If you haven’t indulged in a bowl of Shrimp Pesto Pasta I suggest you give this recipe a go. A vibrant dish made of beautiful long ribbons of pappardelle pasta dressed in a creamy basil pesto, topped with pan friend lemon chilli shrimp and grated parmesan cheese.
My life is everything pasta, bread and chocolate so you can only imagine how excited I am to share this recipe with you. This is my go-to recipe when I want to impress! I love to serve this to my dearest friends and family and hope it is as much of a success for you as it has been for me.
What is Basil Pesto
Pesto in its simplest and traditional form is made with of basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, pine nuts and olive oil. Nowadays, pesto is made is many different ways. I have been to many restaurants where basil was substituted with different greens such as spinach, cilantro, parsley, arugula and even mint. Similarly, pine nuts can be substituted with cashews, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pistachio and the list goes on. That’s the beauty about pesto it is extremely versatile and you can make it using your favourite leaves and/or nuts and seeds.
Fresh Basil Pesto Made With 5 Simple Ingredients
The pesto I used for this recipe is made with 5 simple ingredients and nuts is not one of them. I get so excited talking about basil pesto because it is so darn good and yet so simple, I promise even your family will love it. Here is a list of what you will need:
Food Processor – You can also use a blender but be careful not too over blend. Pesto sauce is known for its texture and you can easily make it into a paste if your over blend.
Basil – Must be fresh leaves, not the basil you find in the spice isle at the grocery store. In the summer you can find fresh basil almost everywhere (I even grow it myself). However, during the cold winter months it can be tough to source some out but if you are lucky you’ll be able to snag some from the grocery store. Good luck!
Garlic – lots of garlic
Parmesan cheese – You can also use Grana Pandano, Pecorino Romano or even a good old aged Cheddar would be fabulous in this recipe.
Lemon – Both lemon zest and lemon juice. Always zest the lemon before juicing it, it’s super difficult to do it the other way around.
Oil/Olive oil – I love olive oil but I always try to use a light olive oil for this recipe as I find the darker ones change the flavour of the pesto immensely. A non fragrant oil is best for this recipe, you do not want to take away from all the flavour the basil has to offer.
and of course, salt and pepper.
How To Make Creamy Basil Pesto Sauce
To make the creamy basil pesto sauce I used my Fresh Basil Pesto recipe (see above for ingredients), added some cream and a bit of pasta water. It’s very important to reserve a little bit of pasta water when making sauce as the starch in the water thickens the sauce resulting in a better coated pasta.
What Type Of Pasta To Use
I absolutely love using a long pasta when I use my Fresh Basil Pesto (and Nut Free) recipe. I used pappardelle pasta because of their long, thick and flat structure. I love the large surface area pappardelle offers as it allows the sauce to stick to them from both sides resulting in a more flavourful dish. With that being said, many other types of pasta can also be used for this recipe – fettuccine, linguine, tagliatelle or any of your favourite go-to’s.
Shrimp Pesto Pasta (or any other protein)
Using shrimp is not a must but I do enjoy it when it comes to making this dish. I have made this recipe many times for family friends but I seem to switch between chicken and shrimp, it all depends on what I have available at the time. Other meat protein alternatives can be beef, scallops, salmon and pork, but tofu, broccoli or even just the pesto sauce alone would lend itself to a delicious meal.
Ingredients You Will Need To Make Shrimp Pesto Pasta
Shrimp Pesto Pasta in the most part is exactly what you will need to make this recipe.
Shrimp – I used frozen shrimp from the grocery store. They come frozen, raw, peeled and deveined which is ideal because all the dirty work has been done for me. Remember to thaw the shrimp as per package instructions and pat them down before pan frying them. If you use fresh shrimp, great, you can peel them or not it’s all personal preference.
Pasta – I used pappardelle pasta, I absolutely love the long ribbons and the large surface area so the sauce can stick to the from both sides. But like many pasta dishes, any pasta would work just fine it all depends on what you prefer.
Pesto – I used my fresh basil pesto recipe and added cream and pasta water to make the creamy sauce.
Cream – I used half and half but a heavier cream will make it that much creamier and richer. In the absence of cream, you can use milk or nothing at all the pesto sauce is delicious on its own. I have never used a milk alternative for this recipe so I cannot speak to that. If you do please let me know how it turned out.
Lemon – freshly squeezed lemon juice on the shrimp is a must. Don’t skip out on this, it’s adds that extra tang and freshness to the dish.
Red Chili Flakes – This is optional. You can add more if you are feeling dangerous or add none at all if spice is not your thing. However, it adds the right amount of kick to this dish and you won’t regret it.
Equipment
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Description
A vibrant dish made of beautiful long ribbons of pappardelle pasta dressed in creamy basil pesto, topped with pan fried lemon chilli shrimp and grated parmesan cheese.
