This Shrimp Pesto Pasta recipe is a quick and easy 20 minute meal with a sublime sauce that’s full of flavor. A dish that’s lovely enough for a fancy dinner party, but perfect for a busy weeknight dinner!
Complete the meal with some homemade garlic bread on the side.
Easy Shrimp and Pesto Pasta
You guuuuuys…I’ve got another fantastic easy meal for you! This Shrimp Pesto Pasta is not only crazy delicious, but it only takes 20 minutes to make. Major weeknight win!
I consider kielbasa a miracle ingredient because it’s already precooked, delicious, and can easily elevate so many dishes in a snap. Well, I think the same thing about pesto sauce.
Pesto can easily transform so many foods with barely even trying. I love to use a little folded into scrambled eggs, in tortellini soup, on my pizza dough sometimes instead of red sauce, and whisked together with mayo for a killer sandwich spread. And obviously it’s so perfect for pasta. In this pesto shrimp recipe, it gets mixed with butter, half-n-half, and Parmesan for a new twist on Alfredo sauce.
My homemade pesto sauce recipe is so ridiculously easy to whip up and keep in the fridge, but you can totally buy it and eliminate even another step!
Shrimp Pesto Pasta Recipe
Here’s what you need to make this creamy pesto shrimp pasta:
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Linguine (you can certainly use a different pasta, if you prefer)
- 1 pound large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- Butter (I always cook with unsalted, but salted is fine)
- All-purpose flour (you need this to thicken the sauce)
- Half-n-half (<< that’s equal parts heavy cream and whole milk)
- Parmesan Cheese (use the fresh stuff for best flavor!)
- Pesto sauce (<< this is my homemade recipe, but store-bought is totally fine!)
- Black pepper and cracked red pepper flakes
Recipe Variations
This recipe is so simple and wonderful the way it is written, but there are some tweaks that can work well, too!
- Extra-virgin olive oil can replace the butter.
- Add in a 15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes (drained) to the sauce for another layer of flavor.
- Sliced mushrooms can be added to the sauce while it simmers.
- Sun dried tomato pesto instead of basil pesto would also be so delicious!
- Try scallops instead of shrimp.
- For vegetarians, this sauce is wonderful over zucchini noodles, steamed asparagus, broccoli, or cauliflower.
- This recipe can easily be halved.
How to Make Shrimp Pesto Pasta
There’s only a few basic steps to this quick and easy dinner.
(Scroll to the bottom for our easy printable recipe with all the measurements and complete directions, and don’t miss the video below.)
- Cook up your pasta.
- Simultaneously, make your pesto cream sauce.
- Simmer the shrimp in the sauce.
- Smother the cooked pasta with the sauce.
How To Store leftovers
- To store: transfer any extra to a storage container and allow to cool completely (a skin might form on the surface of the sauce and it might thicken to a paste-like consistency, but that’s normal. Don’t fret! ) Secure with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: transfer to a saucepan or microwave-safe bowl. Gently warm over low heat, or in 30-second intervals in the microwave, until warmed, stirring occasionally. It will soften and return to a sauce as it warms. If the sauce seems too thick, whisk in a splash of milk until the sauce is to your liking.
More Easy Pasta Recipes:
- Creamy Lemon Pasta (so silky and lemony)
- Baked Feta Pasta (crazy easy and so good!)
- Spaghetti Carbonara (one pot!)
- Creamy Pasta with Bacon and Peas (family favorite!)
- Tomato and Tortellini Soup (only 15 minutes!)
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Shrimp Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound linguine
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (not table salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cracked red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup pesto sauce (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 pound large shrimp , peeled and deveined, thawed if frozen
- Fresh torn basil , for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil; cook your linguine according to package directions, al dente.
- In the meantime, melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add in the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add flour, stirring until fully incorporated and no lumps remain.
- Bump up the heat just slightly and slowly whisk in the half-and-half, Parmesan, salt, black pepper, and cracked red pepper. Cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. (Make sure your sauce isn’t boiling or it will curdle, and don’t stop whisking or you run the risk of the sauce sticking and burning.)
- Whisk in the pesto and add the shrimp; cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp turn pink, about 4 minutes.
- Drain the pasta and either (1) add to the skillet with the sauce and toss to coat, or (2) divvy up pasta in bowls and then pour the sauce on top.
- Garnish with fresh basil. Delicious!
Video
Notes
- Half-n-half is equal parts heavy cream and whole milk.
- For recipe variations, please refer to the full article.
- This recipe can easily be halved following the same ratios.
- To store: transfer any extra to a storage container and allow to cool completely (a skin might form on the surface of the sauce and it might thicken to a paste-like consistency, but that’s normal. Don’t fret! ) Secure with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: transfer to a saucepan or microwave-safe bowl. Gently warm over low heat, or in 30-second intervals in the microwave, until warmed, stirring occasionally. It will soften and return to a sauce as it warms. If the sauce seems too thick, whisk in a splash of milk until the sauce is to your liking.
The whole family really liked this recipe. Baby girl (13 months) cleaned her whole plate and asked for more!
Subbed sour cream because I had some left to use up. also threw in some fresh cut up broccoli into the pasta water for the last minute or so. Came out great
If I had pesto or pesto ingredients, I’d make this tonight. Looks so good.