This Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta is one of the most flavorful and delicious Italian-inspired dinners that I make for my family over and over again! Bursting with fresh Italian flavors and packed full of juicy shrimp, this amazing pasta is simple to make and ready in just 30 minutes!
Why You’ll Love Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
This creamy sun-dried tomato and basil pesto pasta is an amazingly flavorful Italian-inspired dish that comes together quickly for a crowd-pleasing lunch or dinner. As one of my favorite pasta recipes to make at home, it pops with fresh and zesty flavors that perfectly complement the juicy shrimp. Incredibly versatile, it’s easy to make this dish with chicken instead of shrimp or add a little heavy cream for a creamier sauce. You could even swap the pasta for gnocchi!
Ingredient Notes
- To make this recipe vegan: Omit the shrimp and parmesan cheese. Don’t worry, the recipe will still taste delicious.
- To make this recipe gluten-free: Swap regular pasta noodles for your favorite gluten-free variety. You can also use zucchini noodles or cooked spaghetti squash.
How to Make Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Before draining, reserve one cup of pasta water and set it aside.
- In a large food processor or high-powered blender, add all of the pesto ingredients and pulse to blend well.
- In a large skillet, heat half of the pesto sauce over medium heat for one minute. Add the shrimp and sauté until they are pink and nearly cooked. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water. Add the drained pasta back into the skillet and toss to coat. Add more water if needed.
- Garnish with Parmesan cheese and red chili flakes.
Storage and Reheating
Storage: Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Shrimp are best enjoyed immediately as they often become chewy after refrigeration and reheating.
Reheating: Reheat the pasta in a large skillet over medium heat with approximately 4 tablespoons of boiling water added to the pan, stirring continuously and adding additional water as needed until desired consistency is reached. Or, reheat it in the microwave.
Freezing: Freezing the pasta and cooked shrimp is not recommended. However, the pesto may be frozen for up to 3 months.
What to Serve with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
I like to serve this pasta with a light side tomato salad or roasted veggies like zucchini and asparagus. A slice of crusty buttery bread is always a good idea, too.
More Delicious Pasta Recipes
- Ground Turkey Pasta
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
- Creamy Buffalo Chicken Pasta Recipe
- Pasta with Bacon and Peas
- Spring Pea Pasta with Prosciutto and Burrata Cheese
If you try making this Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
RECIPE CARD
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
For the Pesto:
- 8.5 oz sundried tomatoes in oil - one 8.5 oz can
- 1 cup fresh basil - packed
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 6 cloves garlic - chopped
- 2 shallots - peeled and chopped
- 3 tablespoon pine nuts
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt - approximately 1 teaspoon
For the pasta:
- 1 pound linguine - or other favorite pasta, cooked according to package instructions
- 1 pound shrimp
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Once finished (not soggy!), drain, and reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Meanwhile, in the bowl of a large food processor or high powered blender, add pesto ingredients. Blend until completely processed.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add half of the sun dried tomato basil pesto and saute for approximately 1 minute. Add shrimp and continue to sauté until shrimp are pink and nearly cooked. Stir in Parmesan cheese until just starting to melt along with a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water. Add the pasta to the pan and toss to coat. Slowly add more water as needed.
- Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and red chili flakes.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
I made the pesto in the morning then the whole recipe later for supper, went very fast. Loved it.
I make a similar recipe and use heavy whipping cream in the sauce instead if the pasta water. We add some veggies to it as well. So yummy and versatile!
Help! What about the other half of the pesto? Is it added later? The recipe didn’t say …
You can save the other half, or add extra pesto to suit to your taste 🙂
Made this for company last night and was enjoyed by all!
Thanks for the recipe Jessica. 😊