Pesto shrimp orzo is a simple, flavorful, creamy meal that’s prepared in simply 20 minutes with 4 predominant components. This orzo pasta is coated with pesto and paired with plump shrimp and tomatoes for a easy weeknight dinner. Good for weekday meals but additionally good to feed a crowd.
In the event you love fast and simple recipes like this, it is best to strive my Pesto Tuna Pasta recipe or do that Pesto Hen Skillet with rice or pasta on the aspect for a easy meal.
Recipe highlights
- 4 components
- 20 minutes
- Straightforward to make
- Attention-grabbing meal
- Nice for busy weeknights
- Versatile
Elements
- Orzo – this small pasta seems to be like rice nevertheless it’s pasta. Generally discovering a gluten free orzo might be powerful, so you might additionally use gluten free pasta.
- Pesto – use your favourite pesto or make your individual.
- 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. Make sure you enable the shrimp to defrost utterly earlier than cooking.
- Tomatoes – I like including tomatoes to any dish with pesto. It’s a fantastic pop of colour and the flavors pair completely.
Methods to make pesto orzo with shrimp
Prepare dinner orzo: Carry water to a boil, cook dinner orzo in response to the bundle instructions.
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. Prepare dinner 2-3 minutes, flip and cook dinner 1-2 extra minutes. Flip off warmth.
Lower tomatoes in half.
Reserve pasta water: When orzo is finished 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 nicely. Add extra pasta water if wanted.
High ideas
- Make this with shrimp, hen, chickpeas or salmon.
- Use retailer purchased pesto to make this tremendous easy. In case you have an extra quantity of basil at residence, make your individual pesto!
- To avoid wasting time, you should definitely purchase peeled, deveined shrimp. I all the time purchase frozen and defrost in below an hour or in a single day (should you bear in mind to defrost the evening earlier than).
- In the event you overlook to defrost your shrimp, you possibly can cook dinner frozen shrimp within the air fryer.
Variations
- Add extra veggies: Add cooked zucchini, broccoli, bell peppers, asparagus, roasted crimson peppers, child spinach, kale, artichoke hearts
- Spice: Add crushed crimson pepper flakes
- Different protein: You need to use cooked hen (diced hen or shredded hen), chickpeas, Italian tofu or salmon bites.
What to serve with pesto orzo
Widespread questions
The place to seek out gluten free orzo
Orzo is pasta that’s cooked brief and resembles rice. Till not too long ago, there weren’t a ton of gluten free choices. Nonetheless, I’ve discovered 2 actually scrumptious gluten free choices:
Can you utilize selfmade pesto
Sure! In case you have an abundance of basil and would favor to make use of selfmade, use your favourite recipe or you possibly can strive:
What should you don’t have orzo?
In the event you don’t have orzo pasta, you need to 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 – minimize in half
- 1/4 cup pasta water
Carry water to a boil, cook dinner orzo in response to the bundle instructions.
Whereas orzo is cooking, 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. Prepare dinner 2-3 minutes, flip and cook dinner 1-2 extra minutes. Flip off warmth.
Lower tomatoes in half.
When orzo is finished 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 nicely. Add extra pasta water if wanted.
Serve sizzling or at room temperature.
- Make this with shrimp, hen, chickpeas or salmon.
- Use retailer purchased or selfmade pesto.
- To avoid wasting time, you should definitely purchase peeled, deveined shrimp. If frozen, defrost in below an hour or in a single day.
- In the event you overlook to defrost your shrimp, you possibly can cook 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 secure container, nevertheless I don’t love the feel of the shrimp when frozen and defrosted after being cooked.
Vitamin Data
Vitamin Info
Quantity per Serving
The place does vitamin information come from? Vitamin info are offered as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Meals Database.
