Easy Pesto Shrimp
Pesto shrimp is a dinnertime win! Savory basil pesto is a natural pairing with juicy shrimp; serve with pasta or rice for an easy dinner idea.
Yes, this is one of those 5 minute simple recipes that’s a savior on busy weeknights. In our house, we eat seafood only occasionally (we eat mostly plant based recipes). But every now and then, we eat healthy seafood like shrimp or salmon. What we love about shrimp: it cooks so quickly! Just a few minutes in a skillet and you’ve got dinner. Here are the basic steps to how to make pesto shrimp:
- Pat the shrimp dry. This is key before you start cooking: so there’s not too much extra liquid.
- Saute the shrimp 1 to 2 minutes per side. Heat the olive oil, then pop in the shrimp and cook just 1 to 2 minutes per side. Just before they are cooked…
- Add pesto for only 30 seconds! This gets it beautifully bright green and coats the shrimp in a beautiful sauce. Do not cook any longer than that, or the pesto will darken and turn brown.
Make pesto shrimp into a fast dinner idea
Of course, this pesto shrimp isn’t a full meal in 5 minutes. But it gets you much closer to dinner! Here’s what we’d suggest serving with it to round it out into a meal:
- Rice: Make a pot of any type of rice: go to How to Cook Rice.
- Quinoa: Make a pot of quinoa: you can even swirl in pesto to the quinoa too.
- Pasta: Add noodles to make it a full meal. Try Shrimp Pesto Pasta or add to Pesto Spaghetti.
- Couscous: Couscous is not a whole grain: it’s a pasta! It cooks in just 5 minutes, so it’s the quickest option. Try this Lemon Herb Couscous.
- Salad: Make a quick salad, like Easy Arugula Salad, Celery Salad or Italian Salad.
- Beans: Make 5 minute Easy Cannellini Beans or Easy White Beans to add even more protein.
- Sauteed Veggies: Try ultra-fast Peas with Lemon, Lemony Green Beans, Sauteed Green Beans, Sauteed Broccoli or Pan Fried Broccoli.
Ingredients
- 1 pound large shrimp, deveined (peeled or unpeeled)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup basil pesto (homemade or purchased)
- Lemon, optional
Instructions
- If necessary, thaw the shrimp.
- Pat the shrimp dry.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Add the shrimp and salt. Cook the shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes per side until almost opaque, turning them with tongs.
- Just before shrimp are fully cooked, add the ¼ cup pesto and continue cooking for 30 seconds, stirring continuously.
- Serve immediately. If using storebought pesto, adjust lemon and or salt accordingly.
Serves 4
Calories Per Serving: 140
% DAILY VALUE
19%Total Fat 14.5g
Saturated Fat 2.2g
0%Total Carbohydrate 0.8g
1%Dietary Fiber 0.2g
Sugars 0.2g
5%Protein 2.4g
1%Vitamin A 12.6µg
0%Vitamin C 0mg
3%Calcium 34.8mg
1%Iron 0.2mg
0%Vitamin D 0g
2%Magnesium 8.9mg
1%Potassium 49.5mg
1%Vitamin B6 0mg
0%Vitamin B12 0g
