Pesto shrimp orzo is a straightforward, flavorful, creamy meal that’s prepared in simply 20 minutes with 4 principal substances. This orzo pasta is coated with pesto and paired with plump shrimp and tomatoes for a easy weeknight dinner. Excellent for weekday meals but additionally good to feed a crowd.
If you happen to love fast and straightforward recipes like this, it is best to strive my Pesto Tuna Pasta recipe or do this Pesto Hen Skillet with rice or pasta on the facet for a easy meal.
Recipe highlights
- 4 substances
- 20 minutes
- Simple to make
- Eye-catching meal
- Nice for busy weeknights
- Versatile
Substances
- Orzo – this small pasta appears like rice however it’s pasta. Typically discovering a gluten free orzo will be powerful, so you may additionally use gluten free pasta.
- Pesto – use your favourite pesto or make your personal.
- Shrimp – I like to make use of giant Argentinian Pink Shrimp from Dealer Joe’s. I like this as a result of it’s peeled and deveined. Remember to permit the shrimp to defrost utterly earlier than cooking.
- Tomatoes – I really like including tomatoes to any dish with pesto. It’s an important pop of shade and the flavors pair completely.
Methods to make pesto orzo with shrimp
Cook dinner orzo: Carry water to a boil, prepare dinner orzo in keeping with the package deal instructions.
Cook dinner the shrimp. Warmth a medium to giant skillet over medium warmth. When sizzling, spray with avocado oil (or olive oil) and add shrimp, salt and garlic powder. Cook dinner 2-3 minutes, flip and prepare dinner 1-2 extra minutes. Flip off warmth.
Lower tomatoes in half.
Reserve pasta water: When orzo is completed cooking, reserve 1/4 – 1/2 cup of the pasta water earlier than draining.
Assemble the dish: Drain orzo, add shrimp, pesto and tomatoes to the pot. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the pasta water and stir effectively. Add extra pasta water if wanted.
Prime ideas
- Make this with shrimp, rooster, chickpeas or salmon.
- Use retailer purchased pesto to make this tremendous easy. You probably have an extra quantity of basil at residence, make your personal pesto!
- To avoid wasting time, remember to purchase peeled, deveined shrimp. I at all times purchase frozen and defrost in beneath an hour or in a single day (for those who bear in mind to defrost the night time earlier than).
- If you happen to overlook to defrost your shrimp, you possibly can prepare dinner frozen shrimp within the air fryer.
Variations
- Add extra veggies: Add cooked zucchini, broccoli, bell peppers, asparagus, roasted purple peppers, child spinach, kale, artichoke hearts
- Spice: Add crushed purple pepper flakes
- Different protein: You need to use cooked rooster (diced rooster or shredded rooster), chickpeas, Italian tofu or salmon bites.
What to serve with pesto orzo
Widespread questions
The place to search out gluten free orzo
Orzo is pasta that’s cooked quick and resembles rice. Till just lately, there weren’t a ton of gluten free choices. Nonetheless, I’ve discovered 2 actually scrumptious gluten free choices:
Can you utilize do-it-yourself pesto
Sure! You probably have an abundance of basil and would favor to make use of do-it-yourself, use your favourite recipe or you possibly can strive:
What for those who don’t have orzo?
If you happen to don’t have orzo pasta, you should use rice, pasta, spaghetti squash, or cauliflower rice.
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- 1 pound giant shrimp – peeled and deveined
- 1 cup pesto
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 oz orzo
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes – lower in half
- 1/4 cup pasta water
Carry water to a boil, prepare dinner orzo in keeping with the package deal instructions.
Whereas orzo is cooking, prepare dinner the shrimp. Warmth a medium to giant skillet over medium warmth. When sizzling, spray with avocado oil (or olive oil) and add shrimp, salt and garlic powder. Cook dinner 2-3 minutes, flip and prepare dinner 1-2 extra minutes. Flip off warmth.
Lower tomatoes in half.
When orzo is completed cooking, reserve 1/4 – 1/2 cup of the pasta water earlier than draining.
Drain orzo, add shrimp, pesto and tomatoes to the pot. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the pasta water and stir effectively. Add extra pasta water if wanted.
Serve sizzling or at room temperature.
- Make this with shrimp, rooster, chickpeas or salmon.
- Use retailer purchased or do-it-yourself pesto.
- To avoid wasting time, remember to purchase peeled, deveined shrimp. If frozen, defrost in beneath an hour or in a single day.
- If you happen to overlook to defrost your shrimp, you possibly can prepare dinner frozen shrimp within the air fryer.
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- Fridge: Retailer leftover shrimp orzo pesto pasta within the fridge for as much as 3 days in an hermetic container.
- Freezer: You may freeze leftovers in a freezer protected container, nevertheless I don’t love the feel of the shrimp when frozen and defrosted after being cooked.
Vitamin Data
Vitamin Details
Quantity per Serving
The place does vitamin data come from? Vitamin info are supplied as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Meals Database.
