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Summertime calls for bright foods. I think this Spinach Pesto Pasta with Shrimp does the trick here! I absolutely love summer! Winters in Canada seem never-ending, so it’s just amazing when we can finally sit outside on the patio to eat meals at a restaurant, or enjoy the cool summer drinks outside. Not to mention just wanting to take a walk and not feel like your face will freeze off!
What’s a color associated with summer? Green! Bye bye snow, hello bright green grass! Pesto is an absolute staple in the summer. What better way to spring out of winter than a bright green pasta dinner! For cold winter nights, I love making comforting tomato-based dishes, such as Cheesy Baked Meatballs in Marinara Sauce, Orecchiette with Spicy Italian Turkey Sausage, or for a quick weeknight dinner, a simple Easy Family-Style Baked Spaghetti Casserole. But when it’s really hot outside, I don’t really want to get my kitchen hot, so a light and fresh pesto sauce with pasta and juicy pan-seared shrimp sure does the trick!
Is shrimp a pesky protein for you? It really shouldn’t be because it’s so easy to cook and a very versatile and low-fat protein source! This Spinach Pesto Pasta with Shrimp is an excellent way to incorporate shrimp and no longer have it as a pesky protein, so be sure to try out this amazing weeknight pasta dinner as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! You can get started on your cooking journey for free by signing up to my email newsletter, plus all of my new recipes will be sent right to your email inbox!
The best part is that this pesto pasta recipe takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish to get onto the table! To follow along with how to prepare this easy spinach and spinach pesto sauce in addition to making the most flavorful and juicy shrimp, then watch the video! If you haven’t already, I would really appreciate it if you would please subscribe to my YouTube channel! Don’t forget to press the bell button to be notified when all of my video recipes go live! Let’s get cooking!
Why You’ll Love This Spinach Pesto Pasta with Shrimp Recipe!
- Quick and simple: What I love about cooking shrimp is that it’s the quickest protein to cook! Shrimp only cooks in a matter of minutes, so this is excellent when you gotta whip up dinner in a cinch. If you’ve made your pesto sauce in advance, this means that all you really need to focus on is cooking the shrimp and making the pasta.
- Nutritious: We’ve got an excellent balance of nutrients in this shrimp pesto pasta with spinach recipe. The shrimp is a low-fat protein source. Combined with the healthy fats from the pesto sauce, this meal will keep you full and satiated! We also don’t add any cream to the pesto sauce, saving lots of calories, but not sacrificing on flavor!
- Flavorful: I love the juiciness of the garlic-butter shrimp paired with the mellow pesto sauce. Plus, who doesn’t love spaghetti? The Parmesan cheese on top really brings the dish together and adds its own deliciousness!
- Family dinner: This spinach pesto pasta with shrimp is awesome for families! You can easily scale the recipe based on how many portions you’d like to make using the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Equipment Needed for the Best Shrimp Pesto Pasta Recipe
- Non-stick pan
- Mortar and pestle
- Pot
- Cutting board
- Microplane
- Sharp chef’s knife
- Spatula
- Tongs
- Blender
- Colander
- Peeler
- Ramekins
Ingredients for Shrimp Spinach Pesto Pasta
Check out the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card by scrolling to the bottom of this post or press the “Jump to Recipe” button to see complete ingredient quantities and to save the recipe instructions for later. You’ll also be able to scale the recipe based on how many portions you want to make so you know exactly how much homemade pesto and all of the other ingredients you’ll need!
For the Spinach Pesto
I have a Classic Basil Pesto Sauce Recipe that I use as a go-to! You can check out that recipe to read more information about the history of pesto sauce and for some tips and tricks to make the best. However, I decided to make this pasta extra special by switching it up with the addition of spinach!
But fear not, this pesto sauce is also super easy to prepare! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Baby spinach: Did you know that there are actually a number of different types of spinach? Spinach is categorized into three main types: Flat-leaf spinach, savoy spinach (also known as curly leaf spinach), and semi-savoy spinach. Packaged baby spinach leaves are flat-leaf, and these will be the best here to make the pesto sauce. This type of spinach is smooth and slightly sweet, while the other varieties are bitter and crispier.
- Basil: Fresh basil leaves are key to making a great pesto. Use the greenest basil leaves you can find. Bonus points if the basil is grown from your own plant!
- Peanuts: Use unsalted peanuts since we’ll be adding seasoning to the pasta, and the salt will come from the Parmesan cheese.
- Garlic: A couple of garlic cloves. No need to mince them since they’ll be added directly to the blender.
- Extra virgin olive oil: This is the best quality olive oil for cooking. It contains an incredible flavour and heart-healthy fats that will balance out the meal and assist in absorbing the nutrients in the meal .
- Parmesan cheese: Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano are excellent substitutes for Parmesan cheese. Whatever you use, don’t use pre-grated Parmesan
For the Shrimp Spaghetti
- Spaghetti: My preference is to cook pasta al dente, which means “with a bite.”
- Shrimp: Fresh or frozen both can work fine here. I’m using peeled frozen shrimp. If using frozen shrimp, make sure you’ve allowed them to completely thaw first. If they are not peeled, be sure to peel and devein your shrimp.
- Garlic powder: The main seasoning for our shrimp that works so well with butter!
- Red chili flakes: You can use as much or as little based on your preferences and how spicy you want the shrimp to be.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is recommended so you can control the amount of seasoning. The pesto sauce itself and the Parmesan on top will add quite a bit of salt.
- Salt and pepper: Always taste while you cook and season according to your taste.
Making Spinach Pesto Pasta with Shrimp
To Make the Pesto
In a food processor, add the spinach and basil leaves and process until finely chopped.
Transfer the minced leaves to a mortar and pestle and add a pinch of salt, peanuts and garlic.
Start mincing this mixture and once the peanuts and garlic are minced well, drizzle in half the olive oil and continue to process in the mortar and pestle. Add in more olive oil as needed.
Once the mixture resembles a coarse paste, add in the Parmesan and mix well. Taste and adjust for salt.
For the Pasta and Shrimp
In a large pot, bring water to a boil to cook the pasta. Once the water has come to a boil, add in a generous pinch of salt and add in the pasta. Cook as per package directions.
As the water comes up to a boil, pat the shrimp dry and set aside.
Heat a non stick pan on medium heat and once warm, add the butter. Once molten, add the chilli flakes and garlic powder and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper and toss well to coat with the spices. Continue to cook until the shrimp turn opaque and white.
Once your pasta has cooked, strain the pasta, while making sure to reserve at least 1/2 cup of pasta water. Add the pasta to the shrimp and mix well.
Add 2 Tbsp of the pesto and toss well. Taste and adjust the amount of pesto if needed. In case the consistency of the dish is too thick, you can thin out the dish with a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water.
Serve the pasta and garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese.
Serve hot and enjoy!
Tips to Make This Spinach Pesto Pasta with Shrimp Come Out Just Right
- It’s best to avoid over blending olive oil in case you are preparing the entire pesto recipe in a food processor. This can turn the olive oil bitter and ruin the pesto’s flavor.
- A smaller blender like a spice or coffee grinder would work much better to prepare the pesto from start to finish, However, in case you don’t have one, chopping the leaves in a regular sized pitcher like I did and then preparing the rest of the pesto in a mortar and pestle saves a ton of time and gets you great results.
- Shrimp defrosts very easily under cold running water. The flowing water is important to ensure the temperature stays cold for the shrimp to prevent them from spoiling as they defrost - it should take 10-15 minutes.
- To prevent shrimps turning to bullets, add the spaghetti to the shrimp soon after they start to turn opaque. By the time the final dish is being served, the residual heat from the dish should finish cooking the shrimp.
- It’s always a good idea to keep the pasta cooking water reserved for the end in case the sauce in the dish is too tight. Loosen the sauce and adjust the consistency by splashing some of that starchy water and mixing well.
- To advise on the amount of pesto to use in your version of the dish is not easy, I may prefer more pesto than you or vice versa. So add a tablespoon or so, mix, taste and adjust the flavour as needed.
Variations to Spinach Pesto Spaghetti with Shrimp
Want to mix and match this base recipe to switch things up? There are lots of ways you can change up the flavours and try out new combinations! Here are just a couple of adaptation ideas:
- Protein: If you want to keep the seafood, try scallops or lobster. If you want poultry, then some chicken breast will work great here! Keep in mind the difference in cook time.
- Vegetarian: Simply don’t add the shrimp on top. If you’re cooking for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians, reserve pesto sauce
- Vegetables: Want some extra veggies? Try adding peas, asparagus, green beans, and/or broccoli.
- Pasta shape: While I believe that spaghetti must be the most common pasta shape in households, perhaps you actually don’t have any on hand! No worries if you don’t! As I explain in my free motivational guide to spark your creativity in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!, you should use up ingredients that are already in your household first before going to buy more! This Spinach Pesto Pasta with Shrimp recipe will be perfect with penne rigate, fusilli, rotini, or linguine, so that the pesto can stick to the pasta well!
Can I Make Spinach Pesto Pasta with Shrimp Ahead of Time?▼
To be honest with you I wouldn’t recommend that you enjoy this Spinach Pesto Pasta with Shrimp in advance! The shrimp will lose their tenderness and may become tough and rubbery. Additionally, it’s likely for the pesto to split and for the spaghetti to become soggy. To save some time, you could have your pasta cooked in advance and have the pesto ready to go! Cooking the shrimp is so quick and it’s really worth enjoying them fresh!
2 comments
Hello! I cooked thisrecipe last night. I will certainly put it in my list of favorite pasta recipes for both weekly and weekend dinners. It is easy to follow because it requires few ingredients. You also save time: you boil the water and cook the spaghetti while making the pesto sauce in a blender or food processor (I used a blender). Preparing and cooking the shrimp also takes little time ( the shrimp should not be overcoked!) . Annadi is committed to teaching us good techniques even when we cook easier recipes. The end result was excellent: the pesto was smooth and tasty and the shrimps were spicy and tender. Bravo Anadi for your exciting new site and please continue offering us good and easy recipes for all those busy nights! Ruby
Thank you so much. I am glad you enjoyed it! Keep cooking!
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