Garlic Shrimp with Chilli Pesto Pasta

Garlic Shrimp with Chilli Pesto Pasta is a quick and easy dinner that will be refreshing to eat. Tender pasta, homemade pesto, and garlic shrimp in every bite. If you want a new shrimp recipe, give this shrimp pesto pasta recipe a try today.

Shrimp is such an easy and quick cooking dinner option. What makes this shrimp and pasta recipe incredible is it is stunning in presentation, so you can serve it up to guests for that wow factor. 

Garlic Shrimp with Chili Pesto Pasta

Hi All, it’s Nicky here from Kitchen Sanctuary.

We’ve had a beautifully warm week over in the UK. The flowers are blooming, the BBQs have started to make an appearance, and we’ve already discovered a small wasp’s nest in the kid’s playhouse!

All the lush greenery outside made me want to create something bright and fresh for you today. The result is this vibrant pasta dish, packed with a really flavourful green chili pesto, some juicy garlic & black pepper shrimp and finished off with lots of baby spinach, watercress and a good squeeze of lemon juice.

What is Pesto Used for

Pesto is great for stirring in with pasta like this recipe, being a filling for stuffed chicken or pork, and so much more. Pesto is so versatile, you can use it in dips, main dishes, and of course the pairing with pasta. Traditional pesto like this recipe is filled with basil, olive oil, pine nuts, and more. It is very earthy, vibrant, and rich. 

Can I Use Store-Bought Pesto for Shrimp Pesto Pasta 

Of course. You are welcome to buy pesto instead of making your own. I love homemade pesto, I find it offers a more fresh flavor, and it is really simple to make if you own a food processor or blender. 

What is the Difference Between Prawns and Shrimp?

While prawns and shrimp are different, they are interchangeable when it comes to cooking. Prawns have claws on three legs, and shrimp have claws on two out of the five legs. You will also find their appearance looks a bit different.  

Do You Cook Shrimp With Tails On or Off for Garlic Shrimp with Chilli Pesto Pasta

I tend to cook with tails off, so you don’t have the mess of pulling them off while you try to eat them with the pasta. But, if you want the presentation value, feel free to leave the shrimp tails on. 

How to Devein Shrimp

First, you want to make sure you peel your shrimp. You can hold the feet, and back of shrimp and twist to pull it away. Once the shell is off, you can work on deveining. Grab a paring knife and look for the black line running up the back of the shrimp. Make a small slit to access the vein. Then run the knife down the back. Use a toothpick or even bamboo skewer and place under the vein, and lift to pull it out. 

Some shrimp comes deveined, which is always nice, so make sure to check what you bought. After you devein make sure to rinse your shrimp in cold water to cleanse them. 

How to Make Garlic Shrimp with Chilli Pesto Pasta 

Start by cooking your spaghetti as directed on the box. While your pasta is cooking, you want to work on your pesto. Add in your ingredients into the food processor or blender, and follow the directions below on creating a creamy and tasty pesto. 

Then when the pasta is close to done, take a pan and heat on high with a drizzle of oil. Cook the shrimp with some pepper, and cook each side until they begin to turn pink. Then turn your heat down and add in the garlic and finish cooking the shrimp. 

Drain pasta and reserve a bit of the water, and add in 2 tablespoons of water, pasta, and pesto into the pan with shrimp. Toss and then turn the heat off. Serve over a bed of spinach and watercress.  

Searching for More Seafood Recipes

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Is Garlic Shrimp with Pesto Pasta Good for Meal Prepping 

Yes! I have whipped up a batch of this and then used it to prep lunches for the week. I actually loved the flavors cold, just as much as I did hot. Just prep with the spinach on top of the cooled down pasta and shrimp so it won’t wilt the spinach. Or put spinach and watercress in a separate container. 

You might also like this Air Fryer Shrimp, Slow Cooker 40 Clove Garlic Chicken, Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp and Shrimp Chowder.

Are you a shrimp fan?

Nicky lives in Cheshire in the UK with her husband and two children. She blogs over at Kitchen Sanctuary where she creates family-friendly recipes and mouth-watering photos. Connect with Nicky on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Garlic Shrimp with Chilli Pesto Pasta

Skip the jarred spaghetti sauce! Homemade pesto is the best complement for these sweet and spicy shrimp on a bed of noodles and baby spinach.

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Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Garlic Shrimp with Chilli Pesto Pasta

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 2

Calories: 983kcal

Author: Stacie Vaughan

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ 7 oz dried spaghetti 200g

Chilli Pesto

• ▢ 1 cup basil packed
• ▢ 1 clove garlic peeled and roughly chopped
• ▢ ¼ cup pine nuts
• ▢ 1 green chilli chopped (seeds removed first if you don’t like it too hot)
• ▢ ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ ⅓ cup grated parmesan
• ▢ pinch salt and pepper
• ▢ 1 tbsp lemon juice

Shrimp

• ▢ 1 tbsp oil
• ▢ 16 raw shrimp/king prawns deveined and heads/tails removed
• ▢ pinch ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 large clove garlic peeled and minced

To Serve

• ▢ 1 cup fresh baby spinach packed
• ▢ 1 cup watercress packed
• ▢ wedges of lemon

Instructions

• Boil some water and then put the spaghetti on to cook as per the pack instructions.
• Whilst the spaghetti is cooking, place the basil, garlic, pine nuts, chilli and half of the oil into a mini chopper. Pulse the chopper a few times until everything is combined. Add in the rest of the oil, parmesan, a pinch of salt and pepper and the lemon juice and give another pulse. Have a taste and add a little more salt/pepper/lemon juice if needed. Put to one side.
• When your pasta is almost ready, heat the oil in a large frying pan on a high heat. Sprinkle your shrimp with a good pinch of ground black pepper and then place in the frying pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes each side until they just start to turn pink, then turn the heat down and add the garlic. Cook, whilst stirring for 1 minute.
• Drain the pasta, but reserve a little bit of the pasta water (this will help the pesto stick to the spaghetti). Place the spaghetti, pesto and 2 tbsp of the reserved pasta water in the frying pan with the shrimp. Toss everything together, then turn off the heat. Add in the spinach and watercress and toss to coat in the pesto, then divide between 2 bowls. Garnish with lemon and serve.

Kitchen Tools

Non-stick skillet

Food processor

Garlic press

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 983kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 69g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 47g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 1647mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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