Shrimp pesto pasta
Chickpea pasta tossed with homemade basil pesto, seared shrimp and cherry tomatoes.
- Hands-on
- 18 min
- Total time
33 min, show breakdown
- Prep 10 min
- Cook 15 min
- Clean up 8 min
- Pans
- 2
- Ingredients
- 9
- Cost/serving
- $6.76
Per serving
- Calories
- 571
- Protein
- 43 g
- Fiber
- 7.3 g
- Net carbs
- 35 g
- Fat
- 28 g
High in (% Daily Value per serving): Vitamin K 100%, Selenium 97%, Vitamin B12 63%, Folate 45%, Zinc 37%, Vitamin B6 36%, Vitamin E 34%, Niacin (B3) 31%, Magnesium 31%, Thiamin (B1) 28%, Iron 26%, Calcium 23%, Potassium 20%, Vitamin C 20%
Whole recipe (): . Full nutrition facts, vitamins and minerals. All nutrition is estimated; check your own labels.
Everything else is scaled from this.
Nutrition per serving is the whole batch divided by this.
Already egg-free, gluten-free, soy-free.
Ingredients for 2
Tap an ingredient for other units and forms.
You changed this recipe. Nutrition and cost include your changes. This combination hasn't been tested.
250 g raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, peeled and deveined
Same amount as: 8¾ oz.
120 g chickpea pasta, dry
Same amount as: 4¼ oz.
2 cups fresh basil (48 g), leaves, packed
Same amount as: 480 mL.
4 tbsp parmesan, grated (20 g), grated
Same amount as: 60 mL.
2 tbsp walnuts, chopped (15 g)
Same amount as: 30 mL.
1 clove garlic, smashed (3 g)
Same amount as: 1 tsp fresh minced garlic, ½ tsp jarred minced garlic, ⅛ tsp garlic powder.
1 tbsp lemon juice (15 g)
Same amount as: 15 mL, ¼ lemon squeezed from fresh lemons.
2½ tbsp olive oil (34 g)
Same amount as: 40 mL.
1 cup cherry tomatoes (150 g)
Same amount as: 240 mL.
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Use the menu next to each ingredient to skip it, halve it or add more. Nutrition updates as you go. The main ingredient changes with servings instead.
Amount for everything you're cooking. Missing an ingredient? Ask for it.
Healthier swaps
Optional. Nutrition and cost update as you choose; the recipe was written with the original.
Optional
Adds about 0 kcal per serving.
Quantities are for 2 servings.
Nutrition Facts
2 servings per recipe
Serving size 1 plate (328 g raw)
| Nutrient | Per serving | % DV* | Whole recipe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 571 | ||
| Total fat | 28 g | 36% | |
| Saturated fat | 4.9 g | 24% | |
| Cholesterol | 208 mg | 69% | |
| Sodium | 506 mg | 22% | |
| Total carbohydrate | 42 g | 15% | |
| Dietary fiber | 7.3 g | 26% | |
| Total sugars | 5.5 g | ||
| Net carbs† | 35 g | ||
| Protein | 43 g | 87% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.05 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 296 mg | 23% | |
| Iron | 4.7 mg | 26% | |
| Potassium | 929 mg | 20% | |
| Vitamin A | 116 mcg | 13% | |
| Vitamin C | 18 mg | 20% | |
| Vitamin E | 5.1 mg | 34% | |
| Vitamin K | 120 mcg | 100% | |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.34 mg | 28% | |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.22 mg | 17% | |
| Niacin (B3) | 4.9 mg | 31% | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.61 mg | 36% | |
| Folate | 181 mcg | 45% | |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.5 mcg | 63% | |
| Magnesium | 129 mg | 31% | |
| Zinc | 4 mg | 37% | |
| Selenium | 53 mcg | 97% |
Estimated, not verified. These numbers are calculated from typical ingredient data and haven't been checked against a lab or your brands. Check the labels of what you buy and confirm anything that matters to you, especially sodium, sugar and allergens.
* % Daily Value shows how much one serving adds to a 2,000-calorie day. † Net carbs is not on US labels; it is total carbs minus fiber, allulose, erythritol and half of other sugar alcohols. "To taste" amounts are counted as written. Counted items (eggs, cloves, spoons) use the rounded amount shown in the ingredient list. Vitamins and minerals are from raw ingredients; cooking lowers some, especially vitamin C and folate. How this is calculated.
Steps
Put a pot of salted water on to boil. Blend the basil, parmesan, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, 2 tbsp of the oil and 2 tbsp of water until smooth.
Done looks like: Bright green, thick paste with no whole leaves left. Halve the tomatoes. Pat the shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper.
Cook the pasta 1 minute less than the packet says. Scoop out ½ cup of the water, then drain.
Done looks like: Tender with a slight bite in the middle. While the pasta cooks, heat the rest of the oil in the pan on medium-high. Add the shrimp in one layer. Cook 2 minutes, flip, and cook 1–2 minutes more.
Done looks like: Pink and opaque all the way through, curled into a loose C. 63 °C / 145 °F. Turn the heat off. Add the pasta, tomatoes, pesto and 3 tbsp of pasta water to the pan. Toss until glossy.
Done looks like: Pesto coats every piece and pools a little, not dry or oily.
Equipment
Medium pot with lid, about 2 L (2 qt) $15–35
What to look for
- Lid that fits snugly
- Thick base so it does not scorch
Skip: Glass lids that fog up are fine; copper is not needed.
Non-stick frying pan, 26 cm (10 in) $20–45
What to look for
- Flat, heavy base that does not wobble on the stove
- Oven-safe handle is a bonus, not required
- Works on your stove type (induction needs a magnetic base)
Skip: Sets of 10 pieces. You will use two of them.
Blender $30–100
What to look for
- Handles frozen fruit without stalling
- Jar that is easy to take apart and rinse
Skip: Expensive high-speed blenders unless you blend every day. A personal blender works for one serving.
Silicone spatula $5–12
What to look for
- One-piece (no seam where the head meets the handle)
- Stiff enough to scrape, safe on non-stick
Skip: Wooden spatulas for non-stick pans; they work but do not scrape as cleanly.
Chef's knife, 20 cm (8 in) $15–50
What to look for
- Comfortable handle that does not slip when wet
- Blade you can sharpen, or a cheap one you replace every few years
Skip: Knife blocks with 12 knives. A chef's knife and a small paring knife cover almost everything.
Cutting board $10–30
What to look for
- At least 30 × 40 cm (12 × 16 in), so food stays on it
- Wood or plastic; plastic goes in the dishwasher
Skip: Glass or stone boards. They dull knives fast.
What goes wrong
| What | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Pesto turns dark and dull | Basil heated in a hot pan, or blended so long it got warm. | Add the pesto with the heat off. Blend in short bursts. |
| Tough, rubbery shrimp | Cooked too long. | Take them off as soon as they are opaque and curled into a C. A tight O means overcooked. |
| Dry, clumpy pasta | Chickpea pasta soaks up sauce as it sits. | Toss with more pasta water and serve right away. |
Versions
| Version | Changes | Per serving |
|---|---|---|
| Original | As written. Hands-on 18 min, total 33 min. | 571 kcal 43 g protein 7.3 g fiber 35 g net carbs 28 g fat |
| Nut-free | Pumpkin seeds instead of walnuts. Hands-on 18 min, total 33 min. | 567 kcal 45 g protein 7.3 g fiber 35 g net carbs 27 g fat |
| Dairy-free | Nutritional yeast instead of parmesan. Hands-on 18 min, total 33 min. | 550 kcal 42 g protein 8.4 g fiber 35 g net carbs 26 g fat |
Notes
Allergies: removing an allergen from the recipe does not remove it from your kitchen or from other products. Check labels for "may contain" warnings.
Pregnancy: Cook shrimp until pink and opaque, 63 °C / 145 °F. Use parmesan made from pasteurized milk.