GF Pasta with Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce and Shrimp is one of my favorite go-to meals to prepare for dinner. It is incredibly fast to prepare, there’s only 6 ingredients, and it is easy!!
I love to make this meal on a day that my daughter has ballet class because I know on those evenings, I have less than an hour to get dinner on the table.
First, get a pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. Salt the water, and cook 4-6 ounces of Gluten-Free pasta according to package instructions.
I start with a cold skillet and I put 4 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 cloves of garlic that have been thinly sliced. Then I turn the stove on low heat and let the garlic slowly infuse into the oil for 10 minutes. This is going to add a ton of flavor to this simple dish. Make sure that the heat is on a low setting or the garlic will burn and become bitter.
While the garlic infuses into the oil, I chop up 6-8 Roma tomatoes (plum tomatoes), and I chiffonade 6 leaves of basil. Chiffonade is a chopping technique in which herbs or leafy green vegetables (such as spinach and basil) are cut into long, thin strips. I stack the basil leaves on top of each other and roll them up like a cigar. Then when a sharp knife, I slice through the “cigar” making the basil into little ribbons.
When the garlic is fully infused into the oil, add the tomato and basil to the pan and cook on low for about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. The tomatoes will break down slightly and the sauce will be complete.
Now is the time to add a protein. I always go with shrimp, but grilled chicken would be really good with this. For shrimp, make sure it’s peeled and deveined, and you’ll simply cook it in the sauce for about 3 minutes, until shrimp are pink and opaque. I usually just eyeball the amount of shrimp I use, which for David and myself is about 7 each.
When the pasta is done cooking, add it to the pan and toss it.
*If you’re a dairy eater, I recommend Pecorino Romano cheese to be grated on the top of your dish, or Parmesan. Pecorino Romano is a hard, salty Italian cheese, made from sheep’s milk. It’s strong, stinky, and amazing!
Pasta with Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce and Shrimp
- 4 ounces Gluten-Free Pasta
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 6-8 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 4-6 basil leaves, chiffonade
- 15 shrimp (peeled and deveined), or 1 grilled chicken breast (sliced)
Cook GF pasta according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, starting in a cold skillet, infuse garlic in olive oil by cooking on a low setting for 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and basil. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
If using shrimp, cook for an 3 minutes or so in tomato sauce until they are cooked. Add pasta to sauce, serve and top with extra basil.
If using grilled chicken, simply add it to the top of the pasta dish when you serve it.
Happy cooking,
Laura
The Stay At Home Cook 