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Fettuccine and Shrimp with Arugula Pesto Cream Sauce. Does that sound like date night restaurant food, or what?!  Here's the thing - it's so ridicuously easy, you can whip up this dinner in about 30 minutes, and no one has to know.

Fettuccine and Shrimp with Arugula Pesto Cream Sauce

A fast and easy pasta dish that's restaurant-worthy
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 481kcal
Author: Anne Danahy, RD

Ingredients

Pesto

  • 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves stems removed
  • 2 cups lightly packed arugula
  • 3 medium cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup walnuts
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • salt to taste

Pasta and Shrimp

  • 8 ounces fettuccine or spaghetti
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound large shrimp peeled, and deveined
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 3 Roma tomatoes diced

Instructions

Pesto

  • Combine the basil, arugula, garlic, walnuts, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor, and process until fairly smooth. Scrape down the sides with a spatula to make sure everything is combined. Season with salt to taste. Transfer the pesto to a bowl or large measuring cup and set it aside.

Pasta and Shrimp

  • Fill a stockpot with water and bring it to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt if desired. Cook the fettuccine according to directions until just al dente.
  • Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, and drain the pasta. Set it aside in the colander. Pour about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water into the pesto, and stir to combine.
  • Return the pot to the stove, and heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp to the pan in a single layer, and flip them over in about 30 seconds. When the shrimp turn pink, add the cream to the pan and reduce the heat to medium.
  • Add about 2 tablespoons of the pesto to the shrimp and cream, and stir. Then stir the remainder of the pesto into the shrimp.
  • Add the cooked pasta to the shrimp and pesto cream sauce and stir to combine. If necessary, add additional pasta water to thin the sauce.
  • Mix the diced tomatoes into the pasta. Taste and add additional salt to taste.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

This dish tastes best immediately after it's cooked. 
Make sure you don't overcook the shrimp, or they'll be tough.
If desired, add extra Parmesan cheese when serving. 

Nutrition

Serving: 0g | Calories: 481kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 364mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1165IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 2mg
https://cravingsomethinghealthy.com/fettuccine-shrimp-with-arugula-pesto-cream-sauce/

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