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 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 30 minutesminutes
Servings 4people
Calories 532kcal
Author Julia
Ingredients
Pasta
8ozpastapappardelle, fettuccine, spaghetti, etc
Seared shrimp
1lbraw shrimppeeled and deveined large (16 or 20 count per 1 pound of shrimp)
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.