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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.

Shrimp pesto pasta
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Here’s a fast and easy dinner recipe that’s always a hit in our house: shrimp pesto pasta! We eat a lot of plant based meals 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 kids couldn’t get enough of this: which means it’s a keeper. It works just as well for dinner party as a weeknight meal!

Ingredient notes 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.

  • 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.
  • 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.
Shrimp pesto pasta

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! Here are a few tips:

  • Traditional pesto uses pine nuts. They’re a little expensive but worth the splurge: make our basil pesto.
  • Cashews or walnuts are cheaper and just as good! It’s a nice way to economize and tastes great: try our cashew pesto or walnut pesto.
  • You can also try refrigerated fresh pesto, found in the produce section. In our taste tests, we’ve found this type of pesto tends has better flavor than pesto in jars. It’s often sold in tubes.

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:

  • Add a splash of 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 may 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 from Recipe Tin Eats.)
Shrimp pesto pasta

Thawing frozen shrimp

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 fish counter at the grocery ! 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 is to make sure to thaw it in advance. Here are two methods:

  • Day before: If you think ahead, simply place the frozen shrimp in the refrigerator overnight the day before you plan to eat it.
  • 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.

Sides to 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:

Dietary notes

This shrimp pesto pasta recipe is pescatarian. For dairy-free, use Vegan Pesto. For gluten-free, try gluten free or legume-based pasta.

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Shrimp Pesto Pasta

Shrimp pesto pasta
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5 from 5 reviews

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.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian inspired

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 ounces long pasta noodles, like spaghetti, bucatini or linguine
  • 1 pound large shrimp, deveined (tail on or off)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon each smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and kosher salt
  • 1/2 to 2/3 cup basil pesto*
  • ½ cup pasta water, plus more as needed
  • Kosher salt

Instructions

  1. If frozen, thaw the shrimp.
  2. Cook the pasta: Start a pot of well salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta until it is just al dente. Start tasting a few minutes before the package recommends: you want it to be tender but still a little firm on the inside; usually around 7 to 8 minutes. Just before draining, reserve 1 cup pasta water! Then drain the pasta.
  3. Meanwhile, cook the shrimp: Pat the shrimp dry. In a medium bowl, mix the shrimp with spices. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Cook the shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes per side until opaque and cooked through, turning them with tongs. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  4. Serve: Place the pasta in a bowl (not the pasta pot). Stir together the pasta, pesto, and ½ cup pasta water, tossing with tongs until the pesto is well distributed and the pasta water forms a creamy sauce. Add more pasta water if desired. Stir in ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and taste. If the flavor doesn’t pop, add a few more pinches until it does. Top with the cooked shrimp and serve immediately. (Store any leftovers refrigerated: note that pesto can get gummy when reheated, so it’s best to eat leftovers cold or room temp.)

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More fast and easy dinner recipes

Quick weeknight meals are where it’s at for us! Here are a few more fast and easy dinner recipes to try:

  • This burrata pasta makes a stunning meal in under 30 minutes.
  • Our fish tacos bake the fish with a dry rub of spices, then top it with tangy slaw and creamy sauce.
  • Try shrimp pasta with the best big flavors: garlic, lemon, and Parmesan, or go for our simple sauteed shrimp.
  • This pan fried cod is best white fish you’ll have! It’s flavored simply with spices and olive oil.

About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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10 Comments

  1. Niki Bhatia says:

    Another win! Love your pasta recipes and seafood recipes; have tried many and not one has failed. Hubby is a fan of this one for the seasoning on the shrimp and I love how easy it is to make. Thanks!!






    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      Thank you for making!

  2. Sheneya says:

    I was hesitant in making this because my 3 year old is very picky, however this was huge a hit! My kids kept asking for more.☺️ Thanks so much for sharing with easy and healthy recipes!






  3. Rob says:

    Very good easy to make. I added little red pepper flakes to spice it up.

    1. Nancy J Rogers says:

      Made this last night as written. Was delicious!! Will definitely make again!! Thank you for the recipe.






  4. Ruth Hatton says:

    This recipe turned out for me to make the best pesto shrimp and pasta which I’ve ever had. I’ve tried several recipes, but none compares to this one. I loved all the helpful hints which I followed i.e. mixing in bowl, not heating the leftover shrimp and pasta. Also, the seasoning for the shrimp was the best. I will be making this again, and I will never look for another recipe other than this one.

    Thanks






    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      So glad to hear this! Thank you for making it.

  5. Randy Saueracker says:

    Well, thank you for this recipe. I am an old but fledgling cook I decided to celebrate my wife’s 63rd birthday by preparing dinner for her. Something that I have not done in over 40 years, mostly because I am not a great cook. As the third course I the dinner, it was easy peasy and turned out perfectly. Thank you from the bottom of my heart ❤. Randy Edmonton AB Canada.

    1. Sonja Overhiser says:

      Oh we are so happy to hear this! Thank you so much for making it and so glad you enjoyed. Happy birthday to your wife!