Go Back
–+ servings
A close up of pistachio spaghetti with shrimps on a blue floral plate.
Print Recipe
No ratings yet

Sicilian Shrimp and Pistachio Pasta

Use the camera icon to toggle the step by step photos on and off. A delicious and easy Sicilian pistachio pasta made with juicy and sweet shrimp. This recipe comes together by the time is pasta is cooked making it perfect for busy weeknights.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Emily Wyper

Equipment

  • Food processor

Ingredients

  • 14 oz (400g) Spaghetti or linguine
  • ¾ cup (120g) unsalted pistachios
  • 2 cups (20g) fresh basil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ⅓ cup olive oil plus more for sauteeing
  • 6 oz (160g) raw shrimp/prawns see notes if using cooked shrimp
  • ½ to 1 cup (125ml to 240ml) reserved pasta water
  • Salt and pepper

For serving

  • Chopped pistachios optional

Instructions

  • First, wash and prep the shrimp by deveining them if needed.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Add your pasta and cook until al dente
  • To make the pesto, put the pistachios, basil, garlic and olive oil in a food processor and blitz to a paste, add more oil if needed. The paste should be thick with some medium-sized chunks of nuts. Set aside.
    Two photos in a collage showing how to make pistachio pesto.
  • Heat a large pan on a medium-high heat with around 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the shrimp and cook on both sides until pink and cooked through (only about a minute or so).
    Two photos showing before and after cooking shrimp in a pan.
  • Add the pistachio pesto with ½ cup (125ml) of reserved pasta water and stir through until dissolved into a sauce. Add more reserved water if needed (another ½ cup or 125ml).
    Two photos showing how to add pasta water and pistachio pesto to the shrimp to make a sauce.
  • Finally, add the cooked spaghetti and stir through to coat in the sauce. Serve with more chopped pistachios for serving if desired.
    Two photos in a collage showing how to add spaghetti to pistachio and shrimp sauce.

Notes

  • Timing - Although this is a very simple dish, you do need to work quickly so everything is done by the time the pasta is done cooking. To make things easier, you can prep the pesto before adding the pasta to the boiling water, which gives you a lot more prep time.
  • Pesto - the pesto can be kept for up to 3 days in the fridge, although it will likely darken in colour due to oxidation.
  • Storage and serving - Best served immediately. Can be refrigerated for up to 1 day and eaten cold or reheated until piping hot throughout.

Nutrition

Calories: 838kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 240mg | Potassium: 1067mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 6427IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 301mg | Iron: 7mg
QR Code linking back to recipe