Simple Shrimp Pesto Pasta is the perfect weeknight meal that you don’t need to fuss over to get great flavors. My own Momma would make this kind of pasta dish for us all the time when we were kids. She always used tri-colored pasta, a jar of pesto from Classico and chopped up tomatoes with plenty of grated parmesan.
Absolute comfort.
I make this for a quick weeknight pasta meal. Yes, you most certainly could make your own pesto, but if I’m buying any store bought pesto it has to be Classico. Not an ad, I just really love their pesto for simple dishes like this. Add in roasted cherry tomatoes and sauteed shrimp and you have one delicious meal ready in under 30 minutes.
My husband and I frequently find ourselves having a big bowl of this pasta with a glass of wine after a long week. A long week when I don’t want to cook, but am too much of a hot mess to go out either! I always have a jar of pesto in my pantry along with the tri-colored pasta. You can never have too much pasta stored in your pantry in my opinion.
When cooking pasta always be sure to save about a cup of the cooking liquid to add to your sauce. It’s a trick that most great Chefs use. Even if it gets too soupy the pasta will end up soaking up most of it while it’s finishing cooking in the sauce. Because I’m sure you cook your pasta al dente too! Another great cooking tip: always under cook your pasta to al dente and finish cooking it in your sauce over the warm surface of your stove.
Wine Pairing Recommendation: Sauvignon Blanc, the crisp, grassy, and grapefruit flavors play perfectly with pesto.
Simple Shrimp Pesto Pasta
A simple meal for any weeknight dinner. When cooking pasta always save a cup of cooking liquid for the sauce. Cook your pasta to al dente and let it finish cooking in the sauce to soak up all those great flavors. I use the whole jar of pesto in this recipe because I absolutely love the flavor. If this is too much for you start with about half the jar. Everything comes together so quickly and under 30 minutes for a simple, but delicious meal.
Ingredients
- 1 pint Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper, for seasoning
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 1/2 pound Large Raw Shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 pound Tri Colored Pasta
- 1 jar {8.1 ounces} Classico Basil Pesto
- 1/2 cup Parmesan, grated, plus more for garnish
- Parsley, chopped for garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Step 2 Place cherry tomatoes on a sheet pan toss in 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with kosher salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Step 3 In a large pan add the butter and heat over medium high heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add shrimp to the pan and saute 2 minutes per side.
- Step 4 Meanwhile, cook pasta to al dente, save a cup of cooking liquid, and turn heat off and drain well. Place pasta back in the warm pot and on your warm stove, add the pesto and the cup of reserved cooking liquid, stir. Add the parmesan and stir until melted. Toss in cooked shrimp and roasted tomatoes.
- Step 5 Serve immediately with plenty of grated parmesan and chopped parsley for garnish.
Savor and Enjoy!
