Go Back
–+ servings
Square overhead shot of a bowl of shrimp pesto pasta on a white table.
Print Pin

Shrimp Pesto Pasta

An easy pesto shrimp pasta recipe comes together in about 30 minutes with just a handful of basic ingredients!
Course Dinner
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword pesto shrimp pasta, shrimp and pesto pasta, shrimp pasta with pesto sauce, shrimp pesto pasta
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 502kcal
Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

  • 1 (16 ounce) package spaghetti (or sub with linguine or fettuccine)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined (I use Jumbo or extra larger shrimp, but any size is fine)
  • 1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning (or sub with Italian seasoning and kosher salt)
  • ¾ cup prepared basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)
  • 1 tablespoon salted butter
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • Optional garnish: grated Parmesan cheese; chopped fresh parsley or basil; a squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water according to the package directions for al dente. Reserve about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water; drain off the rest.
    Boiled spaghetti draining in a colander.
  • While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp; sprinkle with the all-purpose seasoning blend and ground black pepper to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp turn pink and opaque, about 3 minutes for jumbo shrimp or less if the shrimp are smaller. Remove from the heat.
    Sauteed shrimp in a pot with seasoning.
  • Add the drained pasta, pesto, butter, and ¼ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to the pan with the shrimp. Cook over low heat, tossing gently, just until the butter melts and the ingredients come together, about 1-2 minutes. Add more pasta water, as needed, to thin the sauce.
    Process shot showing how to make shrimp pesto pasta in a Dutch oven.
  • Garnish with grated Parmesan, chopped fresh herbs, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, if desired.
    Square side shot of pesto shrimp pasta in a white serving bowl.

Notes

Our all-purpose seasoning blend (or "house seasoning") is a combination of equal parts garlic powder, kosher salt, dried parsley flakes, dried minced onion, and dried basil. If you don't want to stir together a larger batch of this seasoning blend, you can substitute with Italian seasoning and some kosher salt for this recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the recipe | Calories: 502kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 787mg | Potassium: 369mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 683IU | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 2mg