Basil Pesto Shrimp from Recipes Food and Cooking

Basil Pesto Shrimp
When you need a fast and easy dinner recipe Pesto Shrimp could be your answer. Cooking for one or two can be the hardest thing sometimes, well about always. I love cooking seafood because it is easy to adapt to individual portions. With just a little pre-planning you can have better than restaurant quality meals in your own home for way less than you would pay out.
Basil Pesto Shrimp can be made in minutes if you have marinated it ahead of time. If you didn’t have time to marinade it then add all of the pesto at the end of the cooking time. It will be a little different but still be very good.
I love serving this with brown rice. Did you know rice freezes well? Well it does and when I make brown rice I make extra so I can freeze it. Brown rice takes about 45 minutes to make so if you have it frozen you only have a 3 minute cooking time if you microwave it. Brown rice is a whole grain rice, it has a nutty flavor that I just love.
When buying shrimp I prefer to buy frozen over fresh unless I am at the shipping docks. This way I can thaw it right before I need it and know it is the freshest possible. Shrimp only has a shelf life of a couple days. When the stores have it on special I even ask for the shrimp to be frozen instead of what is in the case. I may get a few weird looks from the guy behind the counter but at least I know how long it has been thawed.
When you buy shrimp you will see numbers on the price tag usually, like 16 -20, 21-25, 31-35, ect. This tells you about how many shrimp are in the pound. I usually try to buy the 16 -20’s. I always buy them with the shell on also. It doesn’t take that long to clean them and the shell helps to protect them in the freezer. The shells can also make a good sauce. I save them in plastic bags in the freezer until I make a seafood stock. They add great flavor. If I have bought shrimp to make shrimp cocktails with I bring the water to a boil and add the shrimp frozen to the water with the shells on. When the water comes back to a boil, the shrimp should be pink and fully cooked. Immediately pour into a colander and rinse with cold water. Refrigerate until ready to peel.
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- 1/3 lb. shrimp
- Marinade
- 1 tablespoon basil pesto
- 1/2 teaspoon Everyday Seasoning from Trader Joe's or your favorite pepper blend
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 garlic clove minced
- salt
- 1 teaspoon butter for pan
- 2 teaspoons basil pesto
- Combine all of the marinade ingredients. Add the shrimp. Marinade for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
- Add the butter to the pan. When hot add the shrimp. Turn over when browned, about 4 minutes. Add the remaining pesto and cook until shrimp is pink. Remove from heat and serve.

Do you have a recipe for the Basil Pesto?
I do have a basil pesto recipe that I make. For this dish I used one I bought at Trader Joe’s.
I learned the shrimp in the fish case at my local grocery store is the same as what they sell in their freezers. Ever since then I buy it frozen, which is perfect to use what I need for quick meals like your delicious looking basil shrimp!
Yes it is, it is the one thing they never want you to know. But they also have it in the back freezers where I think it might turn over more so I get it at the counter and ask for frozen, not what is in the case.
I always buy my shrimp frozen also and I love how you can quickly thaw out just what you need, whether for 2 or more! This recipe sounds super flavorful!
Thanks Shelby!
Pesto and shrimp! This is going on my to do list! yummmm
I love that this is so easy! and my favorite flavors
This shrimp looks wonderful, even at breakfast, you are making me hungry. I’m going to have to make this.
Then I did my job Michele! LOL…
This looks amazing! Featured this dish on my fb page. Thanks for linking up at Wonderful Wed Blog Hop. Carrie, A Mother’s Shadow
I just made something similar the other night…slightly different marinade and I grilled them. Pesto is awesome on everything, isn’t it?! We go through it like crazy all summer! And freeze as much as possible to get us through the winter! Pinning and stumbling!