This bang bang shrimp pasta features spaghetti noodles, tasty shrimp, and a wonderfully savory and creamy sauce! Your entire family will love this dish so much that it will find a spot on your weekly dinner rotation. Plus, it is on the table and ready to enjoy in just 20 minutes!
Best Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta Recipe
Deliciously creamy and oh-so-flavorful pasta (don't skip the lime zest) topped with plump shrimp and a pinch of your favorite flavors for garnish! It's a perfect seafood dinner!
It's easy to see why this creamy pasta dish is such a hit. Simply combine tangy bang bang shrimp and sauce with some pasta for a quick 20-minute dinner! Substitute chicken for another scrumptious variation that the whole family will adore!
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🥘 Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta Ingredients
You can really use any of your favorite pasta varieties for this easy dish, although spaghetti is the classic choice! You can choose your favorite shrimp size as well!
- Pasta - 8 ounces of angel hair pasta or spaghetti. Go ahead and cook, drain, and rinse it.
- Shrimp - 8 ounces of shrimp that have been peeled and deveined. Fresh or frozen will work!
- Oil - 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).
- Garlic - 1 tablespoon of minced garlic.
- Paprika - 1 teaspoon of paprika.
- Mayonnaise - ½ cup of mayonnaise.
- Thai Sweet Chili Sauce - ¼ cup of Thai sweet chili sauce.
- Lime Juice - 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Use freshly squeezed for the best flavor! Reserve the zest from the lime as well.
- Sriracha - 1 teaspoon of sriracha sauce.
- Honey - 2 teaspoons of honey.
- Red Pepper Flakes (optional) - ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta
Nothing is more simple than this flavorful pasta dish! Simply grab a small mixing bowl and a skillet and you are ready to begin!
You can get 6 servings out of this recipe, but you can stretch it even further if you serve it alongside some oven garlic bread!
- Prepare pasta. Cook the 8 ounces of pasta according to the boxed directions. Drain and rinse, and coat with a bit of olive oil if desired. Set aside.
- Make the sauce. In a bowl, whisk or stir together the sauce ingredients: ½ cup of mayonnaise, ¼ cup of Thai sweet chili sauce, 1 teaspoon portion of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, 1 teaspoon of sriracha, 2 teaspoons of honey, and the optional ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside.
- Cook the shrimp. Bring a large skillet or frying pan to medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the second ½ tablespoon portion of minced garlic, and the 8 ounces of shrimp. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, then 1 teaspoon of paprika. Cook the shrimp until pink, about 3-4 minutes. Then, remove the shrimp to a plate, and set aside.
- Heat the sauce. Next, add the prepared sauce to your skillet or frying pan and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir the sauce in the pan, picking up all of the pan drippings and flavor of the cooked shrimp.
- Combine all of the elements. Add the cooked pasta, toss to coat evenly with the sauce then add the shrimp and toss as well. Garnish with lime zest, Parmesan cheese, additional crushed red pepper flakes, or sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
This simple dinner tastes fantastic as it is, but it is also easy to enhance with some complimentary appetizers! For a full-course meal add on some cream cheese stuffed mushrooms! Enjoy!
💭 Tips & Notes
- You can adjust the heat of this dish by adding, reducing (or omitting) the crushed red pepper flakes or sriracha!
- I enjoy using medium-sized shrimp for this recipe, but any size will work.
- To store: Place leftovers into a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: Either heat your leftovers with small bursts in the microwave or on the stove over medium-low heat.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Bang bang sauce is typically made of mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha! I, however, enjoy adding lime juice, zest, red pepper flakes, and honey!
You sure can! Fresh or frozen shrimp will work perfectly fine for this recipe. To thaw out your shrimp extra fast, just place it in a bowl of cold water for about 20 minutes.
This is a personal preference. Leaving the tails on the shrimp adds a nice presentation and overall look to the dish. However, it is completely okay if you want to remove them beforehand!
🍝 Easy Pasta Recipes
- Garlic Parmesan Angel Hair Pasta - This incredibly easy dish can be enjoyed as is or you can mix in any of your favorite ingredients!
- Bechamel Pasta Bake - This delicious casserole features rigatoni, ground beef, and tasty bechamel sauce!
- Tuna Noodle Casserole - This comforting and hearty casserole is a family favorite!
- Spaghetti Bolognese - Is there anything more classic than this spaghetti and meat sauce?
- Baked Spaghetti & Meatballs - Add a twist to your standard spaghetti dish by baking it in the oven!
- Grilled Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo - This is a classic Italian dish that is kid-friendly and easy to whip up!
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📖 Recipe Card
Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz angel hair pasta (or spaghetti - cooked, drained, and rinsed)
- 8 oz shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced - divided ½ tablespoon and 1 teaspoon portions)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoon lime juice (fresh squeezed is best, zest the lime first)
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
- 2 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, but recommended)
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to boxed directions. Drain and rinse, coat with a bit of olive oil if desired. Set aside.
- Whisk or stir together sauce ingredients: mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce, 1 teaspoon portion of minced garlic, lime juice, sriracha, honey and crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside.
- Bring a large skillet or frying pan to medium high heat, add the olive oil, second ½ tablespoon portion of minced garlic, and the shrimp. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, then paprika. Cook the shrimp until pink, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the shrimp to a plate, set aside.
- Add the sauce to your skillet or frying pan and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir the sauce in the pan, picking up all of the pan drippings and flavor of the cooked shrimp.
- Add the cooked pasta, toss to coat evenly with the sauce then add the shrimp and toss as well. Garnish with lime zest, Parmesan cheese, additional crushed red pepper flakes, or sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can adjust the heat of this dish by adding, reducing (or omitting) the crushed red pepper flakes or sriracha!
- I enjoy using medium-sized shrimp for this recipe, but any size will work.
- To store: Place leftovers into a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: Either heat your leftovers with small bursts in the microwave or on the stove over medium-low heat.
Mary Sevilla says
This recipe has just the amount of kick making it just perfectly delicious ❤️Yummy
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Thank you very much Mary! It's wonderful to hear that you enjoyed the shrimp pasta!
Barbara says
I cooked this last night for supper and there was none left
It was very good.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hi Barbara, that's exactly what happens here in my home too! So glad you enjoyed the pasta dinner!