An easy pasta meal with a delicious homemade creamy pesto sauce! This Shrimp & Basil Pesto Pasta is warm and full of flavor! Made with fresh basil, seasoned shrimp, fresh veggies, and a hearty sauce, this pasta is sure to please! 

Filling Meals for the Fall

Hearty and filling meals are my go-to choices for the Fall and Winter months. I always need something extra filling to get me through my days and keep me warm. Pasta is an instant choice for me because I can eat a certain amount and instantly be full. Plus, I can make pasta in so many ways!

My Shrimp & Basil Pesto Pasta is one of those recipes that can fill me up and give me the right amount of flavor! Made with juicy shrimp, fresh veggies, and a homemade basil pesto cream sauce, this recipe is perfect for this colder weather. I can make it in no time at all! One scoop of this pasta won’t be enough!

Pasta Cooking 101

Pasta Cooking might seem easy, but one extra minute of cooking can cause the pasta to be overcooked. You don’t want to be the person at the family function with an overcooked pasta dish.

Here are some of my go tips for cooking the best pasta:

• Make sure to properly salt your water. If the water doesn’t taste like the ocean, there isn’t enough salt in it. Seasoning the water properly sets the foundation for the overall taste of the pasta.

• Salt also helps to boil the water faster. Whatever goes into the water will come out in the flavor of the pasta.

• If the water is not at a rolling boil, DO NOT add your pasta! You risk overcooking the pasta if you do. Mushy pasta is not what you want for this recipe. Follow the directions on the box if you need to. Cook the pasta until it is al dente (3/4 of the way cooked).

Shrimp & Basil Pesto Pasta Ingredients:

The ingredients are pretty simple in this recipe; but, let’s still walk through them.

This recipe is hearty and filled with great ingredients. They are all very simple to use and find in your local grocery stores.

BASIL PESTO:

• Fresh Basil Leaves: You can pretty much make pesto out of several different types of herbs and greens. Basil Pesto is one of the most common. Make sure that, when measuring, you pack the leaves into your measuring cups. 

• Parmesan Cheese: Cheese pretty much makes everything better in my opinion. Adding a small amount of grated Parmesan cheese made this pesto even better. But, it is totally optional.

• Pine Nuts: To add some texture to the pesto, I added in some pine nuts. Plus, combined with the basil, they make the pesto even more fragrant. 

• Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper: To season, I just stuck with some basic kosher salt and ground black pepper. Make sure to taste it as you go, and have more of both on the side.

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: To make the sauce smooth, I added in some EVOO. The oil can either be added all together and mixed; or, it can be slowly added as the other ingredients are pulsed. 

PASTA:

• Pasta: I decided to use penne pasta for this recipe. Any shape of pasta will work for this recipe. If you do decide to use penne, make sure to taste it for doneness a few times. It tends to take a little longer to cook.

• Shrimp: Large raw shrimp worked very well with this recipe, but large shrimp can be used. I suggest just adding a few more if you decide to go larger. As long as they are peeled and deveined you should be fine. 

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: EVOO is one of the main ingredients of this recipe. A good quality olive oil will really shine through the pesto and the pasta overall. Have a little more on the side for drizzling. 

• Yellow Onion & Garlic: Onions and garlic are two of my favorite basic ingredients that work well in pretty much everything. Trust me, you’ll be able to taste the difference.  

• Cream: To make the sauce thicker and heartier, I added some heavy whipping cream. You only need about one cup. The mixture of cream, pesto, and parmesan cheese is crazy delicious.  

• Parmesan Cheese: When eating most pasta dishes, I’m going to want some type of cheese. I used some shredded parmesan in the sauce and to top the pasta off with. Fresh is always better, but pre-shredded cheese will work just fine.  

• Tomatoes: For some added freshness, I added in some chopped tomatoes. Any tomatoes will work for the recipe, but I highly recommend using Roma (Plum) Tomatoes. They just need a rough chop and then they can be added at the end.

• Fresh Spinach Leaves: This pasta is all about comfort, but I had to add some extra veggies to it. Adding some fresh spinach leaves really gave just the right amount of roughage and extra color. 

• Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper: This recipe is seasoned to taste with kosher salt and ground black pepper. These two seasonings are really all you need. The fresh ingredients will bring in the rest of the flavors.

• Fresh Basil Leaves: I added a few extra basil leaves to garnish the pasta at the end. You can also shred or chop a few leaves and top the pasta with them.

How to make Shrimp & Basil Pesto Pasta

Now that we understand what goes into the recipe, let’s get started! Pasta recipes are so filling, and perfect for all of this Fall weather!

This recipe is perfect for those nights that you do not want to do a lot of cooking or cleaning! The full written recipe is below, but here’s an overview.

BASIL PESTO:

• STEP 1: Combine all of the Ingredients & Blend. Combine all of the ingredients for the basil pesto in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

• STEP 2: Taste & Season. Taste and season with additional kosher salt and ground black pepper, if necessary. Use immediately or store in an air-tight container and refrigerate. 

PASTA:

• STEP 1: Boil the Pasta. Bring a pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the penne pasta and cook until al-dente (¾ of the way cooked) according to the package instructions. Drain and hold the pasta and toss it in a small amount of extra virgin olive oil. 

• STEP 2: Sear the Shrimp. While the pasta is cooking, begin preparing the shrimp and sauce. Lightly season the shrimp with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Heat a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat with 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Add the shrimp and cook until they are ¾ of the way cooked. Remove the shrimp from the heat hold in a separate dish.  

• STEP 3: Start the Sauce. Add another tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and saute the chopped onion until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 - 2 minutes. Add the basil pesto and allow it to slightly simmer. 

• STEP 4: Finish the Sauce. Add the heavy cream and mix. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat down to allow the sauce to simmer. Add ½ of the parmesan cheese and mix. Do not allow the sauce to boil. Taste and adjust the seasoning with kosher salt and ground black pepper.

• STEP 5: Add the Remaining Ingredients. Add the shrimp back into the sauce and allow them to fully cook. Add the pasta, chopped tomatoes, and fresh spinach leaves.

• STEP 6: Toss the Pasta & Season to Taste. Toss the ingredients together and allow the spinach to wilt. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve and top the pasta with fresh basil leaves and remaining cheese. Enjoy! 

TIPS & TRICKS:

This pasta is pretty simple to make but, here’s are some tips and tricks to make it taste even better:

• USE ALL FRESH INGREDIENTS! Pasta takes on whatever flavors you combine it with. Fresh ingredients will always produce a better end product.

• Do not be shy with the Basil. Basil makes up most of the pesto recipe. Not only does it taste delicious, but it also smells even better!

• Do not Boil the Sauce. Boiling the sauce will cause the fats in the sauce to separate rather than emulsify. Keep the sauce at Medium-Low to Medium Heat.

I’d love to hear your feedback about this EASY Lemon & Adobo Steelhead Trout Recipe. Leave me a message in the comments section below. Remember to share and enjoy! Follow Be Greedy Eats on Pinterest and Instagram as well!

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