Basil Pesto Pasta & Shrimp

I love the food opportunities a Sunday presents! It’s a great day to play around with new recipes and old. That is exactly how this Basil Pesto Pasta & Shrimp recipe came about.

Sunday always seems to be a day to wake up thinking about food. This is the day we make a big breakfast and dinner. It’s also a day I experiment with my one-pan dishes for the family and for Burnt Macaroni.

This recipe shows you don’t have to make everything by hand. I make no bones about it — I struggle with making basil pesto. So I decided to use basil pesto we bought for a wine and cheese night in this pasta. It makes this dish so much easier and more manageable.  It’s nice to not have to worry about making the basil pesto.

And look at the end result! It’s the perfect date night pasta dish!  Just add some red wine and french bread and you are set.

I started with the shrimp. We used a pound of 30-40 count shrimp. I sauteed it with a little garlic for only a few minutes until pink on each side.

The shrimp looks like this when it’s done. You never want your shrimp to be hard — that’s the sigh of over-cooked shrimp.

I also threw together whatever vegetables we had in our refrigerator. I found broccoli, zucchini, and red onion. This also sauteed in olive oil for a few minutes.

I tend to like my veggies a little crispy so it turns out a little brown.

I used rigatoni for the pasta but you can use whatever you want. Follow directions on the box for your pasta.

Next, I started layering the dish with the pasta on the bottom.  I then added the cooked veggies.

The shrimp went on top followed by the pre-made basil pesto. I used 6 tablespoons to cover the dish. The amount really depends on how thick you like the sauce or pesto.

Mix it all together and add some fresh parmesan cheese and you are set.

This really is the perfect date night dish!

Enjoy!

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Basil Pesto Pasta with Shrimp

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound 30-40 ct Shrimp peeled
• 3 cloves Garlic minced
• 1/2 medium Red Onion chopped
• Small Zucchini chopped
• Broccoli cut into bite size pieces
• 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
• Rigatoni Pasta
• 6 tablespoons pre-made Basil Pesto
• Parmesan Cheese shredded

Instructions

1. Heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute garlic for about 30 seconds
2. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple of minutes on each side until the shrimp is pink
3. Remove from heat and keep in a separate bowl
4. In a separate pot, cook the pasta as directed
5. In original pan, heat up another tablespoon of olive oil and saute vegetables for a few minutes until browned
6. In a large bowl, add drained, cooked pasta, vegetables, and shrimp
7. Add 6 tablespoons of the pre-made basil pesto and mix together completely
8. Shred fresh parmesan cheese on top
9. Serve

Recipe Notes

There are many ways to vary up this recipe. You can use chicken instead of shrimp or go without any meat or fish at all. Other veggies can also be used.