Coconut Shrimp Pasta
This easy recipe for toasted coconut shrimp pasta is a little bit sweet, a little bit spicy, and a whole lot of delicious. The perfect easy seafood supper!
have always been powerless against coconut shrimp on a restaurant menu. That crispy, slightly sweet coating paired with tender shrimp gets me every single time! 🥰
So naturally, I decided to turn all that coconut-shrimp deliciousness into a pasta supper. This speedy recipe combines creamy coconut milk, fresh lime juice and a gentle sprinkle of red pepper into a light, silky sauce for shrimp and linguine.
Finish it with toasted coconut and chopped scallions, and in about 25 minutes you have a restaurant-worthy seafood supper—no reservation needed!
🔎 A quick look at this recipe
- What It Is: Tender shrimp and linguine tossed in a creamy coconut-lime sauce and topped with toasted coconut
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Servings: 4 servings Calories: 579 calories
- Cooking Method: Stovetop
- Good For: Quick weeknight dinners and easy seafood suppers
Jump to:
- 🔎 A quick look at this recipe
- ⭐️ Why this recipe works
- 🥥 What is coconut milk?
- 🍤 Ingredients you need
- 📝 Ingredient notes
- 💡 Ingredient substitution ideas
- 👩🏻🍳 How to make this recipe
- 🧐 Recipe FAQs
- 🥣 Equipment we used for this recipe
- 🍽️ What to serve with this recipe
- Coconut Shrimp Pasta
- Variations on this recipe
- 😍 Other shrimp pasta recipes we love!
- We want to know what you think! 🤔
- 🥣 Come on into our kitchen!
⭐️ Why this recipe works
- 🥥 Creamy coconut milk makes a silky sauce without any heavy cream.
- 🍋🟩 Fresh lime juice and zest balance the coconut with a bright, tangy flavor.
- 🍤 Tender shrimp cook in minutes, keeping this an easy 25-minute supper.
- 🔥 A touch of red pepper adds gentle warmth without making the dish overly spicy.
- ✨ Toasted coconut and scallions add a delicious mix of crunch, color and fresh flavor.
🥥 What is coconut milk?
Even though it looks like a glass of regular old milk, coconut milk is made by pureeing up the insides of a coconut, adding water and then straining it so that it is nice and smooth.
Now, you are also going to find “light” coconut milk next to the regular coconut milk (which is usually in the International Foods aisle of your supermarket) which is regular coconut milk with more water.
We love how it gives a smooth and silky texture to this sauce (and we love it in this recipe for coconut oatmeal too!).
🍤 Ingredients you need
📝 Ingredient notes
- Coconut Milk: Use canned coconut milk, not the refrigerated coconut milk beverage. Full-fat will make the richest sauce, but light coconut milk will also work.
- Coconut: We like sweetened flaked coconut, but unsweetened coconut is also delicious. Watch it carefully while toasting—it can go from golden to burned quickly!
- Shrimp: We use extra-large shrimp, but any size will work. Fresh or frozen and thawed shrimp are both fine; just make sure they are peeled and deveined.
- Ground Red Pepper: This adds a gentle touch of heat. Use less or leave it out for a milder sauce, or add more if you like things spicy.
- Scallions: These add a mild onion flavor and a pop of color. Chopped fresh chives make a good substitute.
💡 Ingredient substitution ideas
Missing something or want to swap in something different? Check out the links below to find more ingredient substitution ideas. 👇🏻
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
👩🏻🍳 How to make this recipe
STEP 1: Cook pasta according to package directions in salted water. Drain and set aside.
STEP 2: Put some flaked coconut in a large skillet over medium high heat. Stir until the coconut flakes are starting to turn brown (watch them carefully!) and then pour into a small bowl and set aside.
STEP 3: Add some coconut milk, red pepper, chopped scallions and lime juice to the skillet over medium high heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
STEP 4: Add some peeled shrimp and cook until shrimp are just done, about another 2-3 minutes.
STEP 5: Add more scallions and the cooked pasta and toss until thoroughly coated with the sauce.
STEP 6: Divide your glorious pasta among plates, garnish with lime zest, toasted coconut and more scallions if you like and serve.
🧐 Recipe FAQs
Now, you don’t HAVE to take the vein (that dark line up the back of the shrimp) out, but lots of folks prefer their shrimpies that way. Pull off the shell by wiggling it apart at the bottom of the shrimp.
Once the shell is off, cut a shallow line along the top of the shrimp where the vein is, pull it out with the tip of the knife and…you’re done! Put the shrimp shells in a zippered plastic bag when you toss them out, because if they sit in your trash can for more than a few hours…well, I’ll let you use your imagination.
I am the self-appointed Queen Of Non-Spicy Things 👸🏻, so the red pepper in this recipe gives just a hint of spice. You can dial up the heat by adding a little more if you like! 🔥
You can definitely make the toasted coconut ahead of time, but everything else should be made right before you serve it up.
Pop your question in the Comments section under the recipe card and I will answer pronto!
🥣 Equipment we used for this recipe
These are some of my favorite kitchen tools! These are Amazon affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you buy through my links at no extra cost to you. (Which helps pay for all that bacon I keep buying! 😄) And I only share things I use and love. I’m so grateful for your support!
- Measuring Cup: We love these angled cups that show the measurements on both the inside and outside of the cup.
- Cutting Board: These sturdy, dishwasher-safe cutting boards come in all different sizes.
- Citrus Juicer: We love this handy juicer that catches every single seed.
- Food Scale: We use this for measuring everything from pasta to meat to flour.
- Large Pot: We have a lot of these but this is our fave!
- Large Skillet: We have a few of these in our cupboard but this is one of our faves.
- Measuring Spoons: These handy magnetic spoons are not on a ring, so you can just pick the one you need.
- Microplane Zester: This handy tool perfectly grates off the zest from lemons, oranges and limes. It’s also a handy tool for a quick grating of Parmesan cheese!
- Strainer: This classic version is just right for these potatoes and your favorite pasta recipe (one of ours is pasta with egg sauce!)
- Tongs: We have this essential kitchen tool in all sizes from short to extra long.
🍽️ What to serve with this recipe
We love adding a veggie or two to the side of this pasta recipe…maybe some whipped carrots or our favorite asparagus recipe. Or a salad tossed with this delectable bacon vinaigrette.
And how about some cheesecake brownies for dessert? (Yes please!)
Coconut Shrimp Pasta
This easy recipe for toasted coconut shrimp pasta is a little bit sweet, a little bit spicy, and a whole lot of delicious. The perfect easy seafood supper!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
-
8 ounces linguine
-
½ cup flaked coconut
-
1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
-
½ teaspoon ground red pepper
-
Juice and zest of 2 limes
-
2 scallions, chopped
-
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions in salted water. Drain and set aside.
- Place the flaked coconut in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the coconut begins to turn golden brown. Watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn! Transfer the toasted coconut to a small bowl and set aside.
- Add the coconut milk, ground red pepper, lime juice and half of the scallions to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until it is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and cook until they are pink and opaque, about 2–3 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining scallions. Add the cooked pasta and toss until it is thoroughly coated with the sauce.
- Divide the pasta among plates. Garnish with the lime zest, toasted coconut and additional scallions, if you like, and serve.
Notes
-
- Coconut Milk: Use canned coconut milk, not the refrigerated coconut milk beverage. Full-fat will make the richest sauce, but light coconut milk will also work.
- Coconut: We like sweetened flaked coconut, but unsweetened coconut is also delicious. Watch it carefully while toasting—it can go from golden to burned quickly!
- Shrimp: We use extra-large shrimp, but any size will work. Fresh or frozen and thawed shrimp are both fine; just make sure they are peeled and deveined.
- Ground Red Pepper: This adds a gentle touch of heat. Use less or leave it out for a milder sauce, or add more if you like things spicy.
- Scallions: These add a mild onion flavor and a pop of color. Chopped fresh chives make a good substitute.
Variations on this recipe
- Add some veggies: Stir in baby spinach, thawed peas or thinly sliced bell pepper for extra color and flavor.
- Turn up the heat: Add more ground red pepper or a squirt of sriracha to the coconut sauce.
- Change the pasta: Swap the linguine for spaghetti, fettuccine or your favorite short pasta.
- Make it gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta or rice noodles.
😍 Other shrimp pasta recipes we love!
We want to know what you think! 🤔
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below the recipe card.