Pesto Shrimp Pasta
Pesto Shrimp Pasta is a crowd pleaser every time! It takes less than 15 minutes to prepare and is full of flavor! This Pesto Shrimp Pasta recipe was my first published recipe in the 2017 issue of “Mississippi Seafood Recipes”, by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources.
The recipe is quite simple, but the secret is the shrimp. Fresh, wild-caught shrimp have such a delicious flavor and they only take about 6 minutes to cook.
How Should I Cook the Shrimp?
Believe it or not, this recipe calls for baked shrimp! Yes…simply heat the oven to 325ºF; place cleaned, deveined shrimp in an oven-proof dish; season shrimp with Old Bay Seasoning; add melted butter and minced garlic to the shrimp. Stir it all together, then bake uncovered till the shrimp are pink, about 5 – 8 minutes.
Baking shrimp is not a traditional method, but I find the shrimp don’t taste as “water-logged” and they retain more flavor.
Can I Serve Pesto Shrimp Pasta Cold?
Yes! This dish is excellent for all-day gatherings (where people “graze” from the buffet table) because there is no mayonnaise or dairy in the ingredients–it won’t go bad if it sits out awhile.
This dish can be served hot, warm, or cold…your call!
Can I Make this Recipe with Tubular Pasta?
Of course! A tubular pasta (rigatoni, penne or elbow) pastas hold the sauce a little better, but if you’re one to shy away from a lot of sauce, by all means feel free to use a strand pasta like spaghetti, angel hair, linguine or fettuccine.
Pesto Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb. pasta
- 1 lb. shrimp
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 tablespoons pesto sauce
- 6 oz. roasted red peppers drained and sliced
- 2 teaspoons seafood seasoning , dry (Old Bay)
- juice from half a lemon
- shredded parmesan optional
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F
- Devein shrimp, remove tails and rinse under cool water. Dry shrimp on paper towel
- Sprinkle dry seafood seasoning over shrimp and let sit for 5 minutes
- Drain and slice red peppers into bite-size portions
- Combine olive oil, garlic, pesto sauce, lemon juice and red peppers in a large bowl.
- Place shrimp into the bowl and toss until coated
- Place mixture in baking dish and bake 7 - 8 minutes, or until shrimp are bright pink. Turn shrimp after about four minutes
- Cook pasta according to package
- Drain pasta and place in a large serving bowl
- Add fresh spinach; pour shrimp/pesto/pepper mixture over pasta; combine well
- Garnish with fresh Parmesan
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