Shrimp Pesto Pasta

This recent shrimp pesto pasta comes collectively in simply 20 minutes. Pan-seared shrimp, juicy grape tomatoes, and shiny basil pesto are tossed with sizzling 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, shiny pesto, and calmly charred tomatoes make each chew 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, retaining the flavors easy and recent.
Advisable 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 avoid wasting time, then thaw (if wanted) and pat dry for the very best 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 could not want additional salt.
Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan melts extra easily than pre-shredded and offers the very best taste.
Seasonings: Salt, pepper, and dried oregano maintain 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 rapidly, so it helps to have every thing prepped earlier than you begin cooking.

Prepare dinner pasta al dente (agency) and reserve just a little 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 prime 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 in order 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 shiny and zesty colour 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 couple of minute per aspect. When the shrimp flip pink and curl right into a C form, they’re carried out; take away them from the warmth instantly.

Leftovers Made Straightforward

For meal prep, you should definitely retailer the shrimp individually in an hermetic container for as much as 4 days. Leftovers are nonetheless scrumptious saved collectively, too. Freezing isn’t advisable.

Pesto might darken just a little within the fridge, however the taste remains to be nice. Reheat over low warmth simply till warmed via, 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

Prepare dinner Time 15 minutes

Complete Time 25 minutes

Convey a big pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare dinner spaghetti in response to 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 shiny pink and simply cooked via. 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. Prepare dinner till they start to blister and burst, stirring sometimes, 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 effectively to coat, including extra pasta water as wanted.
Style and season with extra salt or pepper if wanted.
High with Parmesan and recent basil or a squeeze of lemon if desired.

Dry the shrimp effectively in order 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 shiny style.
Prepare dinner the shrimp a couple of 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 differ based mostly on cooking strategies and types of components used.

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Entree, Pasta, Seafood

Delicacies American

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