Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta Recipe
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Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta features perfectly cooked shrimp and tender noodles that are tossed in a creamy sauce made with Thai sweet chili sauce, lime juice, heavy cream, and sriracha.
This recipe for bang bang shrimp pasta is inspired by the iconic Bonefish Grill and Cheesecake Factory dishes I grew up eating. It’s something the whole family will love.
BEST Recipe for Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta
Made with fettuccini, jumbo shrimp, and a simple homemade bang bang sauce, this pasta dish provides the perfect kick without it being overwhelming. It’s a great recipe for busy nights.
If you’re a big fan of shrimp like I am, you’ll want to give these Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos and these Drunken Tequila Lime Shrimp a try next time.
You may have had the famous Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer from Bonefish Grill (try my copycat recipe Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp!) and you may have prepared my homemade Bang Bang shrimp tacos, but have you indulged in Bang Bang Shrimp pasta?
If not, you are in for a real treat!
Bang Bang Shrimp and Pasta Ingredients
Pasta. For this recipe, I used fettuccine pasta. When preparing a nice dinner at home, I like using long-cut pasta. If you can’t find or don’t have fettuccine, spaghetti noodles are a great substitute. Any long noodle will work, but I don’t recommend angel hair pasta because the noodles are too fine to handle the creamy sauce.
Now, if you are serving this at a party or bringing it for a pot-luck, I would recommend swapping out the pasta and using a short-cut pasta like rigatoni, farfalle, orecchiette, or penne because it’s easier to serve.
Shrimp. You will need about 20 jumbo deveined shrimp. However, if you are using medium shrimp, or smaller raw shrimp, you can use more to guarantee a shrimpy bite every time!
Shrimp seasoning. Tasty and simple, the shrimp is seasoned with two pantry staples, paprika, and garlic powder.
For cooking shrimp. To cook the shrimp, grab some of your favorite butter (or olive oil) and mince fresh garlic cloves or if you’re feeling lazy you can use minced garlic from a jar.
Bang bang pasta sauce. The sauce ingredients are simple. All you will need is heavy whipping cream, Thai sweet chili sauce, Sriracha sauce, and fresh ginger.
Garnish. Before serving, squeeze fresh lime juice over the top of the shrimp and pasta and garnish with sliced green onion. You can also finish the pasta with black pepper, red pepper flakes, or fresh parsley.
How to Make Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta
1. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta al dente according to package instructions.
2. Season and cook shrimp. Clean the shrimp (I have a post all about how to do this here: How to Clean Shrimp). Season the shrimp with paprika and garlic powder. In a large skillet set over medium or heat, melt the butter. Add the seasoned shrimp and minced garlic to the pan and cook about 2-3 minutes per side, or until just cooked through.
They will turn pink and look opaque when ready. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and set it aside.
3. Make the bang bang sauce. Add the heavy cream, Thai chili sauce, ginger, Sriracha, and salt to the skillet and whisk until fully combined. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken.
4. Prepare the pasta. Drain the cooked pasta (reserving 1 cup of pasta water) and add it to the pan with the sauce. Slowly pour in some of the reserved pasta water (I use about 1/4 cup) and toss until pasta is coated evenly with sauce.
5. Add shrimp and serve. Add the shrimp back into the pan and toss lightly to coat the shrimp. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the pasta and shrimp and garnish with sliced green onions.
What to Serve with Bang Bang Shrimp and Pasta
I like to serve a vegetable with my pasta to balance everything out. Garlic Lemon Sautéed Green Beans, Air Fryer Broccoli, or Baby Bok Choy are delicious with this pasta recipe, but if you need more options, look at my favorite 20+ Air Fryer Vegetables!
Or if you’re wanting to make this a more cozy dish, consider making one of these 25 Easy Homemade Bread Recipes to scoop up all the leftover sauce. Garlic bread is my favorite to serve with this fantastic recipe!
Bang Bang Shrimp with Pasta Storage
You can transfer cooled leftover shrimp pasta to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
It can also be frozen if you need to keep it around longer than that, but I don’t recommend it as freezing and thawing can result in a bit of a grainy texture and alter the flavors.
Bang Bang Shrimp Recipe Pasta FAQs
Traditionally, Bang Bang sauce comes together with just 3 staple ingredients; mayonnaise (or plain Greek yogurt), Thai sweet chili sauce, and sriracha sauce.
Sometimes you may see an added 4th ingredient – red chili flakes. Some people like adding red chili flakes or red pepper flakes for added heat! Another way to kick up the heat is by adding your favorite hot sauce to the mix.
Depending on how the Bang Bang shrimp are prepared, they might be gluten free!
The shrimp in this recipe are gluten free. However, you might find some other shrimp recipes that are not due to the breadcrumbs. If you’re making them at home, you can always use gluten free panko or pork panko to make them gluten free.
Absolutely! When you make you make Bang Bang shrimp in the air fryer, you get that crispy and crunchy bite every time, and mixed with the spicy sauce, it is everything!
To do so, preheat your air fryer, bread your shrimp, and cook at 400 degrees for about 5-8 minutes. I recommend checking out my bang bang shrimp recipe for more details, tips, and tricks!
More pasta recipes
These are some of my favorite pasta recipes that can be served as main courses:
- Creamy Mushroom Pasta
- Creamy Pumpkin Pasta
- Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad
- One Pan Garlic Shrimp Spaghetti
- Tomato Ricotta Pesto Pasta
- Pasta with Lobster Sauce
Did you make this recipe? Post a photo on Instagram and tag me @JZEATS or #JZEATS so I can see! Leave a comment below and let me know what you think, too!
Bang Bang Shrimp and Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb fettucine, cooked al dente according to package directions
- 1/2 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, about 20
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1/4 cup Sriracha sauce
- 1/2 lime, juice
- sliced green onions, to garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta al dente according to package instructions.
- Season the shrimp with paprika and garlic powder.
- In a large skillet set over medium heat, melt the butter. Add seasoned shrimp and minced garlic to the pan and cook about 2-3 minutes per side, or until just cooked through. They will turn pink and look opaque when ready. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.
- Add the heavy cream, Thai chili sauce, ginger, Sriracha and salt to the skillet and whisk until fully combined. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Drain the pasta (reserving 1 cup of pasta water) and add it to the pan with the sauce. Slowly pour in some of the reserved pasta water (I use about 1/4 cup) and toss until pasta is coated evenly with sauce.
- Add the shrimp to the pan and toss lightly to coat the shrimp. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the pasta and shrimp and garnish with sliced green onions.
