30-Minute Shrimp Pesto Pasta

shrimp pesto pasta with pine nuts - in a cast iron skillet.

30-Minute Shrimp Pesto Pasta

Shrimp pesto pasta is a restaurant-quality homemade meal ready in just 30 minutes. This simple and quick Italian-inspired dinner is made with homemade basil pesto or store-bought pesto and is sure to become a family favorite. The shrimp is super flavorful thanks to smoked paprika, garlic, and lemon juice. Top the pasta with toasted pine nuts.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword shrimp pesto pasta

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 532kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

Pasta

8 oz pasta pappardelle, fettuccine, spaghetti, etc

Seared shrimp

1 lb raw shrimp peeled and deveined large (16 or 20 count per 1 pound of shrimp)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic minced

Basil pesto

⅓ cup basil pesto
⅓ cup pine nuts toasted (optional)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions (usually about 10 or 12 minutes). Drain.
Proceed with the recipe while the pasta is cooking.

Cook the shrimp

This recipe uses 1 lb of large raw shrimp (peeled and deveined) which usually means 16 or 20 count. Season the shrimp with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat in a large skillet. Add shrimp and minced garlic and cook for about 3 minutes on each side until it's cooked through but not overcooked.
Make sure the shrimp are not overcrowded to avoid steaming. You might have to work in batches. Remove from heat. Remove shrimp to a plate.

Assembly

Add cooked and drained pasta and basil pesto, to the same, now empty, skillet that you used to sear shrimp. Stir gently and bring to a simmer for a couple of minutes to coat pasta with sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
Add freshly squeezed lemon juice (add just 1 tablespoon first, taste, and then add more if needed).
Add seared shrimp.
Top with toasted pine nuts (optional).
Season with extra salt and pepper or add crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.

Notes

Add extra toppings, such as lightly toasted pine nuts, freshly grated Parmesan, Asiago, or Romano cheese, fresh basil, and other fresh herbs.
Toasted pine nuts. Toast them lightly in the preheated oven at 350 F for about 5 minutes or just a couple of minutes more. Watch carefully as these expensive nuts burn quickly!
Store-bought basil pesto. When buying pesto at the grocery store, I usually buy the refrigerated pesto, Buitoni brand. I also love the refrigerated basil pesto sold at Whole Foods.
Make basil pesto from scratch. Even though the store-bought pesto works really well in pasta recipes, I have an easy and delicious recipe for the best homemade basil pesto made from scratch. Just scroll up above the recipe card and you will find it! Or here is a really detailed recipe for how to make basil pesto from scratch.
Adjust the amount of basil pesto. This recipe uses ⅓ cup of pesto. Feel free to add extra tablespoons of pesto to your taste.
Add veggies. I recommend cherry tomatoes, spinach, arugula, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, or mushrooms.
Add red pepper flakes to add heat.
Adjust seasonings. Even though the basil pesto tends to be salty, do taste the final dish before serving and season it with extra salt and pepper, if needed.

Nutrition