Pesto shrimp orzo is a straightforward, flavorful, creamy meal that’s prepared in simply 20 minutes with 4 major 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.
In case you love fast and straightforward recipes like this, you must attempt my Pesto Tuna Pasta recipe or do that Pesto Hen Skillet with rice or pasta on the facet for a easy meal.
Recipe highlights
- 4 substances
- 20 minutes
- Straightforward to make
- Eye-catching meal
- Nice for busy weeknights
- Versatile
Elements
- Orzo – this small pasta appears like rice however it’s pasta. Generally discovering a gluten free orzo may 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. Be sure you enable the shrimp to defrost fully 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.
How you can make pesto orzo with shrimp
Prepare dinner orzo: Carry water to a boil, prepare 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 prepare dinner 1-2 extra minutes. Flip off warmth.
Reduce 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 suggestions
- 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 personal pesto!
- To save lots of time, be sure you purchase peeled, deveined shrimp. I at all times purchase frozen and defrost in underneath an hour or in a single day (when you keep in mind to defrost the night time earlier than).
- In case you neglect 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 pink peppers, child spinach, kale, artichoke hearts
- Spice: Add crushed pink pepper flakes
- Different protein: You should utilize cooked hen (diced hen or shredded hen), chickpeas, Italian tofu or salmon bites.
What to serve with pesto orzo
Frequent 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 home made pesto
Sure! In case you have an abundance of basil and would like to make use of home made, use your favourite recipe or you possibly can attempt:
What when you don’t have orzo?
In case you don’t have orzo pasta, you should utilize 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 – reduce in half
- 1/4 cup pasta water
Carry water to a boil, prepare dinner orzo in response to the bundle 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. Prepare dinner 2-3 minutes, flip and prepare dinner 1-2 extra minutes. Flip off warmth.
Reduce 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 home made pesto.
- To save lots of time, be sure you purchase peeled, deveined shrimp. If frozen, defrost in underneath an hour or in a single day.
- In case you neglect 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 secure container, nonetheless I don’t love the feel of the shrimp when frozen and defrosted after being cooked.
Diet Data
Diet Information
Quantity per Serving
The place does vitamin information come from? Diet info are offered as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Meals Database.
