Some weeknights need one pan and not much thinking. This shrimp pasta is built for exactly that: farfalle and a skillet of vegetables, shrimp seared fast, and a bottle of Italian dressing standing in for a sauce you would otherwise have to make.
The shortcut here is the dressing. Bottled Italian dressing is already balanced, oil, vinegar, garlic, and herbs, so it works as an instant sauce the moment it hits hot pasta. There is no reduction to watch and no emulsion to break. You just toss.
The rest of the dish is about timing, not technique. Everything cooks in stages in the same skillet, vegetables first, then shrimp, so by the time the pasta joins them, nothing is overcooked and nothing is cold.
What You’re Learning
How bottled dressing can double as a sauce. Italian dressing already has the structure of a vinaigrette, oil, acid, garlic, herbs, so it does not need to be doctored. Adding it directly to hot pasta and vegetables lets the residual heat bloom the flavor without any extra cooking step.
How to sear shrimp without overcooking it. Shrimp goes from translucent to rubbery in under a minute past done. Cooking it in the same hot skillet as the vegetables, two to three minutes a side until it turns pink and opaque, keeps it quick enough that carryover heat does not push it past tender.
Ingredients
Serves 6. Broccoli and asparagus are both optional, use one, both, or neither depending on what is in the fridge.
- 16 ounces farfalle (butterfly pasta)
- 16 ounces peeled raw shrimp
- 1/2 to 1 cup Italian salad dressing (Good Seasons Italian Dressing works well)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 medium bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 cup broccoli florets, chopped (optional)
- 1 cup asparagus, cut into small pieces (optional)
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Method
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the farfalle until al dente, tender but still firm. Drain and set aside.
- Saute the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, garlic, and any of the broccoli or asparagus you are using. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but still crisp.
- Sear the shrimp. Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet. Add the shrimp to the open space and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until pink and opaque all the way through.
- Combine and serve. Add the cooked pasta, cherry tomatoes, spinach, and the Italian dressing directly to the skillet. Toss gently until everything is warm and coated. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Pull the shrimp as soon as they turn pink. They keep cooking briefly in the hot pan even off the heat, so slightly underdone in the skillet is exactly right.
- The broccoli and asparagus are both optional. Use one, use both, or skip them and lean on the bell pepper and onion instead.
- Bottled dressing is the point, not a shortcut to feel bad about. Good Seasons Italian is a reliable, widely available choice, but any Italian dressing you like will work.
- Toss the dressing in while everything is still hot. Warm pasta absorbs it far better than pasta that has cooled off.
- Leftovers keep for up to 3 days. Add a splash of fresh dressing when reheating, since the pasta soaks up more overnight.
- Swap the shrimp for chicken or chickpeas if you want a different protein. The technique, sear it separately, then toss with the pasta, stays the same.
