comment icon 17 more comments But honestly, what if all of that was part of the same dish and you were already head over heels about it? It’s true, it’s true. The risotto is tender and rich and feels so special, the subtly sweet perfection of the quick marinated shrimp is sealed in with a golden brown sear. The pesto, oh the pesto…fresh, zippy, full of warm summer basil flavor. This one’s a treat.
In This Post: Everything You Need For Pesto Shrimp
Ingredients You’ll Need For This Pesto Shrimp and Parm Risotto
Lots of simple yet strong flavors here to bring this gem together. You just know when you see a list including butter, garlic, Parmesan, and pesto that you are in for a REAL FUN JOURNEY AHEAD. Here’s what you’re grabbing for this: For the Parmesan Risotto
buttergarlic or shallot (or both! yes, please)arborio rice (DeLallo’s arborio rice is absolutely perfect for this!)white wine chicken brothParmesan cheese
For the Pesto Shrimp
jumbo shrimp garlicolive oilsaltlemon zest (optional)jarred pesto (we love DeLallo brand with our whole hearts!)fresh juicy tomatoes (Roma or beefsteak are great)fresh herbs for topping
The white wine offers a slight acidic element to balance the richness of your risotto, enhancing the flavor. But if you’re looking to skip it, you can just replace it with more broth plus a little lemon juice. Sometimes people will also use unsweetened white grape or apple juice with a splash of citrus, a splash of apple cider vinegar, or white/red wine vinegar in place of wine in a recipe like this.
Let’s Get Cooking
There are a few steps to this one and though it is still quite simple, we’re dealing with risotto here, so speed isn’t the name of the game. Then you’ll pile those juicy seared pesto shrimp on your bed of risotto. Add some bright pops of chopped fresh tomatoes and herbs, one more lemon squeezer across the top, and you are basically royalty. SO GOOD.
Different Ways To Cook Shrimp For This Recipe
Because we love the little, like, flavor seal™️ that the direct heat creates for the shrimp & pesto situation, our preferred methods for cooking the shrimp here are:
pan-fried in a nonstick skillet: That’s what we did here and it’s very, very simple.grilled on a skewer: Grill weather abounds now, so you could also sear these jumbo beauties that way. Maybe you want to poke some cute little cherry tomatoes on there while you’re at it? We can’t imagine that would disappoint! 😍
Poaching is also definitely an option if that is your preferred method! We just can’t get enough of that sear over here though.
What To Look For When Buying Pesto
Have you met our truest best friend of pastas and jarred sauces, DeLallo? What dreamboats they are. Just, they never disappoint! Sometimes jarred pestos can be kind of overly creamy and a dullish green, which can feel a little meh when you are hoping for wow. But DeLallo’s jarred pesto is much brighter, fresher, less creamy, and the flavor is definitely very wow. It uses handpicked basil, olive oil, crunchy pine nuts & cashews, garlic, Pecorino Romano AND Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses, so HELLO FLAVOR PARADE! Def recommend getting a few jars of this on hand for yourself. And because pesto doesn’t require any kind of cooking/heating, it really, really is best to just use at the very end of cooking to maximize all of its fresh flavors! Instead, just a hefty swath over that hot seared shrimp and all that olive oil, bright fresh basil, zippy garlic, creamy pine nut, and Parmesan flavor just soars into your hearts and tastebuds.
Things To Serve With This Pesto Shrimp
We really, really recommend the MEGA yummy Parmesan risotto here. We used the authentic Italian arborio rice from DeLallo and it really just makes this dish. There’s nothing like it! Other options for serving, if you’re wanting to play a game of mix-and-match with this meal, include:
Simple Green Salad (a go-to in all seasons)Creamy Orzo (the orzo part of this recipe is 10/10, easy, and would go perfectly with the shrimp)Favorite Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (if you need something epic to end the meal)
Thanks to DeLallo for sponsoring this recipe! 5 from 5 reviews
1 tablespoon butter 1 clove minced garlic or 1 minced shallot (or both) 1 cup DeLallo Risotto Arborio Rice 1/2 cup white wine (sub chicken broth + a little lemon juice) 3-4 cups of chicken broth 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese optional: tiny drizzle of truffle oil
Pesto Shrimp:
1–2 pounds jumbo shrimp (shells removed and tails on or off, whatever you prefer) 2 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon salt zest of 1 lemon (optional) 1/4 cup DeLallo jarred pesto 1–2 roma, beefsteak, or any kind of fresh juicy tomatoes, chopped herbs for topping
More Recipes For Pesto Lovers
Life-Changing Crispy Fried Pizzas (light, airy, and perfect for summer)Instant Pot Minestrone Soup (perfect for a rainy spring day)Pesto Asparagus Noodles (yes, shaved asparagus as noodles and it’s so good)
