Fettuccine with Shrimp

This fettuccine with shrimp is built for speed. Fresh tomatoes, basil, black olives, garlic, and shallot all go into a hot skillet together with the shrimp and cook for just 3 minutes. That’s the whole sauce. Pour it over pasta, hit it with Romano cheese, and serve.

The sauce stays fresh and bright because nothing gets cooked down into a long-simmered reduction. The tomatoes barely break down, the basil keeps its color, and the shrimp stay plump and juicy rather than rubbery. The olive oil ties everything together and coats the fettuccine when you toss.

Fresh basil is non-negotiable here. With such a simple, quick-cooked sauce, every ingredient has to carry its weight, and dried basil would taste flat and dusty against the fresh tomatoes and briny shrimp.

Pro Tips

• Have everything prepped before you start. This cooks so fast that stopping to mince garlic or chop tomatoes means overcooked shrimp.
• Seed the tomatoes. Excess juice from the seeds waters down the sauce and makes the pasta soggy.
• Cook the shrimp just until they turn pink. They keep cooking from residual heat after you remove the pan from the burner.
• Toss the pasta with the sauce immediately. Fettuccine clumps fast, and the hot oil and tomato juices keep the noodles loose.

Variations

• Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat.
• Use cherry tomatoes halved instead of chopped large tomatoes for a sweeter, more concentrated flavor.
• Swap Romano for Pecorino for a sharper, more peppery finish.