Tomato Basil Shrimp Pasta

Name: Tomato Basil Shrimp Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 19 min
Total time: 29 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 medium yellow onion, chopped; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds; 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained; 1 cup fresh basil leaves, hand torn; Substitution example: Use canned fire-roasted tomatoes for smokier punch; celery may replace onions if pungency preferred; Add twist: pinch red pepper flakes for heat

By Emma

Certified Culinary Professional

Published on 23 January 2026 • Recipe tested & approved

Shrimp cooked with garlic and fennel seeds, mingling with onions and stewed tomatoes, fresh basil torn in last. Olive oil base, taste dances between sweet fennel, bright tomato acidity, and herbal basil notes, all wrapped around succulent shrimp. Quick turnaround dish relying on visual and scent cues to gauge readiness. Substitutions included with tips for failed seafood buys and tomato alternatives. Pasta not detailed but implied. Total hands-on time roughly half an hour, ideal midweek no-fuss meal, size serves four hungry souls easily.

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 19 min

Total: 29 min

Servings: 4 servings

#Italian #seafood #quick meals #pasta #basil

Shrimp and basil. Fresh and bright. The kind of dinner that hits your nose before your fork. Onion sweats slowly releasing sugars, garlic and fennel seeds hit the oil, scents swirling sharp and sweet. That garlic sizzle—the sound a quick giveaway if heat’s right or you’re overdoing it. Shrimp dropped in flat, waiting until that pink blush starts creeping in from edges, curling lightly like a tiny crescent moon. Tomatoes, drained, bring acidity but beware watery mush; separate well or sauce suffers. Basil torn last—handfuls thrown just before plating, so that bite of herbal freshness stays alive, not wilted to sadness. The pasta waits quietly, ready to soak up flavors. Years cooking taught me the rhythm: watch, smell, feel. No timers fool me here.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon salt
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup fresh basil leaves, hand torn
Substitution example: Use canned fire-roasted tomatoes for smokier punch; celery may replace onions if pungency preferred
Add twist: pinch red pepper flakes for heat

About the ingredients

Olive oil quality really matters here for flavor and smoke point. Cheap oils turn bitter or burn too fast. Yellow onion chosen for sweetness; white would be too sharp, red too raw. Garlic mincing goes fine, but chunks won’t toast evenly with fennel seeds—use whole seeds so you can spot raisins of flavor popping in bites, not sanding powder. Shrimp with shells off gives quicker cook and better sauce absorption; frozen shrimp needs thawing fully to cook evenly, no tricks. Canned diced tomatoes ripe and drained avoid watery disasters—fire-roasted swaps add complexity but alter profile. Basil tears, don’t chop—knife crushes leaves and dulls aroma. Red pepper flakes are not mandatory but keep abundance low unless heat lover. Salt to taste but start light; shrimp naturally salty. Celery can replace onion crisply, but adjust cook times and textures accordingly.

Method

Heat olive oil in a large wide skillet over medium heat; heat until fragrant, slight shimmer on surface but no smoke
Add chopped onion, stir often; softening edges and sweet aromas signal nearly done, about 3-4 minutes — no burn, no brown exactly, just softened translucency
Toss in garlic and whole fennel seeds; hear garlic sizzle gently, seeds start to pop quietly—stir constantly for even toasting, around 2-3 minutes; burnt garlic ruins whole dish—watch carefully
Slide shrimp in with salt sprinkled over evenly; spread in one layer, let them sit undisturbed 1-2 minutes to develop slight sear color, then stir; pink should appear along edges, bodies start curling but stay tender; total about 3-4 minutes; overcooked shrimp become rubbery and shout disaster
Drain tomatoes well—liquid waters down sauce, so pressing or straining advised. Add to pan, toss shrimp and tomatoes together; heat through, shrimp fully opaque now, sauce thickens slightly; total 3-4 minutes; fresh tomatoes don’t swap in without draining unless simmering longer to reduce excess watery-ness
Tear basil with hands to avoid bruising and scattered small black spots; toss all in skillet off heat; basil wilts gently from residual warmth, boosts aroma instantly; serve immediately—heat drains basil if left too long or reheated causing dull taste
Bonus tip: Pasta cooks separately, reserve some cooking water to loosen sauce as needed; stir pasta into pan before basil for melded layers of flavor
Cleanup trick: Use skillet heat leftover to toast fennel again with crushed crackers for an instant crunchy snack

Cooking tips

Heat olive oil until surface starts softly shimmering but before smoke scares you off. When onions sizzle, stir frequently to prevent browning but allow soft-fall. Garlic and fennel seeds added at the right moment transform oil with aroma and background sweetness; burn garlic and you’ve wrecked the base so keep moving. When adding shrimp, spread them to a single layer and leave alone to let Maillard reaction gently color the meat—disturbing too often makes them mushy. Pink edges and curls show shrimp approach doneness; pull off heat before fully opaque or risk toughness after standing heat. Drained tomatoes integrate acidity without waterlogging. Toss gently to meld shrimp without breaking delicate flesh. Final basil added off-heat avoids flavor loss but uses residual warmth for flurry aroma release. Serve immediately before basil turns limp and dull. Adding pasta directly to skillet before basil lets pasta catch sauce better; reserve pasta water for adjusting consistency. Practice this and you’ll judge doneness visually and with nose rather than by strict timers.

Chef's notes

💡 Olive oil quality matters. Cheap oils burn fast tossing bitter notes. Wait for that slight shimmer on surface before onions hit. Low heat with patience avoids burnt edges. Observe subtle scent change; faint sweet garlic aroma is your cue to add onions.
💡 Onions soften slowly but no browning allowed. Stir often—look for translucent edges not brown spots. Onion sugars released gently. Garlic and fennel seeds splash in once onions are supple. Garlic sizzle changes fast—burnt garlic ruins base. Constant stirring essential once both in pan.
💡 Shrimp: spread single layer. Leave undisturbed at least a minute till edges blush bright pink and slight sear forms. Don’t fuss early or shrimp turn tough. Tell by slight curling and shiny color shift. Salt before cooking helps flavor but start light; shrimp add natural saltiness.
💡 Tomatoes drained well. Watery sauce kills texture. Press or strain canned tomatoes before adding. Fresh tomatoes only if drained and added with longer simmer time, else watery mush. Toss gently with shrimp—break shrimp or excess stirring loses texture.
💡 Basil torn last, never chopped—crushed leaves bruise, dull aroma. Add off heat; residual pan warmth wilts basil gently releasing herbal scent fast. Serve immediately, heat kills brightness fast. Pasta cooks separately; toss into pan before basil using reserved pasta water to adjust sauce consistency.

Common questions

Can I use frozen shrimp?

Thaw completely first. Partial thaw messes with texture cooking unevenly. Rapid cooking shrinks frozen parts too much or leaves cold centers. Pat dry before pan or oil splatters. Frozen shrimps defrosted okay but expect no shortcuts.

Substitutes for fennel seeds?

Anise seed similar but sharper flavor—use less maybe. Celery seed lacks sweetness fennel has; option if fennel absent but different taste. Skip if none but lose nuanced warmth. Fennel seed toast adds crunch and background herbal sharpness noticeable.

What if sauce too watery?

Drain tomatoes better next time. Simmer longer to reduce water but careful not dry out shrimp. Squeeze tomatoes gently before adding. Pasta water can thin sauce if too thick but don’t add extra water for watery mix. Balance key.

How to store leftovers?

Refrigerate in airtight container. Basil wilts and darkens fast; add fresh basil when reheating if possible. Reheat gently; high heat dulls flavors and toughens shrimp. If pasta soggy next day, toss with little olive oil or pan-fry briefly.