This shrimp vodka sauce started with a jar of Calabrian chilis I carried home from Italy. I already had the sauce I wanted to use it in: the spicy vodka sauce from my rigatoni recipe, rich with tomato paste and cream and built on this fruity chili heat. This time I seared a pound and a half of shrimp first and let them flavor the pan before the sauce went in. The result is spicy, creamy and sweet from the shrimp, and it clings to every tube of rigatoni.
If spicy pasta is your love language, then keep going with Shrimp Scampi Fettuccine and Shrimp Rasta Pasta.
Why this recipe works?
Searing the shrimp first does two jobs. It gives the shrimp a little color, and it leaves browned bits in the pan that become the base of the sauce. When the butter and onions go in, the onions release moisture as they soften, so you can scrape that flavor up without pouring in any liquid.
A whole tube of tomato paste, cooked down with vodka and cream, makes a concentrated sauce, much thicker and deeper than one made with crushed tomatoes. Starchy pasta water loosens it to a silky, coating consistency without thinning out the richness.
The shrimp go back in at the very end with the pasta, so they finish heating in the sauce instead of simmering into rubber. Then comes the basil. Here it’s more than garnish: it brings out the sweetness of the shrimp and balances the chili heat and the salty Parmesan. Use plenty.
Ingredients
Shrimp: Large shrimp are ideal, 21/25 per pound, peeled, deveined, and tails off. They’re big enough to sear without overcooking and still feel substantial on the fork next to the rigatoni. Frozen raw shrimp work perfectly. Thaw them, then dry really well so they sear instead of steam.
Calabrian chili paste: This is where the heat comes from, and it’s a fruitier, slower burn than red pepper flakes. Look for it in jars near the antipasti or in the Italian aisle. Mine came home from Italy, but many US grocery stores carry it. Substitute dried chili flakes, if needed.
Tomato paste: One full tube (4.5 oz). It gives the sauce its body and deep tomato flavor.
Vodka: You won’t taste it. It helps bring the tomato and cream together into a smooth sauce.
Heavy cream: Warm it with a little pasta water before it goes in, so it doesn’t break.
Rigatoni: I'm a rigatoni fan but any short cut pasta works.
Parmesan: Finely grated, both in the sauce and on top.
Fresh basil: Don’t skip it (see above).
How to Make Shrimp Vodka Sauce Pasta
1. Sear the shrimp
Get the shrimp into a hot pan in a single layer and pull them as soon as they’re just pink. They’ll finish in the sauce.
2. Soften the onions
Butter and onions go into the same pan. As the onions soften, scrape up everything the shrimp left behind.
3. Cook down the tomato paste and chili
Keep stirring until the paste turns brick red and sizzles up, separating a bit from the olive oil in the pan.
4. Add the vodka and cream
Deglaze the pan once more with the vodka, then stir in the cream, warmed with a little pasta water so it stays smooth. Add the grated cheese into sauce.
5. Toss in the rigatoni and shrimp
Everything goes back in the pan with pasta water. Toss just until the shrimp are warm and the sauce coats every tube.
6. Finish and serve
Grated Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil, and plenty of torn basil.
Can I use penne instead of rigatoni?
Yes. Penne works fine, and so does any short, sturdy pasta. I just prefer rigatoni: the wider tubes catch more sauce and stand up better to big pieces of shrimp.
What can I use instead of Calabrian chili paste?
Red pepper flakes are the easiest swap. Start with ½ teaspoon, then taste and adjust. For less heat, a pinch or two is plenty. The spice from chili flakes will be sharper and less fruity, but still good. Toast the flakes with the tomato paste so they bloom in the fat.
Do you need vodka in vodka sauce?
Not strictly. The vodka helps the tomato and cream come together into a smooth sauce, but it doesn’t add much flavor. The recipe card notes have an alcohol-free swap.
Print
Shrimp Rigatoni Vodka Sauce
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Diet: Pescatarian
Description
Seared shrimp and full-size rigatoni tossed in a creamy vodka sauce built on a whole tube of tomato paste and Calabrian chili. Finished with Parmesan and plenty of fresh basil.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt, plus a pinch for the shrimp
- 1 tube tomato paste, 4.5 oz / 128 g
- 2 teaspoons Calabrian chili paste
- ¼ cup vodka
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup Parmesan, finely grated, plus more for serving
- 1 lb Rigatoni pasta
- Fresh basil, torn, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the rigatoni in well-salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 to 1 ½ cups of pasta water, then drain.
- While the pasta cooks, dry shrimp well and season with a pinch of salt. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet (not cast iron) over medium-high heat and sear the shrimp in a single layer until just pink, 1 to 2 minutes per side depending on size. Move them to a plate.
- Add the butter and onion to the same pan and cook 5 to 6 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the shrimp as the onion softens, until the edges brown. Lower the heat to medium, add the garlic and 2 teaspoons of salt, and cook about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato paste and Calabrian chili paste and cook 5 to 6 minutes, until the paste darkens and starts to brown on the bottom. Add the vodka, scrape the pan again, and lower the heat to low.
- Ladle ¼ cup of hot pasta water into the cream to warm it, then slowly stir the cream into the sauce until smooth. Stir in the Parmesan.
- Add the rigatoni, the shrimp with any juices from the plate, and about ¾ cup more pasta water. Toss 30 to 60 seconds, until the shrimp are warmed through and the sauce coats the pasta.
- Taste and adjust. Serve right away with a drizzle of olive oil, more Parmesan, and plenty of fresh basil.
Notes
Warm the cream with pasta water so it doesn't break when it hits the hot sauce.
For a milder sauce, start with 1 teaspoon of Calabrian chili paste and add more to taste. Still too spicy? Stir in a little more cream or a tablespoon of butter.
Alcohol-free: skip the vodka and use a few extra tablespoons of salted pasta water or stock.
Leftovers keep up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of stock or water, just until warm, so the shrimp don't overcook.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Main Dishes
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian
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