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Creamy Pesto Pasta with Shrimp combines butter, cream, parmesan and basil pesto to create a delightful pasta dish that’s perfect any night of the week.
Do you have those recipes that you just love, but no one in your house does? That’s pretty much the case with all shrimp recipes around here.
Eric and Elle won’t touch anything other than cocktail shrimp, but I will pretty much eat shrimp in any form. Especially when it’s served over pasta like this Creamy Pesto Pasta with Shrimp.
WHAT IS CREAMY PESTO PASTA?
If you love fettuccine alfredo, you’ll love this creamy pesto pasta sauce.
That’s because this pasta is essentially fettuccine alfredo with pesto added to it!
That’s right – I took an alfredo base and stirred in some of my Fresh Basil Pesto to brighten it up and make it pair perfectly with shrimp.
After all, seafood pairs perfectly with bright flavors. Think about how often you see fish, shrimp and other shellfish served with citrus and herbs, like in Chipotle Lime Shrimp Soft Tacos or Herbed Shrimp Orzo Salad.
HOW TO MAKE THIS CREAMY PESTO PASTA WITH SHRIMP
Just like Goat Cheese Pasta with Chicken and Rosemary, this pasta looks fancy but actually uses just a few simple ingredients:
- 1 pound linguine or fettuccine pasta
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Here’s how this is gonna go. Melt your butter and then add the cream, salt and pepper. After that cooks together for a little while, you’ll add a whole lotta parmesan cheese.
Ya know what’s better than butter, cream and parmesan? All of those things with some basil pesto mixed in. So stir in the pesto and let your sauce thicken.
Add in the shrimp and let the sauce continue to cook until the shrimp have cooked through, another 5 minutes or so.
Toss the sauce with your cooked pasta and serve with extra parmesan or a sprinkle of fresh herbs.
CAN YOU REHEAT CREAMY PESTO PASTA?
If you’ve ever tried to reheat creamy pasta sauces, you might have noticed that they tend to separate and get kind of oily.
That’s not to say that you can’t or shouldn’t reheat leftover Creamy Pesto Pasta! Just keep in mind that if you zap it in the microwave, the texture won’t be what it was when the pasta was fresh.
I’d recommend reheating the pasta in the oven. It’ll take longer, but the sauce is more likely to stay stable this way. It still won’t be as perfect as it was the day before, but it’s less likely to completely split.
Here’s how you do it:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F or so. Put the pasta in a glass oven-safe dish and add a few drops of water.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for about 10 minutes. Stir the pasta, recover with the foil, and bake for another 10 minutes.
- If needed, add a few more drops of water during baking to keep the pasta from drying out.
The pasta should be warmed through, but give it a stir to make sure. You can always heat it for a few more minutes, covered, if needed.
CAN YOU FREEZE THIS PASTA SAUCE?
If you’re concerned about having too much pasta sauce, you can try freezing some for later.
Just remember that since the sauce is cream-based, it might be trickier to reheat than something like Homemade Meat Sauce would be.
I recommend freezing JUST the sauce, before adding it to the pasta. After making the sauce, let it cool and package it in freezer-safe zip-top bags, with as much air pressed out as possible.
Freeze the creamy pesto sauce for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use it, let the sauce thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
To reheat the sauce, add it to a saucepan and give it a good whisk. Place the pan over low heat and let it heat slowly, whisking almost constantly to bring the sauce back together.
WAYS TO CHANGE UP THIS RECIPE
I really love pairing this pesto pasta sauce with shrimp. But if you don’t like or can’t eat shrimp, you can still enjoy this sauce!
To adapt this recipe, just leave out the shrimp and try serving the pasta with some of these additions instead:
- Roasted chicken
- Broccoli or asparagus
- Sun dried tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
- Seared scallops
- Crab or lobster
Served up alongside a loaf of crusty bread and some Extra Virgin Olive Oil Herb Dip, this Creamy Pesto Pasta is sure to become one of your favorite recipes!
Creamy Pesto Pasta with Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 pound linguine or fettuccine pasta
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- ½ cup basil pesto
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook according to package directions (about 10-12 minutes), or until al dente; drain.
- While the pasta is boiling, melt butter in a deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add in garlic and sauté the garlic for one minute. You do not want the garlic to brown, so definitely keep your eye on the pan.
- Stir in cream, and pepper. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Slowly stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano into the cream sauce, stirring until thoroughly incorporated. Stir in the pesto, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until thickened.
- Stir in the shrimp, and cook until fully pink, about 5 minutes. Serve over the hot linguine.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
That’s really unfortunate. You’re absolutely correct. It was completely unkind and uncalled for. I tell my kids all the time when someone says something I kid to tell them to their face, “you know that wasn’t very nice”. Maybe it will make them stop and think about the words they speak.
I do the exact same thing, Michelle! I know people have bad days, heck, so do I, but that’s no excuse to treat anyone like crap! I hope you and your family have a great day! Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
Hello,
I also do not understand people and am sorry to had to experience such a bad experience. I guess people feel they can say anything they want because they are not saying it directly to the person. Unfortunately, there are a lot of unhappy people in the world and as hard as it is I say a prayer for those who are unkind and don’t see the value in people and things. On a happier note :) I wish you a wonderful day and I enjoyed reading your post on the pesto scrimp recipe. It looks delicious. So for the rest of your day and going forward remember only good things and when something is unpleasant I just tell myself “Really” laugh it off and don’t allow my precious time to be spent thinking about unkind things/thoughts/ etc. Wishing you a very happy day and keep up the good work. Best of everything to you – Laura
Thanks so much, Laura! I totally laughed it off at first and even sent a screen shot of the message to some friends. I think writing it all down in this post kind of helped me get rid of all the thoughts I was having about the subject. I appreciate you for stopping by and taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment. :)
-Jamie
Hi Jamie,
Thank you for being an inspiration and for your enormous generosity in sharing such yummy recipes.
Now, to the Drop dead woman. Meanness does exist, but I can’t help wondering about the mental health of such people. How sad must be their world!
You keep on trucking ‘ coz there are plenty of us rootin’for ya! <3
I totally agree, Bee! And I totally appreciate your kind words. Have an amazing day!
-Jamie
I cannot believe how nasty that person was. I work in the dental field, and trust me, we aren’t popular. “Just get it done!” Or “I’d rather give birth”. Or worse. I take it with the thought that it ISNT personal… but it sure isn’t a good feeling. I think rudeness is a reflection of how they feel about themselves. I love your recipes. ❤️
Oooo, Erin, I can only imagine the things you hear. Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment, I really appreciate it!
-Jamie
WOW! It is so sad that people have such anger and think it is OK to let it out on someone that they don’t know, and over the internet! Yikes.
Keep your recipes and blog coming…
I for one love it!
Thank you so much, Brenda! :)
Being in the public domain comes with certain risks, including fielding ridiculous comments from socially challenged folks. You should never ever have to hear these unkind things but keep in mind, at least 25% of the population is mentally challenged in some way and 25% more than that never learned any manners. The fact is that we love your content and we appreciate the effort that you put into each and every recipe. The fact that you include your loving family in the process simply increases the joy we all get when we share these wonderful recipes with our friends and family.
Please continue with unabandoned glee and ignore the comments of those who prove they don’t deserve your attention at all. Love You!
Hi Kevin,
I don’t know you personally, but you seriously just made me a little teary. I so appreciate you taking the time out of your day to stop by and leave such a thoughtful comment.
-Jamie
Don’t you have a way to delete snarky responders??
Why leave your list filled with anger? Drop them?
Susan-
Hello! Yes, I can delete comments and I do. This came through email, so it definitely get published here. And yes, I blocked them from the subscription list and my email account. :)
-Jamie
Jamie, I am so sorry that some people have to be so cruel. It is hard enough getting through each day with what is going on in this wonderful but damaged planet. Just know that the people who are so rude and unkind must be very, very unhappy with their lives and feel the need to lash out and hurt for no reason. Just keep on being positive and being the best human you can be, that is all we can do and hope that people will respond the same. Take care and I can’t wait to try this recipe tonight for supper!!!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Karen! I hope you love the recipe as much as we do! I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. Have an amazing day!
-Jamie
This is my kind of dinner. I could eat creamy pasta every single day especially with extra parmesan, pesto and shrimp!
I have to agree about being kind, I make an effort to say something kind to someone every day, even if it’s over the internet. Where I live people often say, “have a blessed day” as you are leaving a store, the bank or the post office. The world definitely needs more of that.
I try to do the same thing, Milisa! Even though sometimes it’s a little awkward like when I tell the cashier at Target that I like his beard, but I try to do it every single day – to complete strangers. And I’m convinced it makes the world a better place!
-Jamie
You have my 100000% support.
I adore you, Liz! Thanks so much for stopping by!
-Jamie