Recipe: Easy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

Sheela Prakash
Sheela PrakashSenior Contributing Food Editor
Sheela is the Senior Contributing Food Editor at Kitchn and the author of Mediterranean Every Day: Simple, Inspired Recipes for Feel-Good Food. She received her master's degree from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy and is also a Registered Dietitian.
updated May 1, 2019
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Credit: Joe Lingeman

A lightened-up take on Bonefish Grill's famous Bang Bang Shrimp, tossed with pasta to make a crowd-pleasing dinner.

Serves4

Prep10 minutes

Cook20 minutes to 25 minutes

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(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

If your weeknight pasta routine has become, well, routine, consider adding this flavorful shrimp dish to the roster. Inspired by Bonefish Grill’s cult-favorite Bang Bang shrimp — beloved for its creamy, sweet, and spicy chili sauce — this recipe is cheaper than dining out, better for you than takeout, and simple enough for even the busiest of nights.

A Lighter Take on Bang Bang Shrimp

While Bonefish Grill’s Bang Bang Shrimp is obsession-worthy, it’s definitely more of a special-occasion dish. The shrimp is deep-fried and tossed in a rich mayo-based sauce — no wonder it’s so good! To lighten it up, we swapped the mayo for Greek yogurt and ditched the deep-fry. Instead, the shrimp are roasted on a sheet pan, but you still get all the crunch from a big handful of toasted, seasoned breadcrumbs that are sprinkled on top.

While the shrimp is usually served alone as an appetizer, we opted to toss it with spaghetti and call it dinner, since the creamy sauce is too good not to turn into a pasta sauce. Oh, and while many copycat recipes call for a couple of different Asian chili sauces — often Sriracha and Thai sweet chili sauce — we opted for just chili-garlic sauce, which has the heat of Sriracha and flavor of sweet chili sauce.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Easy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

A lightened-up take on Bonefish Grill's famous Bang Bang Shrimp, tossed with pasta to make a crowd-pleasing dinner.

Prep time 10 minutes

Cook time 20 minutes to 25 minutes

Serves 4

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

For the crispy breadcrumbs:

  • 1 tablespoon

    unsalted butter

  • 1/2 cup

    fresh or panko breadcrumbs

  • 1/8 teaspoon

    kosher salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon

    freshly ground black pepper

  • Pinch cayenne pepper

  • Pinch garlic powder

For the shrimp pasta:

  • Cooking spray

  • 1/2 cup

    whole-milk plain Greek yogurt

  • 2 tablespoons

    Asian chili-garlic sauce, such as sambal oelek

  • 1 teaspoon

    honey

  • 1/4 teaspoon

    garlic powder

  • Juice of 2 medium limes (about 1/4 cup), divided

  • 12 ounces

    dry spaghetti

  • 1 pound

    uncooked peeled and deveined medium shrimp

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water

  • 1/4 teaspoon

    freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/8 teaspoon

    cayenne pepper

  • 2

    medium scallions, thinly sliced, divided

Instructions

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Make the crispy breadcrumbs:

  1. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Cook, stirring constantly, until golden, crispy, and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes; set aside.

Make the shrimp pasta:

  1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside.

  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk the yogurt, chili-garlic sauce, honey, garlic powder, and half of the lime juice together in a small bowl; set aside.

  3. When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes or according to package instructions. Meanwhile, pat the shrimp dry and place on the prepared baking sheet. Season with the salt, black pepper, and cayenne and stir to coat. Spread into an even layer. Roast until the shrimp are opaque and pink, stirring once halfway through, 6 to 8 minutes total. Drizzle the remaining lime juice over the shrimp and toss to coat, scraping up any flavorful bits on the baking sheet.

  4. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Pour in the yogurt sauce and toss to evenly coat the pasta. Add the shrimp and any juices from the baking sheet, along with half of the scallions, and gently toss again. Generously sprinkle each serving with the crispy breadcrumbs and remaining scallions. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead: The sauce can be made up to 1 day in advance and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.