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This basil-walnut pesto linguine pasta recipe is paired with shrimp and arugula. Simple, nutritious, and ready in 30 minutes! Recipe is dairy-free and can easily be made gluten-free.

Overhead photo of a white bowl filled with pesto linguine pasta, arugula, and sautéed shrimp.

Today I’m sharing a delicious Basil Walnut Pesto Linguine Pasta With Shrimp & Arugula. You will love this simple, healthy, and 30-minute weeknight dinner!

As a dietitian, I’ve made sure this healthy pasta recipe is packed with balanced nutrition. The basil walnut pesto is rich in heart-healthy fats and fiber, shrimp provides quality protein, pasta contains energizing carbs, and arugula gives an extra boost of greens.

In this post I’ve shared many ways you can modify this recipe. You can make it gluten-free, nut-free, completely vegan, add more veggies, or swap the proteins to make it your own. Enjoy!

Photo of a white bowl filled with pesto linguine pasta, arugula, and sautéed shrimp.

How To Make Basil Walnut Pesto

Traditional pesto is made with basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, and parmesan cheese. That said, making pesto at home opens up the doors to so much ingredient experimentation! For instance, you can add different types of leafy greens, nuts or seeds, or make a dairy-free version using nutritional yeast.

To make this Basil Walnut Pesto, I simply took my go-to Vegan Hemp Seed Pesto recipe, and swapped out the hemp seeds for walnuts instead!

All you need to do is add fresh basil leaves, walnuts, nutritional yeast, olive oil, garlic, and salt into a food processor. Then, pulse until a smooth mixture forms. If you wish to thin it out a little, add a tiny bit of water or extra olive oil. Easy, right?!

Overhead photo of a wood cutting board with small bowls of ingredients on top.

Recipe Modifications & Ingredient Swaps

  1. Feel free to use a different pasta shape in place of linguine. This recipe would truly work well with every pasta shape – long or small!
  2. If you’d like to add in more veggies, feel free to throw in ones like cherry tomatoes, sautéed zucchini (or zoodles), broccoli, etc. You can even switch up the arugula with a different leafy green, like baby spinach or kale.
  3. This recipe can be easily be made gluten-free by choosing a gluten-free pasta.
  4. The original recipe is dairy-free, but you can always choose to top with freshly-grated parmesan and/or swap the nutritional yeast in the pesto with parmesan.
  5. If you wish to make this recipe completely vegan, simply omit the shrimp and serve alongside a plant-based protein.
  6. On that note, you can try serving this pasta with another animal protein source, like seared scallops, baked salmon, or grilled chicken in place of shrimp.
  7. For a nut-free version, simply swap the walnuts with a seed like hemp seeds or pumpkin seeds.
  8. Finally, feel free to use store-bought pesto if you feel like it!
Overhead photo of a saucepan filled with pesto linguine pasta.

Basil Nutrition Facts

This green herb is rich in antioxidants called flavonoids as well as micronutrients like:

  • vitamin C
  • vitamin A
  • vitamin K
  • vitamin B6
  • calcium
  • magnesium
  • potassium
  • iron

Walnut Nutrition Facts

Walnuts are rich in heart-healthy unsaturated fats, including omega-3s. In fact, walnuts are the only nut that contains significant amounts of ALA, the precursor to the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. Omega-3 is anti-inflammatory and highly beneficial for the health of our heart and brain.

Walnuts are also a decent source of plant-based protein, as well as micronutrients like:

  • vitamin B6
  • vitamin E
  • folate
  • copper
  • phosphorus
  • manganese

Shrimp Nutrition Facts

This crustacean is incredibly rich in protein, with a standard 3-ounce or 85-gram serving providing 18 grams of complete protein. Like walnuts, they’re also a source of omega-3s!

Shrimp are also a source of micronutrients like:

  • selenium
  • vitamin B12
  • iron
  • phosphorus
  • niacin
  • zinc
  • magnesium
  • iodine
Overhead photo of a white bowl filled with pesto linguine pasta, arugula, and sautéed shrimp tossed together.

More Healthy Seafood Pasta Recipes

Did you give this Pesto Linguine Pasta With Shrimp Recipe a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!

If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!

Get the Recipe: Healthy Pesto Linguine Pasta With Shrimp

This basil-walnut pesto linguine pasta recipe is paired with shrimp and arugula. Simple, nutritious, and ready in 30 minutes! Recipe is dairy-free and can easily be made gluten-free.
Overhead photo of a white bowl filled with pesto linguine pasta, arugula, and sautéed shrimp.
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Ingredients

  • Approx. 16 large shrimp
  • Approx. 112 grams linguine, dry (almost 4 ounces; enough for 2)
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1-2 large handfuls baby arugula

Basil Walnut Pesto

Instructions

  • If using frozen shrimp, begin by thawing shrimp by placing them in a colander and running cold water over them.
  • While shrimp thaws, make pesto by placing all pesto ingredients into a food processor. Pulse until the pesto sauce forms. If desired, you can thin the pesto out a bit by adding a tiny bit of water or extra olive oil. Adjust seasonings to taste and set aside.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil (for pasta). While water boils, remove tails, shells, and veins from shrimp. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel.
  • Add shrimp to a large bowl with 1 Tbsp olive oil and garlic powder. Toss until shrimp are well-coated.
  • Once water boils, add linguine and cook according to package instructions (about 7-9 minutes).
  • While pasta cooks, heat a large pan over medium-high. Cook shrimp for 1-2 minutes each side, until opaque. Remove from heat.
  • Drain pasta and return to pot. Add pesto and arugula, and stir everything together until well-coated with pesto.
  • Serve pasta in bowls and top with shrimp. Option to top with cracked pepper, a sprinkle of fresh basil, and nutritional yeast or parmesan (if not dairy-free)!

Notes

*STORAGE: Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for about 3 days. To reheat recipe, add pasta to a large pot/saucepan and warm on low heat, stirring constantly. Alternatively, you can quickly reheat this in the microwave. Add a splash of olive oil if things have dried out.
*RECIPE MODIFICATIONS: there are many ways you can modify this recipe to suit your tastes and dietary preferences. Below are some ideas!
  • Feel free to use a different pasta shape in place of linguine. This recipe would truly work well with every pasta shape – long or small!
  • If you’d like to add in more veggies, feel free to throw in ones like cherry tomatoes, sautéed zucchini (or zoodles), broccoli, etc. You can even switch up the arugula with a different leafy green, like baby spinach or kale.
  • This recipe can be easily be made gluten-free by choosing a gluten-free pasta.
  • The original recipe is dairy-free, but you can always choose to top with freshly-grated parmesan and/or swap the nutritional yeast in the pesto with parmesan.
  • If you wish to make this recipe completely vegan, simply omit the shrimp and serve alongside a plant-based protein.
  • On that note, you can try serving this pasta with another animal protein source, like seared scallops, baked salmon, or grilled chicken in place of shrimp.
  • For a nut-free version, simply swap the walnuts with a seed like hemp seeds or pumpkin seeds.
  • Finally, feel free to use store-bought pesto if you feel like it!

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below, or by tagging @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!

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Pinterest graphic for a basil walnut pesto linguine with shrimp.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy.