Easy Thai Basil Pesto Pasta with Shrimp
Thai basil pesto pasta with shrimp has incredible flavors in one dish. The sautéed shrimp in oyster sauce and garlic add a delicious Asian fusion flavor to the homemade Thai basil pesto sauce. It’s a quick, easy dinner ready to serve in 30 minutes!
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 pound dry pasta. Large pasta works great for this recipe. Linguini, Fettucine, Rigatoni, or Rotelle. I used Tagliatelle for this recipe.
- 1/2-1 tablespoon olive oil for sprinkling on cooked pasta.
- 1 tablespoon oil. Vegetable, canola, coconut, or avocado oil
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound shrimp, deveined and shells removed. Tail on is fine.
- 1.5 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1/3 cup bell peppers, sliced small
- 2/3 cup pesto sauce. Use this easy Thai basil pesto recipe or store-bought.
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- 1
In a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain the noodles from the pasta water. Lightly add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the hot pasta and set aside until ready.
- 2
Heat a large non-stick pan at medium heat, and add oil. Once hot, add minced garlic and fry until fragrant. 15-20 seconds. Add the shrimp and sauté until pink, 1 minute. Do not overcook the shrimp.
- 3
Add the oyster sauce to the shrimp and stir well until the shrimp starts to curl up lightly. One minute only. Shrimp cooks fast; don't overcook, or they will taste rubbery.
- 4
Add the tomatoes and bell peppers, and cook for 2 minutes until the vegetables are slightly tender.
- 5
Add the flavorful pesto sauce and stir. Cook for 1 minute until the pesto coats everything in the pan well.
- 6
Add the pasta and mix well. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add 1-2 tbsp of water if the noodles get too dry.
- 7
Add the spinach and basil, stir lightly, and cook for only 1 minute.
- 8
Season the pasta with a pinch of salt and ground pepper. Add the pine nuts and stir one last time. Turn the heat off and serve with parmesan cheese sprinkled over each serving plate. Enjoy!