Pesto shrimp orzo is a simple, flavorful, creamy meal that’s prepared in simply 20 minutes with 4 important substances. This orzo pasta is coated with pesto and paired with plump shrimp and tomatoes for a easy weeknight dinner. Good for weekday meals but in addition good to feed a crowd.
For those who love fast and straightforward recipes like this, you must attempt my Pesto Tuna Pasta recipe or do this Pesto Rooster Skillet with rice or pasta on the facet for a easy meal.


Recipe highlights
- 4 substances
- 20 minutes
- Simple to make
- Eye-catching meal
- Nice for busy weeknights
- Versatile


Substances
- Orzo – this small pasta appears to be like like rice nevertheless it’s pasta. Typically discovering a gluten free orzo may be powerful, so you might additionally use gluten free pasta.
- Pesto – use your favourite pesto or make your personal.
- Shrimp – I like to make use of massive Argentinian Pink Shrimp from Dealer Joe’s. I like this as a result of it’s peeled and deveined. Remember to permit the shrimp to defrost fully earlier than cooking.
- Tomatoes – I like including tomatoes to any dish with pesto. It’s an awesome pop of shade and the flavors pair completely.
Find out how to make pesto orzo with shrimp
Prepare dinner orzo: Carry water to a boil, prepare dinner orzo in accordance with the bundle instructions.
Prepare dinner the shrimp. Warmth a medium to massive 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 effectively. Add extra pasta water if wanted.




Prime 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 dwelling, make your personal pesto!
- To save lots of time, you’ll want to purchase peeled, deveined shrimp. I all the time purchase frozen and defrost in beneath an hour or in a single day (for those who keep in mind to defrost the night time earlier than).
- For those who overlook to defrost your shrimp, you may prepare 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 should 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 search out gluten free orzo
Orzo is pasta that’s cooked quick and resembles rice. Till not too long ago, there weren’t a ton of gluten free choices. Nevertheless, 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 may attempt:
What for those who don’t have orzo?
For those who don’t have orzo pasta, you need to use rice, pasta, spaghetti squash, or cauliflower rice.
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- 1 pound massive shrimp – peeled and deveined
- 1 cup pesto
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 oz orzo
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes – lower in half
- ¼ cup pasta water
Carry water to a boil, prepare dinner orzo in accordance with the bundle instructions.
Whereas orzo is cooking, prepare dinner the shrimp. Warmth a medium to massive 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 effectively. 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, you’ll want to purchase peeled, deveined shrimp. If frozen, defrost in beneath an hour or in a single day.
- For those who overlook to defrost your shrimp, you may 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 protected 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 diet data come from? Vitamin details are supplied as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Meals Database.
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