One Pot Mediterranean Shrimp Pasta is an easy one pot meal mixing shrimp with your favorite Mediterranean ingredients, pasta and a creamy roasted red pepper sauce. Shrimp pairs nicely with the fresh tomatoes, artichokes, kalamata olives, spinach and is topped with a creamy roasted red pepper sauce.
We are about to combine a few of my favorite things into one mouth-watering recipe for this One Pot Mediterranean Shrimp Pasta. I am excited to be partnering with ADA Mideast to share this!
I love a good one-pot meal because it means less dishes at the end of the meal.
With three kids running around at dinnertime, I am looking to get dinner on the table with ease and with minimal post-dinner cleanup.
As a lot of you know if you have been hanging around this corner of the Internet, I also am a huge fan of Mediterranean ingredients, like kalamata olives, artichokes and tomatoes, especially when mixed with shrimp and pasta.
Oh, and let’s not forget about that creamy, flavor-packed roasted red pepper sauce to finish the dish off. The combination in this dish works perfectly.
I think the sauce that accompanies a pasta meal is just as important as the ingredients that go into the dish.
It can add depth of flavor to a meal and really set it apart from the rest.
The roasted red pepper sauce that is used in this dish mixes together roasted red peppers, lactose-free milk {or regular milk}, tomato paste, herbs and a little tahini to thicken it up {if you can’t have tahini, you can also use more tomato paste to thicken it up more}.
Over my lifetime, I have seen a lot more options for lactose-free milk, which means that my family members and others that are lactose-intolerant can still enjoy their favorite recipe that uses milk by just substituting lactose-free milk equally.
Something else I have learned is that just because you are lactose intolerant doesn’t mean you have to give up dairy completely.
Lactose-free milk is milk , just without the lactose, and it naturally includes milk’s nine essential nutrients. You can still drink milk and get the health benefits from it! Many health experts agree you should still try to consume dairy because it provides essential nutrients needed for a healthy diet.
Not drinking enough milk can affect a child’s health for years to come. Dairy is very important for bone health and overall growth in children. If your child is lactose intolerant, don’t completely stop giving him or her dairy. Milk is the No. 1 source for calcium , vitamin D and potassium, three nutrients that both kids and adults are lacking.
Recipe Ingredients
For the Shrimp Pasta:
- Garlic: Fresh garlic enhances the flavor of this dish. I suggest trying to use fresh if you can but garlic powder can work too.
- Red Onion: The red onion is a nice addition to this pasta dish but sweet onion or shallots also works.
- Pasta: Pick your favorite pasta for this dish. I find that I like medium pasta the most to go with the shrimp. If you want you also could try angel hair or spaghetti.
- Broth: Chicken broth helps create the flavorful sauce. You can try using my Homemade Chicken Broth recipe or you can also use vegetable broth or vegetable stock.
For the Red Pepper Sauce:
- Milk: This sauce uses milk to help thicken it. You can use cream, 2 % milk or try subbing lactose-free milk if you are lactose intolerant.
- Roasted Red Peppers: The roasted red peppers help make this sauce slightly sweet and so delicious. You can also use fire roasted red peppers for a smoky flavor.
- Spices and herbs: The spices and herbs help create a rich, herby sauce. This sauce uses basil, oregano and crushed red pepper.
- Tomato Paste: The tomato paste helps to thicken the sauce.
- Tahini Paste: I love the addition of the tahini paste. It adds an earthy, rich flavor but can be left out if you want.
How do You Make this One Pot Mediterranean Shrimp Pasta?
For the roasted red pepper sauce:
Step 1: Blend the Sauce: In a blender, put the milk, roasted red peppers, basil, oregano, crushed red peppers, salt, pepper, tomato paste, tahini and garlic. Blend until the sauce is smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings and set aside.
For the Mediterranean Shrimp Pasta:
Step 1: Saute the Garlic and Onion: In a large pot or skillet, heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic in and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the broth and pasta and bring to a boil over high heat.
Step 2: Cook the Pasta: Turn the heat down to medium and simmer, stirring frequently and cook for 8 minutes or until pasta is done.
Step 3: Cook Shrimp: Add the shrimp and a dash of salt and pepper and cook until the shrimp turns pink, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 4: Add other Ingredients and Cook: Add the olives, tomatoes, spinach and artichokes and cook until the spinach is wilted {you will want to use your spoon to mix the spinach with the pasta dish as it wilts}.
Step 5: Add Sauce: Slowly pour in the roasted red pepper sauce and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce is well mixed in. Garnish with fresh parsley, crushed red pepper and the cheese of your choice.
What to Pair with Mediterranean Shrimp Pasta
- I like serving potatoes with our meals throughout the week. Some of my favorites are these Gouda Smashed Potatoes, Spicy Lebanese Potatoes or these Lemon Cilantro Potatoes.
- Adding a salad to your meals is a nice way to get those vegetables and greens in. A few of the ones I serve on repeat are this Lemon Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts, Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing or this Mediterranean Bean Salad.
- Simple side dishes work nicely with this shrimp dish. A few I make are this Simple Roasted Broccoli, Za’atar Roasted Cauliflower with Yogurt Tahini Sauce or these Za’atar Roasted Carrots.
Other Shrimp Recipes to Try:
- AIR FRYER COCONUT SHRIMP
- HONEY GARLIC SRIRACHA SHRIMP
- SAUSAGE SHRIMP FOIL PACK
- SHRIMP KALE ARTICHOKE PASTA
- EASY CAJUN SHRIMP
- EASY SHRIMP CURRY
One Pot Mediterranean Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves,, minced
- 1/4 red onion,, finely chopped {about 2/3 cup}
- 8 ounces of pasta,, your choice
- 4 cups broth {you can use vegetable or chicken}
- 1 pound shrimp,, peeled and deveined
- 6 ounces kalamata olives,, halved
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes,, halved
- 8 ounces fresh spinach
- 6 ounces artichoke hearts,, quartered
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
- 1 cup lactose-free milk
- 12 ounces roasted red peppers
- 1/2 teaspoon basil
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper {optional for spice}
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoons tahini paste
- 2 garlic cloves,, minced
Garnish:
- Parsley
- Crushed red peppers
- Cheese of your choice
Instructions
For the roasted red pepper sauce:
- In a blender, put the milk, roasted red peppers, basil, oregano, crushed red peppers, salt, pepper, tomato paste, tahini and garlic. Blend until the sauce is smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings and set aside.
For the Mediterranean Shrimp Pasta:
- In a large pot or skillet, heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the onion and garlic in and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the broth and pasta and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Turn the heat down to medium and simmer, stirring frequently and cook for 8 minutes or until pasta is done.
- Add the shrimp and a dash of salt and pepper and cook until the shrimp turns pink, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the olives, tomatoes, spinach and artichokes and cook until the spinach is wilted {you will want to use your spoon to mix the spinach with the pasta dish as it wilts}.
- Slowly pour in the roasted red pepper sauce and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce is well mixed in.
- Garnish with fresh parsley, crushed red pepper and the cheese of your choice.
Notes
- You can modify this recipe to your tastes: you can easily use a variety of ingredients or take things out that you don’t like. Try adding white beans or chickpeas, vegetables like zucchini or bell peppers, and use a variety of cheese including feta, parmesan or mozzarella.
- I like to use a small pasta when I make this dish, like orecchiette, but you can use whatever pasta you like.
Today’s post is sponsored by ADA Mideast. As always, opinions are 100% my own.
I used farro instead of pasta (personal preference). This is a wonderful, very tasty recipe!
Love that idea! I need to try that.
I love these flavors so much! I have to make this for the fam!
I love the tahini in the red pepper sauce!
Oh, this looks delicious! And I love that it’s a one pot meal!!
What a beautiful dish! I don’t know what I’d like to dig my fork into first!
This has such a fantastic combination of flavours. I love the creamy tahini sauce!
I love everything about this recipe!
Julia, I love that you added tahini to this pasta dish–what incredible flavor that adds. And thank you for the lactose free option–so many people need recipes like this
Thanks so much! We loved it. And yes, the tahini adds a nice hint of nutty flavor!