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Shrimp pesto pasta is a delicious and fresh-tasting pasta recipe made with sauteed garlicky shrimp. It’s an incredibly simple dish to pull together in 30 minutes and it tastes amazing thanks to freshly made homemade basil pesto.
Trust me when I tell you that your pesto pasta dinner is only going to turn out as good as your pesto. If you use store-bought or jarred pesto that’s been sitting on the shelves for months, this recipe is only going to disappoint you. Fresh homemade pesto will transform this dish into an authentic-feeling Italian dinner that’s exploding with flavor and color.
Looking for more delicious pesto recipes? Try my homemade pasta with pesto, chicken pesto pasta, pesto shrimp gnocchi, and my grilled pesto shrimp skewers! If you’re looking for a low-carb variation, try my pesto zucchini noodles!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Spaghetti or linguine: this is a matter of preference. This recipe works best with stringing pasta as opposed to tubular pasta.
- Large shrimp: peeled, deveined, and tails removed: removing the tails is optional, but it makes the eating experience that much better. Always remove the peel before cooking if intact.
- Basil pesto: I cannot stress enough the importance of making homemade pesto from scratch! Do not use dried basil for pesto! Always use fresh basil leaves. Save leftover pesto for smashed pesto potatoes or sweet potato breakfast boats.
- Crushed red pepper flakes: this is optional but adds flavor and very mild heat.
- Grated parmesan cheese: I always opt for freshly grated parmesan over pre-grated. It tastes better and it’s much fresher.
- Pine nuts: walnuts can be substituted for pine nuts. I prefer pine nuts, but walnuts work in a pinch. You can usually find pine nuts in the baking aisle with the other nuts. Omit for nut-free pesto!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities below.
Expert Tips
- Raw shrimp are best, however, if you use precooked, quickly reheat in the pan for 30 seconds per side. Overcooking will dry them out. Raw shrimp cook very quickly as well. If you overcook, they will be rubbery.
- Pesto is traditionally made in a food processor, however, I’ve been making it in a single-serve smoothie blender for a long time. The key is to pulse the blender to not over blend the pesto and turn it into slime. Shake the contents to help mix as needed.
- Pesto should be thick and slightly granular in appearance. If it’s too thick, add more olive oil to help thin it out a bit. Pesto can be adjusted in a bowl by simply stirring in extra olive oil.
- Always use extra virgin olive oil and fresh ingredients. Do not substitute canola or vegetable oil.
- If your pesto is too thin or runny and you’ve run out of fresh basil, you can add some baby spinach.
More Pesto Recipes
Enjoy this recipe? If you made this recipe, please leave a ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ star rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments!
Shrimp Pesto Pasta
Easy pesto shrimp pasta made with fresh homemade basil pesto and shrimp sauteed in garlic and olive oil.
Ingredients
- 8-10 ounces spaghetti or linguine
- 1 pound large shrimp (21-25), peeled, deveined, and tails removed
- 1-11/2 cups basil pesto
- 1/2 Lemon, juice squeezed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 2-3 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt, to taste
- fresh burrato, optional for topping
Basil pesto
- 3 cups basil leaves, loosely packed, about 2 ounces
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt, to taste
Instructions
For the pesto
- Wash the basil leaves and pat them dry gently. Remove any tough stems or brown spots. Combine all pesto ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend/pulse until mixed and smooth. Cover with plastic wrap seated directly on top of the surface to prevent browning/air exposure
For the shrimp pasta
- Optionally remove tails from the shrimp by pulling the tail off the base of the shrimp. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook pasta al dente, strain, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat oil over medium heat in a large pan or skillet. Add sliced garlic, optional red pepper flakes, and shrimp. Season shrimp all over with salt. Cook until shrimp is no longer translucent and fully cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.
- Remove from heat and squeeze juice of half a lemon over the shrimp. Add the pasta to the pan and toss to mix. Add basil pesto and toss until pasta is fully coated. Add more pesto as needed to cover. You may need to drizzle the pasta with extra olive oil to help spread the pesto.
- Serve immediately topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese or fresh burrata if desired.
Notes
Raw shrimp are best, however, if you use precooked, quickly reheat in the pan for 30 seconds per side. Overcooking will dry them out. Raw shrimp cook very quickly as well. If you overcook, they will be rubbery.
Pesto is traditionally made in a food processor, however, I’ve been making it in a single-serve smoothie blender for a long time. The key is to pulse the blender to not over blend the pesto and turn it into slime. Shake the contents to help mix as needed.
Pesto should be thick and slightly granular in appearance. If it’s too thick, add more olive oil to help thin it out a bit. Pesto can be adjusted in a bowl by simply stirring in extra olive oil.
Always use extra virgin olive oil and fresh ingredients. Do not substitute canola or vegetable oil.
Do not use dried basil! Always use fresh basil leaves.
If your pesto is too thin or runny and you’ve run out of fresh basil, you can add some baby spinach.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Adjust pesto with additional salt afterward. The salt helps to bring out the flavor and makes the pesto pop.
Fresh garlic is best, but you can substitute garlic powder.
Walnuts can be substituted for pine nuts. I prefer pine nuts, but walnuts work in a pinch. You can usually find pine nuts in the baking aisle with the other nuts. Omit for nut-free pesto!
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 503kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 28.9gFat: 27.8gSaturated Fat: 5.3gCholesterol: 178mgSodium: 545mgFiber: 1.3gSugar: 4.3g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Great recipe. Simple clean and delicious!
This is so good! I made pesto over the summer and froze it so that I can use it all year long! This is a quick and easy supper!
This was so good! I made the pesto the night before, so when it came to making the recipe, it came together very quickly. Will make again!
Just made this! My daughter and I made it together, it turned out great! My family really enjoyed it!.
I just made this last night. I made the pesto with fresh picked basil from our tower garden. Delicious! Next time I’d add some chopped tomatoes, but it was great as is. Thanks