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If you are a shrimp and pesto fan then this Shrimp Pesto Pasta will be one of your favorites! It is easy to make, packed with lean protein, and full of flavor. Best of all, it takes just about 30 minutes to put together.
You may also like my cajun shrimp pasta or my garlic shrimp pasta.
If you love shrimp and also love pasta, you are going to love this shrimp pasta recipe made with homemade pesto from scratch. It’s very flavorful, simple and easy to make, and ready in just 30 minutes. It is a complete meal that’s filling and you won’t need to worry about making any side dishes.
Tender shrimp with each bite, along with flavorful pesto pasta that will satisfy those taste buds. Make this pasta recipe any day of the week for a quick and simple dinner for the family to enjoy. If you don’t like shrimp or the kids won’t eat shrimp, you can easily swap it with chicken.
Summary
- Simple and Easy: This shrimp pesto pasta recipe is super easy to make. It is what I call a hassle-free dinner that’s filling and delicious. Shrimp cooks up fast and this pasta recipe can be ready in 30 minutes.
- Made with Homemade Pesto: Ditch the store-bought pesto that’s not too flavorful and make your pesto at home. I love this homemade pesto recipe. Yummy.
- Great for meal prep: If you meal prep, you may like this shrimp pasta dish. It can be enjoyed cold and can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Ingredients needed
Below is a list of ingredients you will need to make this dish. Full measurements are listed further down below in the recipe card.
- Pasta: You can use any shape of pasta or pasta of choice to make this pesto pasta. Consider using lentil or chickpea pasta.
- Salt and pepper
- Oil: I used olive oil but you may use any other oil like avocado oil
- Shrimp: Use raw shrimp instead of pre-cooked shrimp. If you don’t like shrimp you can swap it for any protein of choice. Chicken works great with this pesto pasta recipe.
- Lemon: If you don’t have any lemons, you may use lime.
For the homemade pesto
arugula – you need to use a leafy green. something like arugula, kale, or spinach.
spinach – two types of greens should be used, a combination of spinach and kale, or spinach and arugula, or arugula and kale. If you want to stick to using only one type it’s fine, I would prefer using spinach.
Basil – this ingredient is important when making homemade pesto. Please do not omit this ingredient. Use fresh basil and not dried basil.
garlic– I also recommend that you use fresh garlic and not garlic powder. It makes a huge difference with the flavor.
Pistachio: these are the nuts I chose to use for the pesto, but you can use other nuts like walnuts or pine nuts.
Parmesan cheese: This ingredient is also important. You may substitute it with romano cheese.
olive oil: what makes pesto sauce even more unique is the amount of olive oil that goes into it. Do not use another type of oil. If you only have avocado oil handy it will be a decent substitute.
lemon: use fresh lemons
How to make shrimp pesto pasta
To a small food processor, add all the pesto ingredients and process until smooth.
Bring a pot with salted water to a boil, and add the pasta. Cook following the package instructions, then drain. (you may reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta water at this point if needed)
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until pink and opaque. Squeeze over the lemon and remove from heat.
Once the pasta is done, add it over the shrimp together with the pistachio pesto. Toss well to coat. At this point, if you feel like the pasta looks dry, you may add in your reserved pasta water and mix again.
Serve immediately with lemon wedges, garnish with parmesan, and enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The pesto doesn’t need to be cooked. Once your pasta is fully cooked, you can add the pesto over it, toss and serve. A great tip is to reserve about 1/4-1/3 cup of the pasta water to mix it in with the pesto and pasta in case your pest is a bit dry. The pasta water will help the pesto sauce stick better to the pasta.
Technically, it is better to add the pesto over cold pasta so it doesn’t change color. This is why it is not recommended to cook the pesto. You can certainly add pesto to warm pasta
You do not need to cook pesto whether it is from a jar or homemade.
The key is to use some of the pasta water. Don’t drain all of the pasta water and save some. The pasta water makes the oils from the pesto stick to the pasta better. It is a great technique.
You may also like
- Lemon and Parmesan Chicken Orzo Soup
- Easy Garlic Shrimp Pasta
- Cajun Shrimp Recipe
- White Bean and Tuna Salad
- White Bean and Kale Soup
- Air Fryer Parmesan Zucchini Fries
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Shrimp Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta
- Salt and ground pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 large lemon
For the pesto:
- 2 cups arugula, or kale, packed
- 1 cup baby spinach, packed
- 1/2 cup basil, packed
- 1-2 clove garlic
- ⅓ cup pistachio shelled
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more for garnish
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- salt and ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To a small food processor, add all the pesto ingredients and process until smooth. (2 cups arugula, 1 cup baby spinach, 1/2 cup basil, 1-2 clove garlic, ⅓ cup pistachio shelled, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1 lemon, and salt and ground pepper)
- Bring a pot with salted water to a boil, and add the 8 ounces pasta. Cook following the package instructions, then drain. (you may reserve about 1/3 cup of pasta water in case it's needed later)
- Meanwhile, heat the 1 teaspoon olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Season the 1 pound medium shrimp with Salt and ground pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until pink and opaque. Squeeze over the 1 large lemon and remove from heat.
- Once the pasta is done, add it over the shrimp together with the pistachio pesto. Toss well to coat. At this point, if you feel like the pasta looks dry, you may add in your reserved pasta water and mix again.
- Serve immediately with lemon wedges, garnish with parmesan and enjoy!
Notes
- Reserve some pasta water in case you need it at the end.
- If you don’t have pistachios, you may use walnuts or pine nuts
- Use fresh ingredients if possible. Fresh basil is essential
- If you don’t like shrimp, you may use chicken or any other protein instead.
- Use any pasta of choice: for healthier options, use lentil or chickpea pasta.
- Here is a shrimp pesto pasta recipe I made with zoodles.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It’s ok, It definitely has a “greenly” taste.. I think 1cup of arugula and 2cups of spinach- so the other way around. I’d do this again but with less arugula
This pesto sauce is a GAME CHANGER! I tried it last night for the family and we’re adopting your recipe, Dad’s on a different level now! Thank you for posting!
Thanks so much.