Shrimp Pesto Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ditch the restaurant and create the fine-dining ambience at home by making this glorious restaurant style shrimp pesto pasta at home with the goodness of homemade basil pesto with sun-dried tomatoes!

When you want to try something fancy but are skeptical about eating out because you don’t want to ruin your healthy eating habits, you must try making this stunning shrimp pesto pasta at home!

I can assure you that this shrimp pesto pasta is ridiculously easy to make and you really need NOT be a pro to make such a fancy dish at home!

You will need certain equipment which I believe is available in most of the kitchens and you should be good to go with the recipe!

Pastas are in general my go-to recipes when my better half & I want something different from regular meals which are mostly typical Indian foods.

That’s the very reason you will find ample pasta recipes in our blog even though we belong to typical Indian households and cook typical Indian meals most of the time.

But pasta recipes, like this shrimp pesto pasta, really makes my life easy when it comes to fancy eating as I can get them from kitchen to dining table in less than 30 minutes!

If you are having as busy a schedule as I do, I am sure you will love this recipe of shrimp pesto pasta too! Read on!

What is shrimp pesto pasta with sun-dried tomatoes?

As the name suggests, shrimp pesto pasta is a delicious amalgamation of shrimp pasta with pesto pasta! Shrimp pasta and basil pesto pasta are individually my favorite pastas!

So when I got a chance to combine both, I was instantly on cloud 9! Thanks to the recipe from ‘Carlsbad Cravings’, I was inspired and adapted it to suit our taste buds!

Fresh basil and sun-dried tomatoes created an unforgettable combination working like magic which made this shrimp pesto pasta turn out to be no less than a classic Italian restaurant like dish!

All you need is a blender (or a mixer-grinder as we call them in Indian households) and just a few ingredients to make the most mind-blowing condiment ever i.e. basil pesto which is undisputedly my most favorite condiment to toss my pasta with!

As I had already promised, this shrimp pesto pasta is not a tough recipe!

You only need to blend all the pesto ingredients in the blender and toss your cooked pasta and cooked shrimps in the prepared pesto in a warm pan.

Finally, sprinkle grated parmesan and you are ready to serve!

Ingredients for shrimp pesto pasta with sun-dried tomatoes

Fresh basil: I would strongly urge you to make your own basil pesto! Getting fresh basil has become quite easy these days thanks to our shift in choice towards food which has become more inclusive than ever.

Get a bunch of fresh basil leaves and make a good pesto which will stay good for a month in your freezer.

Sun-dried tomatoes: Use of sun-dried tomatoes in oil to make fresh basil pesto makes it pleasantly different from all my earlier pesto pasta recipes.

Sun-dried tomatoes are special condiments that load your food with super flavors as they themselves are flavor-powerhouse!

I had not used this interesting ingredient a lot, except in my one pot curried chicken & rice recipe; but I definitely intend to use them more often from now on!

Shrimp: My choice of protein in this pesto pasta recipe was shrimps as the name of the recipe suggests. Shrimps really create wonders in whichever recipe it is added to!

And the same magic is intact in this shrimp pesto pasta! If basil pesto is the showstopper in this shrimp pesto pasta recipe, then these jumbo shrimps are the jewels on its crown!

Pasta: For this shrimp pesto pasta, your choice of pasta can be anything – spaghetti, linguine, penne or rigatoni.

I went ahead with capellini which is also known as angel hair pasta this being the thinnest pasta of all.

It turned out simply amazing with capellini and I am sure other varieties of pasta will work beautifully too thanks to the amazing basil & sun-dried tomato pesto.

Cashews: To give a body to your basil pesto, you will need a nut. Now traditionally pine nuts are used in Italian pesto.

Since it is a little difficult to source pine nuts here in India, I substituted it with our good old cashews. Cashews impart that much-needed creamy texture to the pesto when blended with basil and sun-dried tomatoes.

Balsamic vinegar: This gourmet vinegar adds a special touch to your shrimp pesto pasta. It adds depth, sophistication, and a touch of luxury to your pasta recipe!

Aromatics: No pasta recipe, or any recipe for that matter, is complete without the generous addition of aromatics!

Aromatics are those lifelines for recipes which can make or break your dishes; so it’s not wise to ignore them!

A good handful of garlic cloves and a small onion will give your basil pesto a nice depth of flavor and a hint of sweetness! Don’t skip them!

Herbs & spices: To ensure that your basil pesto doesn’t turn out boring & bland, spice it up with dried oregano and red chilli flakes.

The Italian herb will infuse your pesto with Italian flavors and the chilli flakes will add that tempting kick, but subtly!

Parmesan cheese: You will surely need a good Parmesan cheese to finish your shrimp pesto pasta before serving.

I had cut down the amount of cheese in half of what is mentioned in the original recipe as I liked it that way. Feel free to use more if you want your pasta to be more cheesy!

Olive oil: Since we would be using the oil that comes in the jar of sun-dried tomatoes, you won’t need additional olive oil to make your basil pesto.

But you will need just a little amount to cook your shrimps and also while warming up pesto before mixing with capellini.

Seasoning: You will have to season your shrimp pesto pasta in all layers. First, season the water with salt before boiling your pasta.

Secondly, while sauteing the shrimps, season them with salt & pepper but sparingly.

Finally, season your basil pesto with sun-dried tomatoes while blending them.

How to make shrimp pesto pasta with sun dried tomatoes?

Step 1: First boil water in a large pot and season it heavily with salt. Once the water comes to boil, add your pasta and boil them on medium flame until they become al dente i.e. soft but not too mushy and still having a bite to it.

Pro tip: Every pasta has different cooking times depending on their thickness & shape. You can check the packet in which the pasta comes; usually the cooking time is mentioned in minutes. Feel free to follow that as a guideline.

Step 2: Before draining the water out from pasta, reserve a cup of pasta boiling water. Then transfer the pasta to a colander to let all the water drain out.

Step 3: Give a quick rinse to your pasta in running water and leave it in the colander to allow excess water to drip off.

Step 4: Now to make the basil pesto with sun-dried tomatoes, add all the other ingredients (except shrimps of course) to a blender – garlic, onion, toasted cashews, balsamic vinegar, dried oregano, red chilli flakes, fresh basil leaves and sun-dried tomatoes with the oil.

Step 5: Season them with salt and pepper. Now blend them to make a smooth pesto. Ensure there are no unbroken cashew pieces and everything is blended to make a smooth & velvety pesto.

Your smooth & velvety basil pesto with sun-dried tomatoes is ready.

Step 6: Transfer the basil pesto to an airtight jar and you can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Step 7: Heat a large pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Once the oil is warm, add the shrimps to the pan. Sprinkle half a teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper powder.

Step 8: Cook the shrimps for 2 minutes on medium flame, then flip them over and let the other side cook for another 2 minutes until the shrimps turn opaque. Take them out and set aside on a plate, do not overcook them.

Step 9: Now in the same pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil. Once the oil is warm, add about 4 tablespoons of prepared basil & sun-dried tomato pesto.

Step 10: Using a spatula stir the pesto and let it saute just for a minute so that it warms up.

Step 11: Now add the boiled pasta to the pan and also drizzle half a cup of reserved pasta water which makes it easier to mix the pasta with pesto.

Step 12: Give a good stir using a spatula or tong so that each pasta gets evenly coated with pesto. The water that you had added will also get absorbed by the pasta.

Pro tip: For the right amount of basil pesto, you will need to take a call while sauteing and mixing pesto with pasta. If you feel that your pastas are not evenly getting coated with pesto, feel free to add more.

Step 13: Next add the cooked shrimps to the pan and give a good mix. You can check and adjust seasoning if needed at this stage.

Step 14: Finally add the grated parmesan cheese and give a final mix. Allow the pasta to cook for 5 more minutes so that the cheese melts nicely.

Step 15: Your shrimp pesto pasta is ready to serve! Serve it on individual pasta plates and sprinkle little more grated cheese on top! Enjoy!

More delicious pasta recipes from Flavor Quotient

Shrimp Pesto Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes | Easy Shrimp Pasta Dinner Recipe

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

30 mins

Author: Priyanka

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 2 Servings

Ingredients

Pasta of your choice - 200 gms
Shrimp - 250 gms, peeled, deveined & washed
Fresh basil leaves - 1 cup, packed, roughly chopped
Sun-dried tomatoes in oil - ¾ cup
Extra virgin olive oil - 2 tbsp
Garlic - 7 to 8 cloves, peeled
Onion - 1, small, roughly chopped
Cashew - 2 tbsp, toasted
Balsamic vinegar - 1 tbsp
Dried oregano - 1 tsp
Red chilli flakes - ½ tsp
Parmesan cheese - ¼ cup, grated
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

First boil water in a large pot and season it heavily with salt. Once the water comes to boil, add your pasta and boil them on medium flame until they become al dente i.e. soft but not too mushy and still having a bite to it.
Before draining the water out from pasta, reserve a cup of pasta boiling water. Then transfer the pasta to a colander to let all the water drain out.
Give a quick rinse to your pasta in running water and leave it in the colander to allow excess water to drip off.
Now to make the basil pesto with sun-dried tomatoes, add all the other ingredients to a blender - garlic, onion, toasted cashews, balsamic vinegar, dried oregano, red chilli flakes, fresh basil leaves and sun-dried tomatoes with the oil.
Season them with salt and pepper. Now blend them to make a smooth pesto. Ensure there are no unbroken cashew pieces and everything is blended to make a smooth & velvety pesto. Your smooth & velvety basil pesto with sun-dried tomatoes is ready.
Transfer the basil pesto to an airtight jar and you can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Heat a large pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Once the oil is warm, add the shrimps to the pan. Sprinkle half a teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper powder.
Cook the shrimps for 2 minutes on medium flame, then flip them over and let the other side cook for another 2 minutes until the shrimps turn opaque. Take them out and set aside on a plate, do not overcook them.
Now in the same pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil. Once the oil is warm, add about 4 tablespoons of prepared basil & sun-dried tomato pesto.
Using a spatula stir the pesto and let it saute just for a minute so that it warms up.
Now add the boiled pasta to the pan and also drizzle half a cup of reserved pasta water which makes it easier to mix the pasta with pesto.
Give a good stir using a spatula or tong so that each pasta gets evenly coated with pesto. The water that you had added will also get absorbed by the pasta.
Next add the cooked shrimps to the pan and give a good mix. You can check and adjust seasoning if needed at this stage.
Finally add the grated parmesan cheese and give a final mix. Allow the pasta to cook for 5 more minutes so that the cheese melts nicely.
Your shrimp pesto pasta is ready to serve! Serve it on individual pasta plates and sprinkle little more grated cheese on top! Enjoy!