Creamy Pesto Shrimp
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Creamy pesto shrimp with plump cherry tomatoes and generously-sprinkled Parmesan is a 25-minute meal that tastes way more involved and elegant than it actually is! Use homemade pesto or your favorite store-bought and serve over pasta, veggies, or rice for a flavorful and vibrant meal in no time flat.
We’ve had a small backyard garden for a couple years now, and the high-yield producers have been different each season—except for basil, which reliably produces an insane volume of leaves from one small planting. Since both my kids will eat almost anything coated in fresh pesto, this abundance poses no problem.
Creamy pesto shrimp is among my personal favorite uses for this year’s bumper crop. This method is very quick and easy, clocking in around 25 minutes start to finish, yet the simple garlic cream sauce packs mighty flavor. Cherry tomatoes add a pop of color, and red pepper flakes perfectly spice up portions for any who crave it.
Round out the meal with garlic knots and an arugula salad or pesto green beans. So easy and so dang delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Pesto Shrimp
- Quick and easy to make with a simple from-scratch pan sauce
- Creamy but not too rich
- Shrimp stay tender and plump simmering in a splash of white wine or broth
- Lots of fresh but easy to work with ingredients like cherry tomatoes, lemon, and herbs
- Versatile enough to enjoy with any pasta, rice, or roasted veggies—and the pan sauce is usually enough to cover those sides, as well
Ingredient Notes
Get Creative with Your Pesto!
This traditional homemade pesto with a pop of lemon zest is my standard go-to, but if you want to disguise a few extra veggies in there—or just clean out the fridge—pesto with spinach or shredded zucchini and basil are truly just as tasty and easy to make.
Defrost Like a Pro
If starting with frozen shrimp, you obviously can thaw them in the fridge overnight. However, I actually prefer to thaw them under cool running water just prior to cooking. Remove all packaging, place shrimp in a large strainer, and run cool water over them until they are tender, but still gray and slightly translucent.
How To Make Creamy Pesto Shrimp, Step by Step
Begin by pan frying a bit of garlic in butter, then adding white wine or chicken broth. This makes a quick but flavorful cooking liquid in which to cook the shrimp.
Add shrimp in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, and cook for just about 2 minutes. Shrimp cook very quickly, so try not to get distracted at this point.
Flip the shrimp and add the halved cherry tomatoes. Cook for another couple of minutes, just until the shrimp are opaque and just about fully cooked.
Continue making the sauce by stirring in cream, lemon juice, and finely-grated Parmesan cheese. The cheese will melt for maximum flavor and a nice smooth texture.
Turn off the heat and stir in the pesto. Reducing the heat at this step is helpful for three reasons: it prevents overcooking the shrimp, reduces the odds of the cream curdling or separating, and helps the pesto maintain a more vibrant bright green color.
Wait until the pesto is incorporated into a smooth sauce to sample and season with more salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Yum!
What To Pair with Shrimp in Pesto Cream Sauce
Our top-tier family favorite is to serve pesto shrimp with bucatini, which is like a thick spaghetti noodle with tiny cylindrical holes running through the center of each long piece. It’s so good! For us, the pan sauce is sufficient to coat four servings (two adult + two kid) of pasta.
Pro Tip
If you’re making pasta and find you want to stretch out the pan sauce a bit more, reserve a bit of the cooking water from the pasta and whisk it into the sauce over medium-low heat. The starch released by the pasta will help this water blend seamlessly into the sauce to increase its volume without excessively watering it down.
A simple salad on the side is so tasty, and/or the extra pan sauce is totally delicious drizzled over steamed or roasted broccoli, broccolini, or carrots.
More Easy Shrimp Recipes
- One-Pot Lemon Shrimp Orzo
- Easy Shrimp Marinara
- 15-Minute Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Lemony Shrimp and Bean Stew
- Honey Garlic Shrimp
- Sheet Pan Shrimp and Veggies
Creamy Pesto Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup white wine or low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 pound medium shrimp raw, peeled, deveined
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half lengthwise
- ⅓ cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup basil pesto
- extra Parmesan and red pepper flakes optional for serving
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds, just until fragrant. Quickly add white wine or chicken broth.1 Tablespoon butter, 2 cloves garlic, ⅓ cup white wine or low-sodium chicken broth
- Bring the liquid to a simmer, then add the shrimp in as close to a single layer as you can get them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes.1 pound medium shrimp, kosher salt and black pepper
- Flip the shrimp, then add the halved cherry tomatoes. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, until the shrimp are opaque and just about cooked through.1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
- Add the cream, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese. Stir until sauce is mostly smooth, then turn off the heat and stir in the pesto. When the sauce is smooth again, sample and season with more salt, pepper, and lemon to taste.⅓ cup heavy cream, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, ⅓ cup basil pesto
- Serve shrimp and sauce right away over pasta or veggies, with extra Parmesan and red pepper flakes sprinkled on top as desired.extra Parmesan and red pepper flakes
Notes
- Yield: This recipe yields two generous adult-sized portions + two small kid portions in my house, with plenty of sauce for dressing pasta or side veggies. Use more shrimp if you think you will need them!
- Pesto: This traditional homemade pesto with a pop of lemon zest is my standard go-to, but if you want to disguise a few extra veggies in there—or just clean out the fridge—this spinach basil pesto or pesto with shredded zucchini are truly just as tasty and easy to make.
- Thawing Shrimp: If starting with frozen shrimp, you obviously can thaw them in the fridge overnight. However, I actually prefer to thaw them under cool running water just prior to cooking. Remove all packaging, place shrimp in a large strainer, and run cool water over them until they are tender, but still gray and slightly translucent.
- Stretch Out the Sauce: If you’re making pasta and find you want to stretch out the pan sauce a bit more, reserve a bit of the cooking water from the pasta and whisk it into the sauce over medium-low heat. The starch released by the pasta will help this water blend seamlessly into the sauce to increase its volume without watering it down too much.
- Nutrition Info: This info is an estimate based on the shrimp and sauce only, divided into four equal portions. It does not include pasta or sides.
Nutrition Estimate
Use ALL the Basil
Still drowning in the world’s best herb? Browse my collection of recipes using basil so none of it goes to waste but you don’t get bored!
