Quick, easy and delicious Sicilian pistachio pasta made with pistachio pesto and sauteed shrimp. The sauce comes together by the time the pasta is cooked, so it’s super quick and perfect for busy weeknights.
I absolutely adore pistachios, no matter if it’s a sweet pistachio cream, pistachio tiramisu, or a savoury creamy pistachio pasta.
This recipe uses a combination often found in Sicily pistachio pesto and shrimp. They both work so well together with the nutty and buttery pesto and sweet, juicy shrimp.
Since pistachio pesto is made with Pecorino, we decided to test this both with and without it, and ultimately decided that we both preferred the version without cheese.
You can see the full recipe below, plus some variation ideas and our top tips. Enjoy!
Ingredient notes
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- Pistachios – you really need to use unsalted pistachios, otherwise the sauce will be way too salty.
- Shrimp – washed and deveined. If you use pre-cooked shrimp, then add them at the very end to heat through.
- Spaghetti – you can also use linguine.
Variations to try
Add cheese – Some recipes for this dish add either Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano to the pesto. We have tried this with Pecorino (we added around 2 tablespoons, finely grated), and it worked well.
Add lemon – Another option is to add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end for freshness. We have tried this with lemon juice, but we preferred the buttery richness of the pesto without it. It just depends on what you feel like.
Leave out the shrimp – you can, of course, opt to leave out the shrimp completely, which will still give you a delicious tasting bowl of pasta. I recommend adding some pecorino to the pesto if you do this.
Recipe tips
Prep to make things easy – although this is a quick recipe, you do need to work fast. You can prep the pesto before adding the pasta to the boiling water to make things easier, just make sure to cook the shrimp when the pasta is almost done.
Emulsify – use reserved pasta water to create a delicious and lucious sauce. I recommend adding 1/2 cup (125ml) to the sauce at first but you will likey need more up to 1 cup (240ml).
More Sicilian recipes to try
If you’ve tried this Sicilian Shrimp and Pistachio Pasta or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest or sign up to our Newsletter to see more of our delicious food
- 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.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.