Shrimp Pesto Pasta

This recent shrimp pesto pasta comes collectively in simply 20 minutes. Pan-seared shrimp, juicy grape tomatoes, and vivid basil pesto are tossed with scorching pasta for a easy, flavorful dinner you’ll love.

An overhead view of skillet of Shrimp Pesto Pasta garnished with lemon wedges and parmesan cheese

Taste: Juicy shrimp, vivid pesto, and calmly charred tomatoes make each chunk recent and flavorful.
Why It Works: Cooking the shrimp and tomatoes individually retains the shrimp tender whereas letting the tomatoes focus their sweetness with out watering down the sauce.
Approach: Blistering the tomatoes brings out their pure sweetness and provides depth, holding the flavors easy and recent.
Really useful Instruments: A large skillet to prepare dinner the shrimp, and a pot to prepare dinner the pasta.
Swaps: Use your favourite form of pasta or swap shrimp for hen, scallops, crab, or lobster.

Shrimp, oil, pesto, oregano, spaghetti, grape tomatoes, salt, and pepper with labels to make Shrimp Pesto Pasta

What You’ll Want:

Spaghetti: Use common or entire wheat spaghetti, or swap in any lengthy pasta like linguine, fettuccine, or tagliatelle.
Shrimp: Recent or frozen medium shrimp work finest. Purchase peeled and deveined to save lots of time, then thaw (if wanted) and pat dry for the most effective sear. Giant shrimp might have an additional 30 seconds per aspect.
Grape Tomatoes: Blister the tomatoes on excessive warmth for the sweetest, juiciest taste. Cherry tomatoes work too.
Pesto: Each homemade and store-bought pesto work. If utilizing store-bought, select one with actual basil and olive oil, and style first. Some manufacturers are salty, so you might not want additional salt.
Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan melts extra easily than pre-shredded and provides the most effective taste.
Seasonings: Salt, pepper, and dried oregano hold it easy. Add a pinch of pink pepper flakes for warmth (non-obligatory), and end with recent basil.

A skillet of cooked shrimp to make Shrimp Pesto Pasta

Burst cherry tomatoes cooking in a skillet to make Shrimp Pesto Pasta

From Begin to End

This recipe strikes shortly, so it helps to have all the things prepped earlier than you begin cooking.

Cook dinner pasta al dente (agency) and reserve somewhat pasta cooking water (to loosen the pesto if wanted).
Season shrimp, sear, and put aside (full recipe beneath).
Blister tomatoes, take away the pan from the warmth, then add pasta and toss with pesto.
Add shrimp again in and high with Parmesan and recent basil.

A skillet of Shrimp Pesto Pasta with some of the pasta wrapped around a fork

Pat the shrimp very dry earlier than searing so that they brown properly as a substitute of steaming.
Add the pesto when the pan is off the burner, in order that it retains its vivid and zesty coloration and taste.
In case your pesto is thick, skinny it with a tablespoon or two of heat pasta water earlier than tossing so it coats the pasta evenly.
It’s necessary to not overcook the shrimp. It solely wants a few minute per aspect. When the shrimp flip pink and curl right into a C form, they’re completed; take away them from the warmth instantly.

Leftovers Made Straightforward

For meal prep, you’ll want to retailer the shrimp individually in an hermetic container for as much as 4 days. Leftovers are nonetheless scrumptious saved collectively, too. Freezing isn’t really helpful.

Pesto could darken somewhat within the fridge, however the taste continues to be nice. Reheat over low warmth simply till warmed by, so the shrimp keep tender. Add a splash of water to loosen the pesto sauce.

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image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook dinner Time 15 minutes

Whole Time 25 minutes

Convey a big pot of salted water to a boil. Cook dinner spaghetti in keeping with bundle instructions till al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water and drain; put aside.
Whereas pasta is cooking, pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Season with oregano, salt, and pepper.
Warmth 1 tablespoon olive oil in a big skillet over medium-high warmth. Add shrimp in a single layer and prepare dinner 1–2 minutes per aspect or till vivid pink and simply cooked by. Switch to a plate and put aside.
In the identical skillet, scale back the warmth to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and grape tomatoes. Cook dinner till they start to blister and burst, stirring often, about 6-8 minutes.
Take away the skillet from the warmth and add 2 tablespoons pasta water. Scrape up any brown bits.
Add pasta, shrimp with any juices, and pesto. Toss properly to coat, including extra pasta water as wanted.
Style and season with further salt or pepper if wanted.
High with Parmesan and recent basil or a squeeze of lemon if desired.

Dry the shrimp properly so that they sear as a substitute of steaming, which releases juices as a substitute of holding them in.
Add the pesto after the pan is off the warmth to maintain its vivid style.
Cook dinner the shrimp a few minute per aspect and pull it off the warmth as quickly because it turns pink and curls right into a C form. An O form is overcooked.

Diet info offered is an estimate and can range primarily based on cooking strategies and types of components used.

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Entree, Pasta, Seafood

Delicacies American

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