Binagoongan with rice is already a great idea. Binagoongan with shrimp and pasta? An even better idea. It's nothing complicated really — just throw garlic, shrimp, cherry tomatoes, fried eggplant, and bagoong in a pan. Any pasta shape works, but a long one lets you get a bit of everything in each bite, and the sauce clings to the noodles well.
Eggplant is non-negotiable here. It belongs in any binagoongan dish, no debate. Using cherry tomatoes makes all the difference too — they blister in the pan and burst when you bite into them, giving you little pockets of freshness throughout. Trust us on this one.
The bagoong does a lot of the heavy lifting so make sure to choose the right one. You want something balanced — not too salty, not too sweet. We're big fans of Barrio Fiesta Garlic Bits Bagoong for this one. Need help deciding? Pepper's Best Bagoong Tier List has you covered.
Prep shrimp: Peel and devein shrimp. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside. (You can save the heads and shells for stock.)
Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a generous pinch of salt. Add pasta and cook 3 minutes less than the package instructions. Before draining, scoop out at least ½ cup of pasta water. Drain, then toss with a drizzle of olive oil to keep it from clumping.
Sauté aromatics: Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until just starting to turn golden, about 1 minute.
Cook shrimp: Add shrimp in a single layer. Let them sear undisturbed for about 1 minute, then flip when curled and change color to a light orange color.
Build sauce: Add bagoong and cherry tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes blister and start to break down, about 3–4 minutes.
Finish pasta: Add the drained pasta directly into the pan. Toss to coat, adding pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce clings to the noodles. Adjust with more bagoong, salt, and pepper to taste.
