• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Hangry Economist logo
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • 30 Minutes or Less
    • Healthy-ish
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Sides
  • Lifestyle
    • DC/MD/VA Local Finds
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About Us
  • Lifestyle
  • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About Us
    • Lifestyle
    • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes

    Shrimp and Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes (Dairy Free)

    Published: Jan 5, 2022 · Modified: May 29, 2022 by Mollie · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    One-pot meals are my jam. Nothing makes me crazier than a bunch of dishes in the sink, plus cooking everything in one pot is just a lot easier than handling multiple pots and pans. This shrimp and pesto pasta was created to satisfy my one-pot wonder love. The pesto is homemade and dairy free, plus it's made with almond butter instead of pricey pine nuts. The shrimp are the perfect level of spicy, and the pasta is the perfect balance of bright and creamy. It's a light, healthy pasta, but you wouldn't know it.

    This is a picture of a bowl of shrimp and pesto pasta. The Hangry Economist.

    Here's what you need.

    For the pesto:

    • Fresh spinach. We use baby spinach, but any spinach will do.
    • Fresh basil
    • Almond butter. This takes the place of pine nuts in traditional pesto recipes, which are quite expensive. We always have almond butter on hand, so we can just pull it out of the pantry to make this pesto.
    • Pantry ingredients/spices: Olive oil, garlic, fresh lemon juice, black pepper, salt, and crushed red pepper
    This is a picture of vegan pesto in a jar. The Hangry Economist.

    For the pasta and shrimp:

    • Grape or cherry tomatoes. We love the multicolored grape tomatoes at Costco or Sam's Club, but any variety will work.
    • Shrimp. We usually buy a bunch of frozen peeled and deveined shrimp when it's on sale at the grocery store.
    • Spaghetti. We love this with spaghetti, but angel hair or linguine would work too, if that's your preference. I haven't tested it with short pasta, but you could try that too.
    • Almond milk. I cook the spaghetti in an almond milk/chicken broth combo, which makes the sauce a little creamy without adding a bunch of fat. You can use your favorite dairy-free milk (or regular milk if you're not dairy free).
    • Chicken broth
    • Pantry ingredients/spices: olive oil, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, ground cayenne, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, and fresh lemon juice

    Kitchen Tools:

    • Large pot or dutch oven
    • Food processor

    Here's how you make it:

    This pasta is made in one pot and it's so easy.

    First, prepare the shrimp. Combine shrimp, olive oil, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, ground cayenne, salt, and black pepper in a bowl and toss to combine. Set the shrimp aside.

    This is a picture of shrimp in a bowl. The Hangry Economist.

    Next, add olive oil to a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Then add grape tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes, until they're beginning to soften. Then scoot the tomatoes to the outside of the pot and add the shrimp to the middle. Cook the shrimp for 1 minute, then flip and cook the other side for another minute.

    This is a picture of tomatoes in a pot. The Hangry Economist.
    This is a picture of shrimp and tomatoes in a pot. The Hangry Economist.

    Remove the shrimp and tomatoes from the pot and place into a bowl. Next, add chicken broth and almond milk to the pot and let it come to a simmer, about 3-4 minutes. Then add the spaghetti. Let the spaghetti cook until it's al dente and almost all of the liquid has cooked out, about 10-12 minutes depending on what kind of pasta you're using.

    This is a picture of shrimp and tomatoes in a bowl. The Hangry Economist.

    While the pasta is cooking, make the pesto. Combine spinach, basil, garlic, lemon juice, almond butter, olive oil, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper in a food processor and process until smooth.

    This is a picture of vegan pesto ingredients in a food processor. The Hangry Economist.
    This is a picture of pesto in a food processor. The Hangry Economist.

    Once the pasta is done, add pesto, shrimp, tomatoes, fresh lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and crushed red peppers, and stir to combine.

    This is a picture of pesto being stirred into spaghetti. The Hangry Economist.
    This is a picture of shrimp and tomatoes on top of pesto pasta. The Hangry Economist.

    Serve with fresh basil and extra lemon juice on top.

    This is a picture of shrimp and pesto pasta on a fork. The Hangry Economist.

    Shrimp and Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes: FAQs

    Can I use my own pesto for this pasta?

    Of course! This pesto is quick and easy, but if you're in a pinch or have a favorite cheese-free pesto, you can totally use it in this recipe (we love the Vegan Kale, Cashew, Basil Pesto at Trader Joe's). If you're not dairy free, you can also use your favorite regular pesto. I'd recommend using 1.5 cups.

    What do I do if I run out of liquid before my pasta is cooked?

    No problem! Just add more almond milk or broth a half cup at a time until your pasta is cooked. Some pastas absorb more liquid than others.

    Can I make this pasta 100% vegan?

    Sure! Just omit the shrimp and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. If you want to add some protein, some white beans or nuts (like pine nuts or roasted pecans) would be a great addition!

    Shrimp and Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes (Dairy Free)

    Shrimp and Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes (Dairy Free)

    Recipe by Mollie

    This shrimp and pesto pasta was created to satisfy my one-pot wonder love. The pesto is homemade and dairy free, plus it's made with almond butter instead of pricey pine nuts. The shrimp are the perfect level of spicy, and the pasta is the perfect balance of bright and creamy. It's a light, healthy pasta, but you wouldn't know it.

    Course: DinnerCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy
    5 from 1 vote
    Pin
    Print
    Servings

    6

    servings
    Prep time

    15

    minutes
    Cooking time

    20

    minutes
    Calories

    555

    kcal
    Total time

    35

    minutes
    Cook Mode

    Prevent your screen from going dark!

    Ingredients

    • For the pesto:
    • 4 cups 4 spinach, packed into a measuring cup

    • ½ cup ½ fresh basil, packed into a measuring cup

    • 6 tablespoons 6 olive oil

    • 6 cloves 6 garlic

    • 2 tablespoons 2 fresh lemon juice

    • 2 tablespoons 2 almond butter

    • 1 teaspoon 1 black pepper

    • ½ teaspoon ½ salt

    • ¼ teaspoon ¼ crushed red pepper

    • For the shrimp and pasta:
    • 2 tablespoons 2 olive oil, divided

    • 10 ounces 10 grape or cherry tomatoes

    • 1 pound 1 peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp

    • ¼ teaspoon ¼ garlic powder

    • ¼ teaspoon ¼ chili powder

    • ¼ teaspoon ¼ paprika

    • ¾ teaspoon ¾ salt, divided

    • ¾ teaspoon ¾ black pepper, divided

    • ⅛ teaspoon ⅛ ground cayenne (omit if you don't like heat)

    • 2.5 cups 2.5 chicken broth

    • 3 cups 3 almond milk (or whatever milk you drink)

    • 1 pound 1 spaghetti

    • Juice of Juice of 1 lemon

    • ¼ teaspoon ¼ crushed red pepper

    Directions

    • Combine shrimp, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, ground cayenne, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper in a bowl and toss to combine. Set the shrimp aside.
    • Add the remaining tablespoon olive oil to a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add grape tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes, until they're beginning to soften. Then scoot the tomatoes to the outside of the pot and add the shrimp to the middle. Cook the shrimp for 1 minute, then flip and cook for an additional minutes.
    • Remove the shrimp and tomatoes from the pot and set aside. Add chicken broth and almond milk to the pot and let it come to a simmer, about 3-4 minutes. Then add the spaghetti. Let the spaghetti cook until it's al dente and almost all of the liquid has cooked out, about 10-12 minutes.
    • While the pasta is cooking, make the pesto. Combine spinach, basil, garlic, lemon juice, almond butter, olive oil, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper in a food processor and process until smooth.
    • Once the pasta is done, add pesto, shrimp, tomatoes, fresh lemon juice, crushed red pepper, and the rest of the salt and black pepper and stir to combine. Serve with fresh basil and extra lemon juice on top.

    Notes

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag and follow @hangryeconomist on Instagram

    Like this recipe?

    Follow @hangryeconomist on Pinterest

    If you like this pasta, you should also try:

    • Taco Pasta with Beef (One-Pot)
    • One-Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta
    • Creamy Spinach, Red Pepper, and Shrimp Pasta

    More Recipes

    • Ground chicken stir fry in a bowl over rice.
      Ground Chicken Stir Fry
    • A bowl of Jamaican curry chicken. It's yellow in color and served over rice.
      Jamaican Curry Chicken
    • A bowl of salmon nuggets. They're golden brown and served next to a bowl of basil dipping sauce.
      Crispy Fried Salmon Nuggets
    • Miso salmon in a serving bowl on top of rice. It's garnished with green onions and sesame seeds.
      Air Fryer Miso Salmon

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    No Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    hi, we're Michael and Mollie

    Welcome! We are Michael & Mollie, a hangry economics enthusiast and her husband. Our goal is to provide you with delicious, accessible, and healthy-ish recipes that are both time- and money-efficient.

    More about us →

    summer Recipes

    • Mango peach salsa with tomatoes in a serving bowl with a spoon.
      Mango Peach Salsa (with Tomatoes)
    • A virgin frozen strawberry mango margarita in a cocktail glass, garnished with a lime slice.
      Virgin Strawberry Margarita with Mango
    • Grilled salmon bites on a piece of parchment paper topped with a green garnish.
      Grilled Salmon Bites
    • Strawberries, basil, and halloumi on skewers on a serving plate.
      Strawberry and Halloumi Skewers

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Info

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement

    Contact

    • Email us

    Copyright © 2022 The Hangry Economist

    We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. Learn more here.

    The Hangry Economist
    Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

    Strictly Necessary Cookies

    Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

    If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.