What do you crave when you only have to cook for yourself? For me – shrimp marinara – clean flavors, deeply satisfying, no negotiating dinner options, no extra sides, oh well maybe a slab of foccacia bread to mop that glossy sauce. Juicy prawn morsels, squidgy cherry tomatoes, and bursting with flavor from toasted fennel seeds, garlic, and basil.
What you’ll love about this recipe
I adapted this prawn marinara recipe years ago from a Carluccio’s menu because their portions had noticeably shrunk, and I wanted the generous, saucy version I remembered. It might not be perfectly traditional, but it’s the one I keep coming back to, and it’s the one I’ll “pass down” to our kids because it’s what we all came to love😍!
And if you want to stretch it, toss it with spaghetti or linguine, that sauce clings to every strand, just what Italian dreams are made of.
- One-pan, weeknight friendly: tomatoes will soften quick, and the shrimp finishes in minutes.
- Aromas you can’t ignore: the moment when fennel seeds and garlic hit the oil and your kitchen turns into an Italian restaurant.
- Flexible shrimp situation: works with raw shrimp or cooked frozen shrimp you’ve thawed.
- Bread or pasta friendly: mop with focaccia, or loosen with pasta water and toss with linguine.
- Elegant dinner party dish: I love this for a light quick dinner with friends, with a glass of something cold.
- Best solo dinner when you fancy a quiet night in (I’ve been known to cook it on a Friday).
Ingredients notes & swaps
- Shrimp (or prawns), raw or cooked
If using cooked frozen shrimp, thaw fully and pat dry. If raw, peel/devein as needed. - Fennel seeds
Toasting makes them sweeter and more fragrant. DO NOT SKIP! They really make this dish. - Garlic, minced
Keep it moving so it doesn’t brown. - Ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
Ripe tomatoes cook quickly. Swap: grape tomatoes, or chopped Roma tomatoes. - Olive oil
- Fresh basil (torn) or parsley (chopped)
- Optional: a pinch of chili flakes if you want a little heat.
- Optional: a small glass of white wine (for a bit of acidity) or a splash of water to loosen up the sauce.
How to make shrimp marinara
Time needed: 15 minutes
One-pan shrimp marinara with jammy cherry tomatoes, toasted fennel, garlic, and basil. Serve with focaccia or toss with linguine or spaghetti.
- Thaw and dry the shrimp
If using cooked frozen shrimp, thaw completely (I drain them well over a sieve), then pat very dry with paper towels. You want them to hit the pan and warm up, not leak water into the sauce.
- Soften the tomatoes
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until they’re slumped and jammy, but still holding some shape.
- Finish the sauce
Add the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and the fennel seeds. Let them sizzle about 1 minute, just until they smell fragrant and a shade darker. Stir in the minced garlic and cook 20 to 30 seconds. Keep it moving so it doesn’t brown. If it starts to catch, lower the heat. Add the wine if using, or a splash of water and stir through.
- Add the shrimp
Add the prawns and toss through the sauce.
Raw prawns: cook 2 to 3 minutes, turning, until pink and just opaque.
Cooked prawns: cook about 2 minutes, just until warmed through.
Season with salt and black pepper to taste. - Finish with herbs and serve
Turn off the heat. Tear basil over the top (or sprinkle parsley) and serve immediately with fresh foccacia to mop up that gorgeous sauce.
Pro Tips
- If the tomatoes are not ripe enough, add a little water to help them soften once they get a little caramelisation.
- In a pinch, you can add passata, but fresh ripe tomatoes really make a difference.
- Keep the shrimp dry and make sure it’s at room temperature when it goes in the pan, that way it cooks or warms up quickly without turning rubbery.
Nutritional benefits
A little gut-health note: tomatoes, herbs, and fennel seeds add plant variety, and serving this with a side salad or whole-grain pasta is an easy way to stack a few more plants into the week.
Servings
This recipe yields 2 portions, but double it easily for a small family.
serving ideas
- Mop with warm focaccia.
- Toss with linguine or spaghetti, then finish with extra basil
- If you love marinara sauce, you would also want to make my Wagyu meatballs with marinara sauce.
- If you want a plant-forward Italian inspired dinner, try my pesto ricotta pasta, it’s a fast weeknight herb-and-greens boost.
- Or for a more relaxed, slow dinner in, make my chicken and leek risotto (leeks count toward plant variety).
variations and substitutions
- Spicy shrimp marinara: add chili flakes with the fennel seeds.
- Briny: stir in a teaspoon of capers at the end.
- More veg: fold in a handful of baby spinach after the shrimp, just until it wilts.
- No basil: I love this recipe with parsley too, still fresh and fragrant, or try a pinch of dried oregano stirred in with the tomatoes.
Picture this: it’s Friday evening, you just want to relax with a delicious meal that you can stir in minutes while you sip a glass of something chilled. You crave Italian flavors, but you want them fast. This shrimp marinara gives you exactly that, jammy tomatoes, toasted fennel, garlicky oil, and basil that hits the heat and smells instantly fresh. Make it once, and it becomes one of those recipes you can do on autopilot, by smell and sizzle alone.
- If you make my recipe, take a snapshot for your Instagram
- Post and tag me @candyflossiecooks😉🤗!
- Don’t forget to rate my recipe! It will make my day!
recipe FAQ
Yes. Thaw completely, then pat very dry. Add them at the end for just a minute or two, until hot. Don’t let them simmer or they can turn rubbery.
It turns pink and opaque and curls into a loose “C.” As soon as that happens, pull it off the heat to avoid getting it rubbery.
A pinch of chili flakes for heat, or a little dried oregano.
Shrimp Marinara
Equipment
- Wide skillet or sauté pan
- Cutting board
- sharp knife
- wooden spoon
- Paper towels (to pat shrimp/prawns dry)
Ingredients
- 200 g shrimp prawns, raw or cooked (thawed if frozen)
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 200 g ripe cherry tomatoes halved
- 4 tbsp olive oil divided
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Large handful fresh basil torn or parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- If using frozen cooked shrimp, thaw fully. Pat shrimp very dry. If using raw shrimp, peel and devein as needed, then pat dry.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add halved tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Cook 6 to 8 minutes until softened and jammy, not mushy.200 g ripe cherry tomatoes, 4 tbsp olive oil, Salt and black pepper
- Push tomatoes aside. Add remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and fennel seeds. Toast 1 minute until fragrant.1 tbsp fennel seeds
- Add garlic and cook 15 to 30 seconds, stirring so it doesn’t brown.1 garlic clove
- Stir tomatoes back in and add shrimp. Cook raw shrimp 2 to 3 minutes until pink and opaque, or cooked shrimp 1 to 2 minutes until warmed through. Season to taste.200 g shrimp
- Turn off heat and scatter torn basil or chopped parsley over the top. Serve immediately.Large handful fresh basil
Notes
- Serving with pasta (linguine or spaghetti): Toss the sauce with hot pasta and a splash of pasta cooking water until it turns silky and coats each strand.
- Cooked shrimp only needs warming. Overcooking could make it rubbery.
