Description
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!
Ingredients
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Add the tomatoes and bell peppers, and cook for 2 minutes until the vegetables are slightly tender.
- Add the flavorful pesto sauce and stir. Cook for 1 minute until the pesto coats everything in the pan well.
- Add the pasta and mix well. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add 1-2 tbsp of water if the noodles get too dry.
- Add the spinach and basil, stir lightly, and cook for only 1 minute.
- 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!
Garnish with sliced Thai basil, shredded parmesan cheese, and ground black pepper. To kick up the heat, add chili powder or red pepper flakes in Thai style.
Notes
- Marinade the shrimp with the oyster sauce in a small mixing bowl before cooking for an extra flavor.
- You can also cook the shrimp separately and set them aside until the very end. Add the cooked shrimp back on top of the finished pasta. You’ll get more of the umami flavors of the sautéed shrimp this way.
- The thicker the pasta, the more pesto sauce and seasoning you may need. Adjust and season accordingly.
- Choose any protein of choice to use. Chicken breasts, pork loin, or stir-frying beef are all great options.
- Make it vegetarian by using tofu and tempeh, or add only vegetables.
- Great pastas to use for this recipe are: Linguini, bow tie, fusili, bucatini. If using Gnocchi and Angel hair pasta, add extra noodles to get the balance and flavors right.
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- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Shrimp recipes
- Method: Sauteeing
- Cuisine: Thai, Fusion
Keywords: thai basil pesto recipe, thai basil, pesto pasta, thai basil recipes, basil pesto with shrimp, basil pesto pasta, thai pesto pasta, thai spaghetti,