Pesto shrimp orzo is a simple, flavorful, creamy meal that’s prepared in simply 20 minutes with 4 major components. This orzo pasta is coated with pesto and paired with plump shrimp and tomatoes for a easy weeknight dinner. Excellent for weekday meals but in addition good to feed a crowd.
In case you love fast and straightforward recipes like this, you must 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
- Eye-catching meal
- Nice for busy weeknights
- Versatile
Substances
- Orzo – this small pasta seems like rice however it’s pasta. Typically discovering a gluten free orzo might be robust, so you could possibly 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 an excellent pop of coloration and the flavors pair completely.
Methods to make pesto orzo with shrimp
Prepare dinner orzo: Carry water to a boil, prepare dinner orzo based on 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.
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 suggestions
- Make this with shrimp, hen, chickpeas or salmon.
- Use retailer purchased pesto to make this tremendous easy. You probably have an extra quantity of basil at dwelling, make your individual pesto!
- To avoid wasting time, remember to purchase peeled, deveined shrimp. I at all times purchase frozen and defrost in underneath an hour or in a single day (for those who 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 need to use cooked hen (diced hen or shredded hen), chickpeas, Italian tofu or salmon bites.
What to serve with pesto orzo
Frequent questions
The place to seek 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 employ do-it-yourself pesto
Sure! You probably have an abundance of basil and would like to make use of do-it-yourself, use your favourite recipe or you possibly can strive:
What for those who don’t have orzo?
In case you 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 – minimize in half
- 1/4 cup pasta water
Carry water to a boil, prepare dinner orzo based on 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.
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 do-it-yourself pesto.
- To avoid wasting time, remember to 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 Info
Diet Information
Quantity per Serving
The place does vitamin data come from? Diet details are supplied as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Meals Database.
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