Shrimp Pesto Pasta Recipe

Shrimp pesto pasta recipe with basil pesto and broccoli makes one easy weeknight meal. It’s ready in under 30-minutes!

Easy dinner meals are a favorite around here, everything from Ground Turkey Stroganoff to Shrimp Pasta Primavera are simple recipes that make dinner a breeze.

This shrimp pesto pasta is made with linguine, fresh basil pesto, broccoli, and shrimp. It’s a meal that is packed with a ton of flavor and comes together in under 30 minutes.

For best flavor, use homemade pesto or refrigerated pesto from the store. It’s going to be fresher and taste better.

Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make this shrimp pesto pasta recipe:

• butter
• shrimp
• linguine
• broccoli
• basil pesto
• red chili flakes
• lemon zest
• lemon juice
• parmesan cheese

How to Make Shrimp Pesto Pasta

Step 1: Cook the pasta and broccoli – cook linguine in salted water according to package directions. In the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, add broccoli and cook until tender. Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water and drain the rest.

Step 2: Cook the shrimp – while the pasta is cooking, heat butter in a large skillet. Season the shrimp thoroughly with salt and pepper. When the butter is melted add shrimp to the pan and cook 2-3 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.

Step 3: Add pesto and lemon – to the linguine, add pesto, some of the reserved pasta water, and chili flakes. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese. Taste for salt. The pasta should be saucy and nicely coated with the pesto sauce. At this point, you can stir in more of the reserved pasta water and even a little more of the pesto, if desired.

Step 4: Stir in cooked shrimp – lastly, stir in the cooked shrimp with all the pan juices and gently toss to combine. Serve with more parmesan cheese.

Do you heat pesto before adding it to pasta?

No. The heat from the pasta will be enough to warm up the pesto and release the aroma of the basil. You can add pesto straight from the fridge or at room temperature.

Serving Suggestions

Shrimp and pesto pasta pairs very well with a side salad or roasted vegetables. Keep it simple and fresh. Here are some sides to try:

• Easy Coleslaw
• Chickpea Tomato Salad
• Zucchini Corn Salad
• Cucumber Salad
• Roasted Asparagus with Lemon

Got leftover pesto? Try these recipes with pesto:

• Pesto Pasta
• Turkey Pesto Meatballs
• Beet and Cucumber Salad
• Greek Yogurt Pesto Chicken Pasta
• Balsamic Grilled Chicken

Print