Trottole Pasta Recipe with Tomato Sauce and Shrimp
May 31, 2022, Updated Sep 04, 2024
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This Trottole Pasta Recipe with Tomato Sauce and Shrimp is a 30 minute meal you need to try! Top this red sauce and shrimp pasta with a touch of fresh basil and parsley to make it a weeknight favorite.
Why I love this recipe
This is a delicious recipe that is super easy to make and tastes like an Italian restaurant. It works as a main dish since it includes shrimp. All you need is a simple salad and crusty Italian bread!
Trottole Pasta Recipe with Tomato Sauce and Shrimp
Italian cuisine is known for its simple ingredients and bold flavors. This pasta recipe checks all the boxes with simplicity and superb taste. This is a loved recipe we often make in my Italian kitchen (cucina)! This is one of my absolute favorite easy recipes.
If you love shrimp, try these recipes: Shrimp Scampi Pasta Recipe (with Fettuccine) Orzo Pasta with Shrimp, Sun-dried Tomatoes, and Artichokes and Shrimp and Broccoli Pasta in Cream Sauce, and Squid Ink Pasta Recipe with Shrimp and Cherry Tomato Sauce.
Table of Contents
- Trottole Pasta Recipe with Tomato Sauce and Shrimp
- Ingredients for Trottole Pasta with tomato sauce and shrimp
- How to make Trottole pasta with tomato sauce and shrimp (step by step)
- How to cook shrimp in tomato sauce
- Where to buy trotolle
- Substitutions for trottole pasta and shrimp
- Variations
- How to store leftover pasta
- Trottole pasta FAQ’s
- Top tips
- Trottole Pasta Recipe with Tomato Sauce and Shrimp
Ingredients for Trottole Pasta with tomato sauce and shrimp
You can make this restaurant-worthy pasta dish with a few pantry staples and fresh ingredients.
- 1 recipe for Classic Italian Tomato Sauce (Sugo al Pomodoro)
- Shrimp
- Trottole pasta
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Garlic cloves
- White wine
- Red pepper flakes
- Fresh basil
- Fresh parsley
- Salt and black pepper to taste
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make Trottole pasta with tomato sauce and shrimp (step by step)
This recipe is so easy to make. If you make the tomato sauce ahead of time all you have to do it cook the shrimp and pasta at the last minute and there you have an easy dinner with little effort.
First, make your classic Italian tomato sauce in a large skillet. Set aside and keep warm.
Prepare shrimp, dry them with a paper towel, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Second, in a large frying pan on medium heat- gently fry the shrimp with garlic and olive oil and red chili flakes. Add the white wine deglaze pan. Let simmer a couple of minutes longer.
Cook your pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water. Cook pasta until al dente package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
Lastly, drain pasta and add to the prepared sauce. Add reserved pasta water and toss to combine. Add shrimp and stir again. Garnish with fresh basil and parsley. Serve hot!
Tools: Here is the pasta utensil I use for all my pasta recipes and more!
How to cook shrimp in tomato sauce
For this recipe, we want to cook the shrimp perfectly as they are the main part of the sauce. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Dry- make sure to pat the shrimp dry, so they get a nice sear and stay tender when they finish cooking in the sauce.
- Season- sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper before searing them to get the flavor in them right away.
- Sear- searing the shrimp first gives them a nice crust to keep tender throughout the rest of the cooking process.
- Deglaze- adding white wine to the pan helps all the delicious garlic and chili flake seasoning infuse into the tomato sauce.
- Sauce- let the shrimp finish cooking, at a simmer, in the tomato sauce as the flavors really marry and come together for the final dish!
Where to buy trotolle
I am lucky to find my trottole pasta at my local grocery store in Salt Lake City, Utah. If you have trouble finding it, get it delivered through Amazon! I love to say “trottole”- make sure to roll that “r” for the real Italian pronunciation.
More sauces that pair well with Italian trotolle pasta: use ground beef to make ragu, or beef short ribs for bolognese sauce. Use this Easy Italian Sausage and Peppers Recipe (Skillet) to add with the pasta for an easy meal.
Read this article about pairing pasta shapes with sauces.
Substitutions for trottole pasta and shrimp
Use these substitutions to meet your dietary needs.
- Gluten Free- use gluten free pasta instead of wheat.
- Vegetarian – swap the shrimp for firm tofu.
Variations
After trying the original recipe the first time you can try these variations to mix it up and see how you like it!
- Herbs- add aromatic herbs such as thyme and oregano for an extra flavor boost.
- Creamy- change it up and swap the red sauce for white sauce or homemade béchamel sauce.
- Cheesy- in Italy we do not serve red sauce and seafood with cheese. If you like add some parmigiano cheese (parmesan cheese). Even try a little feta cheese!
- Easy– if you are short on time you can even use your favorite pre-made jar marinara sauce.
- Onion- add a half of a chopped yellow or red onion for variety.
- Deluxe – add cooked Italian sausages to this recipe to add more protein.
- Kid friendly – leave out the chili flakes to cut the spice or adjust accordingly for little eaters.
If you love seafood try these recipes: Spaghetti Frutti di Mare (Seafood Pasta), Italian Seafood Salad (Insalata di Mare Antipasto), Lobster Rolls, and BEST Seared Scallops with Lemon Butter Sauce.
How to store leftover pasta
After pasta cools store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-5 days.
Here are a few airtight containers that work well for storing leftover pasta dishes, and more: Pyrex different sizes, Snapware different sizes, Glasslock oven safe, and Rubbermaid Takealongs.
Trottole pasta FAQ’s
If you don’t have trotolle pasta shape on hand you can use penne pasta, fusilli, cavatappi, or even rigatoni. These are great alternatives to trottole pasta- the “spinning top shape”.
In Italian “trotolle” means- spinning tops. This type of drum wheat pasta resembles spinning tops. Trotolle pasta are fun to make and eat. Try this Trottole Pasta Recipe with Tomato Sauce and Shrimp and see!
Top tips
- It is a good thing to keep in mind the pasta and shrimp will cook a little bit more once incorporated with the hot sauce. Do not overcook pasta or shrimp!
- Dry the shrimp so they get a nice sear in the skillet. Skipping this step could result in the shrimp steaming in the pan.
More recipes for you:
- Squid Ink Pasta Recipe with Shrimp and Cherry Tomato Sauce
- Crispy Baked Cod with Panko Recipe
- Gemelli Pasta Recipe with Tomatoes and Mascarpone
- Italian Pink Sauce Pasta Recipe (Tomato Cream)
- Easy Italian Sausage and Peppers Recipe (Skillet)
- Lasagna Bolognese
- Quick and Easy Burst Tomato Pasta Sauce Recipe
- Tomatoes Stuffed with Rice
Enjoy this easy and absolutely scrumptious trottole pasta and shrimp meal.
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PrintTrottole Pasta Recipe with Tomato Sauce and Shrimp
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
This Trottole Pasta Recipe with Tomato Sauce and Shrimp is a 30 minute meal you need to try! Top this red sauce and shrimp pasta with fresh basil and a touch of red pepper flakes and make it a weeknight favorite.
Ingredients
- 1 recipe for Classic Italian Tomato Sauce (Sugo al Pomodoro)
- 1 pound shrimp, cleaned and deveined
- 1 pound Trottole pasta (or pasta of choice)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped for garnish
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Optional: parmigiano or parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Make your classic Italian tomato sauce in a large skillet. Set aside and keep warm.
- Prepare shrimp, dry them with a paper towel, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a large frying pan on medium heat- gently fry the shrimp with garlic and olive oil and red chili flakes. Add the white wine and deglaze pan. Let simmer a couple of minutes longer.
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water. Cook pasta until al dente package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
- Drain pasta and add to prepared sauce. Add pasta water and toss to combine. Add shrimp and stir again. Garnish with fresh basil and parsley. Serve hot!
Notes
Top tips
- It is a good thing to keep in mind the pasta and shrimp will cook a little bit more once incorporated with the hot sauce. Do not overcook pasta or shrimp!
- Dry the shrimp so they get a nice sear in the skillet. Skipping this step could result in the shrimp steaming in the pan.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Savory
- Method: Italian
- Cuisine: Italian
My kids adore this delicious pasta with shrimp and trottole pasta!
We made this twice last week. Once for the family and another time for guests. It got 5 stars from everyone both times! Enjoy.