Shrimp rigatoni with tomato butter sauce is the kind of pasta dinner that sounds fancy but actually comes together fast and easy. Juicy shrimp, tender rigatoni and a silky tomato butter sauce make every bite rich, comforting and delicious. It's a simple weeknight recipe that tastes like something you would order at your favorite Italian spot.
So I was at a pretty nice restaurant and ordered something similar to this shrimp rigatoni with tomato butter sauce. I won't name the place, because somehow they overcooked the shrimp and it tasted like rubber. Granted, the restaurant is known for their meat not seafood, but overcooked shrimp? Really? So I went home and made my own. And now I want to share it with you too! It's sooooo good, just don't overcook the shrimp. Cook the shrimp just until they turn opaque and pink, and not a second longer!
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Ingredients
- Rigatoni
- Shrimp
- Canned, whole tomatoes
- Onion
- Salted butter
- Salt
- Optional: fresh garlic, bread dipping seasoning, parmesan cheese and/or fresh basil.
Substitutions and variations
- Gluten free - use a gluten free rigatoni to make this recipe gluten free.
- Pasta sauce - the tomato butter sauce is pretty quick and easy, but maybe you just don't want to make a pasta sauce from scratch? That's ok! Just substitute 28 ounces of your favorite jarred sauce instead.
Equipment
To make this recipe in the quickest way, you'll need multiple pots and pans. One pan to cook the sauce, one pot to cook the pasta and another pan for the shrimp.
Storage
Store leftover shrimp rigatoni in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days.
Next Level Tips
- Always choose your pasta wisely. There is a time for fresh pasta and a time for dried pasta. Personally, I don't have time to make rigatoni from scratch, and it's not usually a pasta that's available freshly made. But I do try to buy a high quality, locally made dried pasta when I'm cooking for important friends and family.
- Not everyone is going to love the simplicity of a four ingredient pasta sauce. If you want additional depth of flavor, you can add two garlic cloves while the butter is melting, add two or more teaspoons of bread dipping seasoning with the tomatoes, slice and add back the onions instead of discarding them, top with finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano, garnish with thinly sliced basil or all of the above!
- Speaking of the onions, they are so, so good! As written, the recipe says to discard them, but...don't do it! I either eat them straight as I'm plating this dinner, or cut them in long slices and add them to the dish. They are too good to discard!
FAQ
Tomato butter sauce is a simple tomato sauce introduced by Marcella Hazan, a chef and cookbook author widely known for bringing Italian recipes, techniques and cooking methods to English speakers through her cookbooks. I first learned about her while researching tomato butter sauce. After ordering the dish with tomato butter sauce at a restaurant, I was curious whether it was an actual real dish beyond that restaurant. It turns out that it is, although I never came across her original recipe.
Instead, I read through many recipes that reproduce or adapt her tomato butter sauce. Most make small tweaks to the original, just as I have. Hazan's version reportedly used only three ingredients: tomatoes, butter and onion. For my version, I added salt and shortened the cooking time to better suit more modern cooking preferences. I've also included a few optional additions in the Next Level Tips section above for those who want to experiment with extra flavor.
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with shrimp rigatoni:
Shrimp Rigatoni with Tomato Butter Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rigatoni
- 1 pound shrimp thawed, deveined and peeled
- 1 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion halved
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ - ½ cup Parmigiana Reggiano, finely grated optional
Instructions
- Start the sauce first so it has the most time to cook. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the butter and halved onion. Cook until the butter melts.
- Add the salt and tomatoes. Smash the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon. Once the tomatoes start bubbling, reduce the heat to medium low. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally until the pasta and shrimp are ready.
- Start heating a pot of water for the pasta.
- Cook the rigatoni according to the package instructions, typically 8-11 minutes, until al dente or slightly softer.
- Remove the onion from the tomato sauce and discard. Add the cooked pasta to the tomato sauce and turn the heat to low.
- Meanwhile, pat the thawed shrimp dry.
- Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add a tablespoon of olive oil and swirl it around. Add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook for 2 minutes on the first side. Flip and cook 1 to 3 minutes on the second side, just until the shrimp turn opaque and pink. Immediately remove the shrimp from the pan to prevent overcooking and add them to the tomato butter sauce with the pasta.
- Stir until the rigatoni, shrimp and tomato butter sauce are all evenly combined. If desired, garnish with optional ¼ cup to ½ cup of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and thinly sliced fresh basil. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
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