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Shrimp pesto spaghetti with cherry tomatoes on a serving platter.

Pesto Shrimp Spaghetti with Burst Tomatoes (35 Minutes)

Allie Hagerty
This pesto shrimp spaghetti is made with seared 16/20 shrimp, burst cherry tomatoes, and a thick Genovese-style homemade pesto whisked with pasta water into a silky, glossy sauce that coats every strand of spaghetti. Ready in 35 minutes and built around one pan that does all the work. A meal worth sharing!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Course, Pasta
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • measuring cups
  • measuring spoons
  • Large pot for pasta
  • Colander
  • Large skillet (for shrimp, tomatoes, and sauce)
  • Food processor or blender (for pesto)
  • Mixing bowl (to hold the shrimp and tomatoes)
  • tongs
  • whisk

Ingredients
  

For the shrimp

  • 12 oz shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tbsp olive oil

For the tomatoes

  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes

For the pasta

  • 12 oz spaghetti
  • Kosher salt for the pasta water
  • 1 cup reserved pasta water divided use

For the pesto

  • 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 6 tbsp pine nuts
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano 3.5 oz
  • 6 tbsp grated Pecorino Romano 1.5 oz
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup water

To finish

  • 1/2 lemon for squeezing
  • Grated Parmesan
  • Torn basil

Instructions
 

  • Season the shrimp with the salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until it's glistening and just barely moving in the pan. Add the shrimp in a single layer. Work in batches so they sear instead of steam, you never want to crowd them — and cook, flipping once, until pink and just opaque, about 2–3 minutes per side. Remove to a bowl.
    12 oz shrimp, 1 tsp kosher salt, Freshly ground black pepper, 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Add the butter to the same pan and let it foam and turn nutty for a few seconds. Add the tomatoes. They should sizzle and glisten right away, that's the fond (brown stuff on the bottom of the pan) doing its job!
    1 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
  • While the tomatoes cook, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti to al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
    12 oz spaghetti, Kosher salt, 1 cup reserved pasta water
  • Add 2–3 tbsp pasta water to the tomatoes and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan — that's flavor, not mess. Continue cooking over medium heat until the skins blister and start to split, about 5–7 minutes, using the back of a spoon to help the stubborn ones along. The pan should smell like summer and the tomatoes will be sitting in their own juice. Transfer them and every drop of that juice to the bowl with the shrimp; set aside.
  • (Skip this step if you are using store bought pesto) Make the pesto: in a food processor, combine the basil, pine nuts, garlic, a pinch of salt, Parmigiano, and Pecorino. Process until finely chopped. With the motor running, stream in the olive oil until the pesto turns vibrant green and smooth.
    3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, 1 garlic clove, 6 tbsp pine nuts, 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, 6 tbsp grated Pecorino Romano, 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, Pinch of salt
  • Add the pesto to the same pan you used to cook the shrimp and tomatoes — don't wipe it out, that fond and those tomato juices are the sauce base. Add the 1/2 cup water and whisk to combine; the sauce will loosen and turn glossy almost immediately.
    1/2 cup water
  • Add the cooked spaghetti, then the shrimp and tomatoes with their juices. Use tongs to toss until every strand is coated and glossy, adding more reserved pasta water as needed to keep the sauce silky, not tight.
  • Take the pan off the heat and squeeze in the lemon juice, then toss once more. You must do this off the heat. It keeps the acid bright instead of cooking it flat.
    1/2 lemon
  • Serve immediately, topped with grated Parmesan and torn basil.
    Grated Parmesan, Torn basil

Notes

  • Remove the shrimp tails before cooking. Nobody wants to wrestle a saucy shrimp tail at the dinner table, especially with guests over. Peel them completely before they go in the pan; it takes two minutes and makes the whole dish so much more enjoyable to eat.
  • Never crowd the shrimp pan. Work in batches so the shrimp sear rather than steam. Crowding drops the temperature and you'll lose the fond that the entire sauce is built on.
  • Scrape the fond after the shrimp come out. Those browned bits at the bottom of the pan are flavor you've already built. The tomatoes go in next and pick up every bit of it; don't skip the scrape.
  • Whisk water into the pesto before the pasta goes in. This pesto is true Genovese style; thick and paste-like. Whisking in water is what transforms it into a silky sauce that coats every strand of spaghetti perfectly. Don't skip this step or the sauce will be too thick and won't coat the pasta the way it should.
  • Squeeze the lemon off the heat. Adding acid while the pan's still on the burner cooks it flat and you lose the brightness. Off heat is what wakes the whole dish up.
  • Storage: This one's best eaten fresh; shrimp toughens on reheat and basil dulls. If you have leftovers, reheat gently in a pan with a splash of reserved pasta water until warmed through and glossy again. Keep a small jar of pasta water in the fridge alongside your leftovers for exactly this.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 863kcalCarbohydrates: 68gProtein: 37gFat: 50gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 27gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 157mgSodium: 991mgPotassium: 557mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 479IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 312mgIron: 3mg
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