I’ve been experimenting with shrimp a lot lately. Yes, it can be a little expensive, but if you pair it with an inexpensive ingredient like pasta, you can stretch that dollar and work it into an affordable meal. This Pesto Shrimp Pasta is a straightforward (and FAST) recipe that will make you feel like you’re eating a restaurant-quality meal at home. So even if shrimp is just a once-in-a-while special occasion splurge, you’ll still save a TON by making it at home instead of having it at a restaurant!
This recipe was originally posted in 2010. When updating this recipe, I made only minor changes to the recipe yield, ingredient quantities, and preparation method. If you prefer the old formula, contact us at support@budgetbytes.com, and we can send you a pdf of the old version.
WHAT KIND OF SHRIMP IS BEST FOR PESTO SHRIMP PASTA
Smaller shrimp works best for this recipe, so you get more shrimp pieces throughout the pasta. If you check your package of shrimp, you’ll see a range specifying the number of shrimp per pound. The higher the number, the smaller the shrimp (more per pound). I used 41-60 size or 41-60 shrimp per pound.
You can purchase your shrimp with or without the shell and tail, but you’ll want to remove the body and tail before cooking. You can leave the bottom on, but tail-on shrimp is more challenging to eat in a pasta dish because you must stop and remove the tail with every bite.
This recipe is written for raw (frozen or fresh) shrimp, but you can use pre-cooked shrimp if available. To use pre-cooked shrimp, add them to the pasta at the end.
HOW TO THAW FROZEN SHRIMP
If you make this recipe beforehand, you can transfer your shrimp from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. If you didn’t plan, don’t worry! Shrimp melts very quickly under running water. I place my shrimp in a colander and run cool water over them shrimp for a few minutes until it has thawed. Once thawed and peeled, dab the shrimp dry with a paper towel.
CAN I SUBSTITUTE THE SHRIMP?
If you’re not into shrimp, this recipe would also be good using diced chicken, sea scallops, or chopped artichoke hearts!
TIPS FOR COOKING SHRIMP
Shrimp can be intimidating for people who have never cooked it, but I promise it’s straightforward! The trick is that shrimp cooks very quickly, and if you continue to cook it longer than necessary, the proteins will continue to contract, leaving you with challenging, rubbery shrimp. So watch your shrimp closely and remove them from the skillet when they turn pink and opaque. It only takes a few minutes (depending on the shrimp’s size and the heat level under the skillet)!
INGREDIENTS
12 oz. shrimp, peeled and deveined ($4.99)
Eight oz. angel hair pasta ($0.53)
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided ($0.24)
Two cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
1-pint grape tomatoes ($1.49)
1/4 cup basil pesto ($0.55)
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan ($0.11)
INSTRUCTIONS
If using frozen shrimp, place them in a colander and run cool water over the top to thaw (this should only take a few minutes). Peel the shrimp and remove the tails. Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Once boiling, add the pasta and continue to cook until the pasta is tender (about seven minutes). Reserve about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining the pasta in a colander.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the rest of the dish. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Once hot, add the prepared shrimp and saute just until the shrimp turns pink and opaque (2-3 minutes). Remove the cooked shrimp to a clean bowl.
Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and add the grape tomatoes and minced garlic. Continue to saute over medium until the tomatoes burst and release their juices. If the garlic begins to brown before the tomatoes have burst, add a couple of tablespoons of water to the skillet to slow the browning.
Once the tomatoes have broken down in the skillet, add the cooked and drained pasta, 1/4 cup pesto, and about half of the reserved pasta water. Stir to coat everything in the pesto, adding more pasta water if needed to loosen the pasta and spread the pesto over everything.
Finally, return the cooked shrimp to the skillet and stir to combine with the pasta. Top with grated Parmesan, then serve!
