Shrimp pesto pasta is an impressively fast and easy dinner recipe! Cover the noodles in glistening green basil pesto for a meal that pleases everyone.

Here’s a fast and easy dinner recipe that’s always a hit in our house: shrimp pesto pasta! Sure, we eat mostly plant based around here. But when we spring for seafood, this is a top choice. Coat long noodles in silky basil pesto, then add juicy, succulent shrimp. Turns out, the garlicky pesto is the perfect pair for the savory pop of shrimp. Our 3 year old couldn’t get enough of this: which means it’s a keeper. It works just as well for dinner party as a weeknight meal. Here’s what you need to know!

Ingredients for shrimp pesto pasta

The great thing about this shrimp pesto pasta is that it only requires a handful of ingredients: even thought it looks impressive! As with any simple recipe: the better quality the ingredients, the better it tastes. Here are a few notes on what you’ll need:

Large shrimp: You can use tail on or off: tail on looks prettier, but it’s messier when you’re eating it. Fresh or frozen works (see the section below). Fish that is wild caught in your country is usually a sustainable choice. (There are also quality options in well-regulated farms; see Seafood Watch Consumer Guide.)
Basil pesto: Homemade is preferred, if you have fresh basil! If not, use best quality purchased pesto. See below for more about making pesto!
Pasta: You can use any type of pasta noodle: long or short! Our favorite is bucatini, which is like a hollow spaghetti. But you can use spaghetti, linguine, or even short cut like penne.
Olive oil
Spices: Smoked paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder add big flavor to the shrimp. Substitute standard paprika if you don’t have smoked, but we recommend smoked paprika.

Homemade pesto gives the best flavor

Homemade pesto gives the absolute best flavor to pesto pasta! If you have access to fresh basil, you’ll want to give this a go. The flavor is much fresher and more elevated than what you can find in the store. But we get it: fresh basil isn’t always available! In that case, go with your favorite purchased brand. Here are a few things to know about homemade pesto:

Traditional pesto uses pine nuts. They’re a little expensive, but worth the splurge. Try our Basil Pesto. Or try…
Cashews or walnuts are cheaper and just as good! It’s a nice way to economize and tastes fantastic. Try our Cashew Pesto or Walnut Pesto.
Need a dairy free pesto? Pesto has Parmesan cheese. Try this Vegan Pesto for a dairy-free version.

The secret to saucy shrimp pesto pasta

Ever combined pasta and pesto and it made a gummy, dry mess? Yes, it’s a thing. Because pesto has nuts and cheese, it can stick to the pasta instead of coating it. Don’t worry, there’s a trick for that! Here’s what to do:

Add pasta water! This is a common Italian technique for cooking pasta. Starchy pasta water makes incredible loose, beautiful sauces. Add this with the pesto and it turns into a slick sauce that perfectly coats the noodles.
Toss the noodles and pesto in a bowl. Toss the noodles in the hot pasta pot, and it can make the basil to turn brown, or the pesto nay stick to the bottom of the pot. Instead, toss the noodles and pesto together in a bowl: it works much better! (We picked up that method here.)

Make sure to thaw frozen shrimp in advance

You can use either fresh or frozen shrimp with this shrimp pesto pasta. Turns out, frozen shrimp can be even fresher than if you buy fresh at the grocery store! If it’s flash frozen right away, it can be extremely fresh. We like using frozen because it’s easy to stock in our freezer and use on a moments notice.

The only thing to remember with frozen shrimp? Make sure to thaw it in advance! Here’s what to do:

Day before: If you think ahead, simply place the frozen shrimp in the refrigerator overnight.
Day of: Place the shrimp in a large bowl of very cold water for 15 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes to break up clumps that freeze together. The shrimp should defrost in about 15 to 20 minutes.

Make it a meal!

Want to make this shrimp pesto pasta into a meal? If we’re serving it on a weeknight, we usually add a simple salad or raw veggies. If you’re making it for a dinner party, you can go all out! Here are a few ideas on how to serve it:

Garlic bread: Try our Easy Garlic Bread or tasty Garlic Toast.
Salads: Try Easy Arugula Salad, Caprese Salad, or Italian Salad. For a dinner party, try Celery Salad, Arugula Beet Salad or Fennel Orange Salad.
White beans: This easy Cannellini Beans or Easy White Beans recipe takes 5 minutes and and is full of Mediterranean flavor.
Veggies: Try Parmesan Broccoli, Roasted Zucchini and Squash or Perfect Sauteed Cabbage.

This shrimp pesto pasta recipe is…

Pescatarian. For dairy-free, use Vegan Pesto. For gluten-free, try gluten free or legume-based pasta.