Creamy Pesto Shrimp Pasta
Tender shrimp pasta in a creamy pesto sauce makes up this one-pot 30-minutes-or less recipe. A perfect dinner for seafood lovers any night of the week!
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About Creamy Pesto Shrimp Pasta
I’m always looking for ways to make seafood at home (much to the dismay of The Steak-Loving An old friend of mine) and this, my friends, was the very first shrimp recipe I was brave enough to try.
It was a few years ago, back when I had only attempted “real” cooking a handful of times, so I did a lot of searching (read: delaying) before settling on this recipe.
It scared me just enough to make me nervous, but not enough to worry that I’d end up wasting precious shrimp.
I’d also never had pest before I made this recipe for the first time, which is so typical of me.
Because really, what better way is there to try new things than to cannonball right into the deep end with a million new experiences at once?
But after all the worrying, my first attempt at this dish went so well that I’ve made this recipe as many times as an old friend of mine will tolerate crustaceans in his diet.
I’ve even made some minor adjustments to suit it to my liking, such as extra garlic (sorry not sorry, I just can’t help myself) and a dash of parsley on top.
Since starting this little food blog, I’ve branched out into so many seafood recipes, from Honey Garlic Shrimp and Broccoli to Honey Walnut Shrimp as well as Italian Shimp Bake and can’t forget Shrimp, Spinach, and Tomato Pasta, and yet through it all…
I still love this recipe best.
I remember being so nervous the first time I made it and yet these days I can whip it whip it up in 30 minutes without a second thought.
Just goes to show that time and persistence does pay off!
Now if only an old friend of mine would suddenly become as obsessed with seafood as I am…
I keep feeding him shrimp dinners but so far, no luck.
This recipe was originally posted on September 3, 2014. It received a TLC update with new photos on May 2, 2016.
notes & tips for this shrimp pasta recipe
- This is mentioned in the recipe instructions, but I think it’s important enough to say it twice: this recipe requires a fair amount of whisking, and even though it’s tiring, it’s crucial that it’s done. Butter and cream can burn easily and keeping the sauce moving is the best way to avoid that. I had to learn this that the hard way when I first started cooking.
- Looking for more shrimp recipes? Be sure to check out Honey Garlic Shrimp and Broccoli, Shrimp Scampi with Linguine, Teriyaki Pork and Shrimp Meatballs, Spanish Chorizo, Shrimp, and Chicken Paella, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Mango Shrimp Salsa, Shrimp Salad with Creamy Pesto Dressing, Shrimp, Spinach, and Tomato Pasta, Baked Parmesan Shrimp, and Italian Shrimp Bake.
Creamy Pesto Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, (optional) chopped
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail on
Instructions
- Prepare the linguine per package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- While pasta cooks, melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add garlic and quickly saute for 1-2 minutes, just long enough to be fragrant.
- Pour in heavy cream and add salt and pepper to taste. Cook sauce for 6-8 minutes or until sauce starts to thicken, whisking constantly. It's important that the sauce keeps moving - you don't want the cream and butter to burn.
- Add parmesan cheese and pesto to skillet, then whisk until smooth.
- Add shrimp to the skillet and cook in the pesto sauce until the shrimp are pink and slightly curled, about 2-4 minutes. Be careful not to overcook.
- When ready to serve, you can do this two ways: you can add the cooked linguine to the skillet with the sauce and shrimp, toss to coat, and then serve, OR you can serve the linguine on a dish and pour pesto & shrimp sauce on top.
Notes
Nutrition
I do my best to provide nutrition information, but please keep in mind that I'm not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates of the correct values.
