasta, just to heat through. Gently mix until all ingredients are well-combined.
- Once the pasta is al dente, turn off the heat, fold in the remaining parsley and drizzle a healthy glug of high-quality olive oil over the pasta, stir and serve. That’s it!
Check out my answer to “How Much Salt Should You Add to Pasta Water?” here, as featured in Appetito’s online Italian Food and Drink Magazine. (Hint: I also mention it in the recipe below.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Marinara is a hearty tomato sauce for pasta, whereas arrabbiata sauce is a quickly-cooked tomato sauce that is spicy from hot peppers and lots of garlic. One could argue that they are exactly the same except for the level of heat involved. Both are delicious, savory sauces that have lots of other uses.
Yes. If you are using already cooked shrimp in this recipe, skip the first step of cooking the shrimp in the olive oil. Just add the shrimp to the pan along with the pasta at the end. Since the shrimp are already cooked, you simply need to reheat them. If you “cook” already cooked shrimp for too long, they will get tough and rubbery.
Deveining shrimp means removing the digestive tract/intestine of the shrimp. It’s the brownish/black vein that runs along the back of the shrimp. While it won’t hurt to eat it, it’s a bit unpleasant to think about.
To devein shrimp, first peel the shrimp (leaving the tail), then place it on a cutting board or other flat surface. Then, make a shallow slit along the back of the shrimp, stopping at the last section before the tail, and lift or scrape out the vein. You can use a small paring knife to devein shrimp, or use this nifty shrimp deveiner. Alternatively, buy already peeled and deveined shrimp with the tail on (which is what I did here).
Love spicy foods? Check out these recipes, all with a good amount of piccante like this spicy shrimp marinara: Calamari Sauce Fra Diavolo, Sausage Stuffed Hot Peppers, Spicy Sautéed Calamari, Pasta with ‘Nduja and Zucchini, Scungilli Fra Diavolo and two-ingredient Italian Chili Oil (a.k.a., Olio Santo) which can be drizzled over almost anything to add a little heat.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few delicious ways to change up this spicy tomato pasta shrimp recipe:
- Add Other Seafood: Spicy tomato sauces like arrabbiata are ideal pairings with all types of seafood. I love to add clams, crab meat or even lobster and mussels to my arrabbiata sauce for increased protein and heartiness. That’s not to say that some savory Italian sausage wouldn’t be perfect, too!
- Add capers and/or olives: For a briny, savory and umami punch, add drained capers and/or chopped black, oil-cured olives to the pan along with the garlic.
- Use Fresh Tomatoes: Substitute two pints fresh grape or cherry tomatoes (quartered) instead of the canned tomatoes for a chunkier and lighter shrimp arrabbiata pasta sauce. You may also want to add one tablespoon of tomato paste to thicken the sauce a bit and increase the tomato-ness.
- Adjust the Heat and/or Peppers: The beauty of making this sauce from scratch is that you can adjust the heat level, up or down, to your personal taste. And, while I used a combination of different types of hot peppers, you can actually use whatever hot peppers that you like, even fresh! Consider sautéing some finely diced fresh jalapeño or long hot peppers along with the garlic in place of the dried chili flakes. I do recommend the vinegar-marinated chili peppers regardless, though–their brininess makes the dish!
- Ditch the Carbs! If you are not feeling the heavy carbs in this dish, you can prepare it in the spirit of my Shrimp Fra Diavolo and Spicy Garlic Shrimp recipes and omit the pasta, leaving a truly, sop-worthy sauce worth of the best pane di casa available!
SHRIMP ARRABBIATA PASTA TOP TIPS
- Shrimp: Buy already cleaned (peeled and deveined) shrimp for convenience. And, if starting with frozen shrimp, be sure to fully defrost them in the refrigerator before using. Do not defrost them in cold water as they will get water-logged.
- Heat Level: You can use none, some or all of the cherry pepper seeds. The more you include, the hotter the pasta will be. I used half the seeds of 3 cherry peppers in this recipe and it was perfect. Don’t forget the 2 Tbsp of the vinegar marinade as that adds so much flavor!
- Pasta Water: The pasta water is key! Add it to the sauce along with the pasta for the additional moisture needed to finish cooking the pasta.
- Recipe Substitutions:
- Not a fan of shrimp? Use scallops, lobster, clams, mussels or even chicken! Or, make a more simple rigatoni arrabbiata without any protein.
- Fresh parsley is preferred but can be substituted with a small amount (2-3 Tbsp) of dried in a pinch. If you use dried herbs, add all of them at the same time as the tomatoes so that they are able to rehydrate.
- In a pinch, you can use just one or two forms of the heat in this recipe. The heat level is entirely up to you! I really do recommend the vinegar-marinated hot cherry peppers, though. They make the dish!
- If you prefer to not cook with wine, you can just leave it out and use a little water to deglaze the pan.
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Reheat them, covered, in a small skillet over medium low heat with a little bit of water until heated through.
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If you’ve tried this Spicy Shrimp Arrabbiata Pasta recipe, please let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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Shrimp Arrabbiata Pasta ~ Spicy Shrimp Marinara
Equipment
- Shrimp Deveiner (optional)
- Large Skillet or Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 pounds shrimp,, peeled and deveined, tail off
- Pinch salt and black pepper
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, , divided + more for finishing
- ⅓ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves,, divided
- 1 (2-ounce) tin anchovies in olive oil, including the oil,, lightly chopped
- 3-4 Tbsp chopped or thinly sliced garlic , (use as much or as little as you like!)
- ½ Tbsp Calabrian chili paste
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 cup dry white wine,, such as Pinot Grigio
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes,, crushed by hand + ¼ can water (See NOTES.)
- ¼ cup small diced hot cherry peppers marinated in vinegar,, cored (about 3 peppers) See NOTE about seeds.
- 2 Tbsp vinegar marinade from cherry peppers
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 pound pasta, + salt for pasta water
Instructions
- Prep and gather all ingredients according to specifications above. Peel, devein and remove the tails off the shrimp if not already purchased cleaned. Put a large pot of water on to boil.(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)2 pounds shrimp,
- Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel, then season both sides of the shrimp with salt and black pepper.2 pounds shrimp,, Pinch salt and black pepper
- Heat half the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, place the shrimp in a single layer in the hot pan and sear both sides of the shrimp until pink and cooked through (about 2 minutes per side). Work in batches, if necessary, and do not overcrowd the pan. Transfer the cooked shrimp to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, then combine the remaining olive oil, half the parsley, anchovies and anchovy oil, garlic, Calabrian chili paste and crushed red pepper in the same pan. Cook until the garlic starts to soften and brown, about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. The anchovies should break up and dissolve.⅓ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves,, 1 (2-ounce) tin anchovies in olive oil, including the oil,, 3-4 Tbsp chopped or thinly sliced garlic, ½ Tbsp Calabrian chili paste, ½ tsp crushed red pepper
- Pour the wine into the pan and deglaze, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden utensil.1 cup dry white wine,
- Then, add the tomatoes + ¼ tomato can full of water, diced hot cherry peppers, vinegar marinade from cherry peppers and salt and stir until well-combined.1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes,, ¼ cup small diced hot cherry peppers marinated in vinegar,, 2 Tbsp vinegar marinade from cherry peppers, ½ tsp salt
- Cover and bring the tomato mixture to a simmer and simmer, partially covered, for 10 to 12 minutes or so to reduce and thicken the sauce, stirring occasionally. Then, hold the sauce on warm.
- Once the water comes to a boil, add salt, then the pasta and cook it for 2 minutes less than the package instructions, or two minutes less than al dente.1 pound pasta
- Transfer the pasta to the spicy tomato sauce along with about ½ cup of the starchy pasta water (to start) and increase the heat to medium. Stir well to fully combine all ingredients and let the pasta finish cooking in the sauce and absorb all of those wonderful flavors! Add additional pasta water if more moisture is needed.
- Fold the cooked shrimp into the pasta, just to heat through. Gently mix until all ingredients are well-combined. Season to taste with salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
- Once the pasta is al dente, turn off the heat, fold in the remaining parsley and drizzle a healthy glug of high-quality olive oil over the pasta, stir and serve. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- The prep time assumes that you’re starting with already cleaned (peeled and deveined) shrimp.
- If starting with frozen shrimp, be sure to fully defrost them in the refrigerator before using. Do not defrost them in cold water as they will get water-logged.
- You can use none, some or all of the cherry pepper seeds. The more you include, the hotter the pasta will be. I used half the seeds of 3 cherry peppers in this recipe and it was perfect. Don’t forget the 2 Tbsp of the vinegar marinade as that adds so much flavor!
- In a pinch, you can use just one or two forms of the heat in this recipe. The heat level is entirely up to you! I really do recommend the vinegar-marinated hot cherry peppers, though. They make the dish!
- Fresh parsley is preferred but can be substituted with a small amount (2-3 Tbsp) of dried in a pinch. If you use dried herbs, add all of them at the same time as the tomatoes so that they are able to rehydrate.
- I generally prefer to use whole canned tomatoes and then hand crush them as they are less processed than other types, plus I prefer a chunky sauce. However, you can also use diced tomatoes or even crushed (if you prefer a smoother sauce) in this recipe.
- Use a large pot with 5 to 6 quarts water for 1 pound of pasta. Bring the water to a boil before adding the salt. Use 1½-2 Tbsp salt.
- The pasta water is key! Add it to the sauce along with the pasta for the additional moisture needed to finish cooking the pasta.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Reheat them, covered, in a small skillet over medium low heat with a little bit of water until heated through.
- Feel free to double or even trip the sauce portion of the recipe (without the shrimp) and freeze it in portions to have available in a pinch when you are craving something fiery!
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Michele very generously shared a major portion of the fruits of this recipe of hers with my family last week. It was absolutely delicious – the little sting of the multiple kinds of peppers used paired with the meaty shrimp and spaghetti was scrumptious. Perfectly seasoned as is. Thank you, Michele!
My favorite way to eat shrimp with pasta!