Shrimp Pesto Pasta

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5 from 4 votes

Easy pesto shrimp pasta made with fresh homemade basil pesto and shrimp sauteed in garlic and olive oil.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Shawn Williams

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!

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