Today I’m here to share a fabulous shrimp recipe you can impress just about anybody with: cilantro pistachio pesto shrimp pasta. GUYS, IT’S SO GOOD and absolutely perfect for date night or a fun weeknight dinner. It’s made with my favorite pesto of all time, too!
This pesto shrimp pasta is one of those recipes that tastes like it belongs on a restaurant menu, which is exactly why I’m calling it my ‘Date Night In’ pasta. Make a side salad or my famous garlic bread recipe and get ready to have a cooking night in with your hunny. Or yourself. Whatever floats your boat, sweetie pies.
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Ingredients in this pesto shrimp pasta recipe
This simple pasta is filled with fresh flavors thanks to homemade pesto, and has the perfect amount of creaminess. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Spaghetti: I love using spaghetti noodles in this recipe for delicious pasta twirling. Feel free to use any noodle shape you’d like, even gluten free.
- Cilantro pistachio pesto: wow, just wow! This pesto is beyond incredible and is made with roasted pistachios, olive oil, fresh cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, and lime juice. It has a little zip to it!
- Shrimp: feel free to use frozen or fresh shrimp — just make sure to devein and remove the tails.
- Garnishes: I love topping this pesto shrimp pasta with goat cheese crumbles (or leave it out to keep it dairy-free), extra cilantro, and some chopped roasted pistachios. While these are optional, I LOVE the flavor they add to the pasta.
How to use frozen shrimp in this pasta
No need to even defrost the shrimp; instead, just throw them in a pan with a little olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and cook until they just turn pink and opaque. Done!
Can I make this vegetarian?
Sure! This pesto shrimp pasta recipe can easily be made vegetarian by simply swapping the shrimp for a plant-based protein like chickpeas. YUM. Also, feel free to try my brown butter pistachio chickpea pasta.
Customize your shrimp pasta
This pesto shrimp pasta recipe is super easy to customize to fit any dietary needs or to use up what you have stocked in your kitchen.
- Keep it gluten-free: simply use your favorite gluten-free pasta. I recommend long noodles for twirling!
- Pick your cheese: I love the creaminess and tang of goat cheese, but you could also add feta cheese or freshly grated parmesan cheese.
- Swap your protein: while I love the uniqueness of shrimp in this pasta, feel free to try it with cooked, cubed chicken, cooked salmon, cooked, sliced chicken sausage, or even bacon.
- Make it dairy-free: because the homemade cilantro pistachio pesto is naturally dairy-free, you’ll simply leave off the goat cheese crumbles to keep the full recipe dairy-free.
Easy shrimp pesto pasta in 4 steps
- Make your pesto. You’ll simply combine all of the pesto ingredients in a food processor and process until nice and smooth.
- Cook the shrimp. Add oil, shrimp, garlic powder, salt & pepper to a large skillet and cook it until it’s no longer pink.
- Cook pasta & toss. Then, cook your pasta in a large pot until al dente, drain it, and stir in the pesto, cooked shrimp, and goat cheese.
- Garnish & enjoy! Finally, add the pasta to bowls and top with extra goat cheese, cilantro, and extra crushed pistachios if you’d like.
Make it extra creamy
Looking for a bit of a creamier “sauce” in this recipe? Simply reserve a few tablespoons of pasta water when you drain it and add it in with the homemade pesto. You’ll get a nice, creamy pesto shrimp pasta — especially when added with the goat cheese!
What to serve with this shrimp pasta recipe
- The Best Garlic Bread You’ll Ever Eat
- Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Vegan Caesar Salad
- Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan & Chili Crisp
- Everything Spring Green Salad with Basil Lemon Vinaigrette
Storing tips
Store any leftover shrimp pasta in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Simply reheat in intervals in the microwave and feel free to freshen it up with more cilantro and goat cheese.
Tools I used to make this pasta
Get all of my go-to kitchen essentials here!
More pasta recipes you’ll love
- Cheesy Tuna Orzo Skillet
- Burst Cherry Tomato Basil Chicken Rigatoni
- Roasted Rainbow Vegetable Pasta with Cashew Pesto + Goat Cheese
- Gochujang Carbonara
- Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Get all of my pasta recipes here!
I hope you love this cilantro pistachio pesto shrimp pasta! If you make it, please be sure to rate the recipe and leave a comment below.
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Cilantro Pistachio Pesto Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- For the pesto:
- ¾ cup packed fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup shelled roasted pistachios
- 1 jalapeno, seeds removed if desired
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ lime, juiced
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons water, to thin pesto
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For the shrimp:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound raw shrimp, deveined and tails off
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Freshly ground salt and pepper
- For the pasta:
- 10 ounces linguine or spaghetti, gluten free if desired
- To garnish:
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Chopped roasted pistachios
Instructions
- Make the pesto: add the following to the bowl of a food processor: cilantro, pistachios, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, water and salt and pepper. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides and processing again, if necessary.
- Cook the shrimp: add olive oil to a large skillet or pan and place over medium high heat. Add in shrimp, garlic powder and salt and pepper; cook until shrimp is no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes (depending on the size of your shrimp). Remove from heat and set aside.
- Cook the pasta: cook the pasta until al dente, according to the directions on the package. Reserve 1 cup pasta water and set aside, then drain pasta, then add back to pot. Stir in the pesto, and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to make the pasta extra creamy. Either stir in shrimp or serve it on top of the pasta. Add pasta to bowls and garnish with goat cheese, extra cilantro leaves and a sprinkle of crushed pistachios. Serve immediately. Makes about 4 servings.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz | Photography by: Yoga of Cooking
This post was originally published on February 4th, 2019, republished on February 9th, 2021, and republished on March 15th, 2026.
Omg this is amazing!!! So good! Kids loved it. Pretty easy. Totally making it again.
So happy to hear that!
I definitely slept on this pasta when I first saw the recipe years ago because I didn’t think I could get into the cilantro pistachio pesto. But after seeing this on the AK Insta and remembering the skillet chicken pasta from the cookbook that I made and loved with the same pesto, I thought it was time to finally give this one a shot. It turns out it’s absolutely perfect! It all comes together in about an hour and the pesto tastes incredible. Once that pesto is done everything else is super quick and easy. Clearly it was worth the effort because my fiance and I devoured this! I would absolutely make this again next time I need a midweek pick me up, and I would highly recommend that you do not sleep on this recipe for as long as I did.
YES I’m so glad you finally tried this one! Easy and so delicious 🙂
I ate three plates of this tonight. Yes three.
What a unique pasta! Red and white sauces tend to upset my stomach so I’m always looking for new recipes for pasta. This one was a huge hit! I loved how easily it came together and it was so vibrant. In addition to your variation suggestions, I think this would be great with salmon too! Next time, I’ll remember to save a cup of pasta water so it’ll be even better (I got distracted dancing to the timer on my new oven and dumped all the water without a second thought 🤦🏻♀️).
Such a great change-up from red and white sauces! This would be delicious with salmon (and a little extra pasta water 🙂 ). Glad you loved it!
It looks so yammi food and easy
It looks so wonderfull food and easy
Absolutely FABULOUS!!! I added extra cilantro and pistachios to the pesto, but otherwise followed the recipe! My whole family, including my 3 year old, enjoyed it immensely. We served it with grilled asparagus. This meal checked off all the boxes. Can’t wait to make it again soon!!
Hi Monique, would like to make this tonight but only have basil.. Do you think I could make this particular pesto with that instead of the cilantro? I know pesto is normally basil so maybe it would be fine. Just checking. I have everything else. Sounds delish!!
I ended up going to the store for cilantro because I wanted to make it as written- AMAZING!!! Loved this so much. This will go in our rotation- quick, easy, delicious 💕
Yay!! Glad it was worth the trip 🙂 Thanks, Jenny!
Sorry I’m late! I think the basil would be totally delicious 🙂
So yummy! Very interesting flavor combination. So easy to make. And I love that it is dairy free.
I left out the goat cheese crumbles. Didn’t feel it was lacking in any way.
You can taste all of the flavors in this pesto. From the garlic to the jalepenos, it all goes well together. My Summer go-to now. Thanks for sharing, Monique.
This was amazing. So easy and SOOOOO good! My husband also loved it and said can this be on the weekly schedule. I opted for sautéed zucchini instead of noodles and was delicious. THANK YOU for all the great recipes!
Great flavor m! Quick, easy, and delicious pasta!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Yay!
This was an wonderful surprise twist on pesto. The creaminess of the goat cheese and the crunch of the crushed pistachios were nice additions to finish the dish off. We will definitely make this again! Made it with cauliflower linguini noodles and it was delicious! A perfect date night in for my hubby and I!
SO glad you loved this one, Rachel!
Delicious and easy for a night of tree-trimming – Thanks – and added the blistered tomatoes as well – yummy! Thanks – Fay
Ooh that sounds amazing, so happy you enjoyed it!
Oh my GAWD. This recipe will change your life!! Literally SO delicious. Made it for my sisters for dinner during quarantine … an absolute hit. I need to make it again, but always have so much fun trying new recipes from Monique. Cannot recommend it enough!! (I made it exactly to the recipe)
Yaaaay! So happy you’re loving this one.
Best recipe EVER! I even enjoy it without the shrimp-just add in more veggies of your choice. So good!!
Yay!! So glad to hear you love this one 🙂
SO GOOD, quick, and easy to make! Made this with my boyfriend for our anniversary, felt like we were at a restaurant! I made two batches of the pesto; one with jalapeño and one without. Both were delicious and so easy to make. I spread some pesto on my turkey sandwich for lunch the next day; I swear this pesto is good on anything 🙂
Will definitely make this dish again soon. Thanks Monique!
The pesto alone is delicious, but with the shrimp and goat cheese it is next level. Loved this meal!
The best! Glad you love it 🙂
This was just OK, but the reasons behind me feeling that way are probably my fault. First, I know that pesto is best eaten fresh and doesn’t do great for meal prep, so I wouldn’t recommend anyone else try making this to be reheated throughout the week. Second, I used a particularly large jalapeño, which overly-dominated the other flavors of the dish. That said, I made this with the TJs Argentinian shrimp and their lentil-brown rice pasta, and they were both great additions to the dish.
Something I’ll try next time is reserving some pasta water to add to the food processor as I make the pesto to make it blend up smoother and prevent it from getting clumpy on the pasta.
Sorry it wasn’t a hit for you! This one should reheat well, or I’d recommend reheating with a little extra pesto in it. Love that TJ’s shrimp, too!
This was such a great dinner for a stay at home date night! I used frozen, cooked shrimp and had to make the pesto in my mortar and pestle because we don’t have a food processor and it wasn’t blending in the vitamix. But it turned out great! Thanks for an easy to make but fancy recipe!
Perfect! Such a great date night meal 🙂
Very easy! I liked the taste, but I could have done extra lime juice and more salt.
Always feel free to season a bit more as-needed 🙂 glad you enjoyed!
This recipe looks so fancy but was simple and easy to make! I wish I had added more pistachios, because the flavor wasn’t as strong as I had hoped, but other than that it was delicious! I made it for my boyfriend for Valentine’s Day and it was the perfect meal for us.
Absolutely! Glad you both enjoyed 🙂 Feel free to top with some more pistachios, too!
I asked my husband to cook this for our Valentine’s Day dinner in this year. It was our first time trying it and we both loved it. It is a really great date night meal! It has a small amount of heat from the jalapeno which is nice and the flavors work really nicely together. The goat cheese is a great touch! We also appreciated that the cook time is rather minimal for such a tasty dish. Thanks!
Love that! Such a great date night dinner.
This was absolutely delicious and so easy to make. I make a ton of Monique’s recipes and I loved the switch up with a little seafood!
Love it! Such a fun dinner 🙂
This was so good and so easy. No modifications necessary. It is definitely going in my regular rotation and I’ve already told several people they must try this. Planning on making a double batch of pesto next time and freezing half for a very quick freezer/pantry meal.
So glad you loved this one!
This recipe was perfect for Valentine’s Day Date night in! Frozen shrimp worked great and adding some pasta water to the pesto made for the creamiest sauce! So yummy!!
Love it! Glad you enjoyed!
Yum! I always make a seafood dinner on Valentine’s day. This is my first year with a baby and this recipe was quick and easy to put together after putting her to bed. And delicious!
The best! So glad you enjoyed 🙂
This is my go to ‘fancy dinner’ recipe for when I want dinner to be a little more special than usual. I will be making this for Valentine’s dinner tonight. It is delicious every time! Yum.
I used parsley instead of cilantro in the pesto. Turned out incredible. Definitely will make again. Love the addition of goat cheese crumble to give a little creaminess at the end. A spectacular weeknight meal ❤️
Wow. My boyfriend and I made this a few years ago for Valentine’s Day and I LOVE IT. The pesto is what makes this so delicious. We still talk about it and have started to bring it into rotation now that we live together 🙂
Highly recommend! I have made this several times. It is in our meal rotation every couple months. I normally try to make extra pesto and freeze a jar for a quick meal. This meal does in fact feel fancy, and it’s filling! We love shrimp, so this is perfect for us, but I’m sure chicken would work well. The flavor of the pesto is great. I love a basil based pesto, but this cilantro & pistachio base is great, both different and convenient since I always have these ingredients on hand. The goat cheese is a must! Thanks for the great recipe!
A favorite in our house. I’ve used this same pesto recipe for other dishes because I love it so much, but bringing it back to the shrimp pasta is always a hit.