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I can't believe it is back-to-school already! If you have read my “about me” section you will know I work part-time as a school nurse….so back-to-school for me means BACK-TO-WORK! As I transition back to work I like easy meals and this Quick Shrimp Pesto Pasta fits the bill perfectly!
My family loves shrimp and can eat their weight in shrimp! The problem is that if shrimp is the main dish it usually costs me a fortune, LOL! My solution is to pair the shrimp with PASTA for a ONE POT MEAL! The fewer dirty dishes the better for me and every mom I know!! Let's just say that Barilla Pronto Pasta is ONE PAN, NO BOIL and NO DRAIN!! Yes to easy for busy moms!!
I am hooked on creating simple meals. When I was out shopping at Walmart recently I stumbled across Barilla's Pronto Pasta. When I saw the word “Pronto” I knew it was going right into my basket!! Plus I love how Barilla is helping feed hungry kids! For every box of Barilla® Pronto™ purchased at Walmart between 7/31/2016 and 10/31/2016, Barilla® will donate 10 meals to kids in need through No Kid Hungry, up to half-a-million meals.*
Then I saw some Barilla Pesto Sauce and knew that would make the recipe idea in my head perfect! It was fun to have a pasta meal with pesto instead of the typical ingredients we normally use! The Barilla Pesto Sauce is 100% natural and has a flavor that is balanced and delicious!!
Let's make some Quick Shrimp Pesto Pasta!!
Ingredients Needed for Quick Shrimp Pesto Pasta
1 Box of Barilla Pronto Penne Pasta
1/2 to 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped up small
3 Cups Cold Water
half and half 1/2 cup to 1 cup
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
4-5 tablespoons of Barilla Pesto Sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
20-30 extra small shrimp, thawed (these are shrimp that have been cooked, peeled and deveined)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
Shredded Parmesan Cheese to sprinkle on top if desired
salt and pepper to taste
How to Make Quick Shrimp Pesto Pasta
First you need to wash and cut your red bell pepper up into small pieces. If you are really short on time you could use a jar of roasted red bell pepper instead.
Now you will follow the package directions for the Barilla Pronto Penne Pasta. Pour your box of pasta into a large skillet and pour the 3 cups of cold water into the pan so that the pasta is covered with the water.
Add your bell pepper into the pan now so that the pepper can cook along with the pasta and be nice and tender! If your children are picky eaters you can always leave the bell peppers out of the dish! The peppers will be nice and tender though and my picky eater didn't mind them at all! 🙂
Turn on the burner to high and set your timer for 10 minutes. Cook on high, stirring regularly, until most of the water is absorbed. It took just over 10 minutes on my stove and the cooking time may vary a little depending on the stove.
Now you need to add your half and half, spices, Barilla Pesto Sauce, shrimp and mozzarella cheese. Turn your burner down to low and you are just heating the shrimp up and getting the cheese all melted. If you like your pasta meals a little more creamy/liquidy you can add more half and half. If you prefer your pasta dishes a little dryer…use less half and half! I cooked this mixture for about 6-8 minutes. It doesn't take long since the shrimp are thawed and precooked!
Now you are ready to put some delicious Quick Shrimp Pesto Pasta on your plate and sprinkle with some shredded Parmesan cheese!
Quick Meals are a Must During Back-to-School
I can't say it enough times….I love quick and easy meals during this hectic time of year! My family gobbled this recipe up and I doubled it so we could have leftovers!! I was also thrilled that this Barilla Pronto Pasta helped me save more than time….it also uses 60% less energy and water!!
What are some of your favorite back-to-school meals to make your evenings a little less stressful? Have you tried the Barilla Pronto Pasta yet? Need some more quick meal ideas? Be sure to head over to Barilla's website and check out a simple and delicious recipe for Penne Pasta with Pepperoni & Cheese!
*$1.00 can provide a child 10 healthy meals. This amount is based on individual experiences of grant recipients. Contributions will be used to reach the highest number of children facing hunger in America. Share Our Strength is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization.

- 1 Box of Barilla Pronto Penne Pasta
- 1/2 to 1 Red Bell Pepper chopped up small
- 3 Cups Cold Water
- half and half 1/2 cup to 1 cup
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 4-5 tablespoons of Barilla Pesto Sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 20-30 extra small shrimp thawed (these are shrimp that have been cooked, peeled and deveined)
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Shredded Parmesan Cheese to sprinkle on top if desired
- salt and pepper to taste
-
First you need to wash and cut your red bell pepper up into small pieces. If you are really short on time you could use a jar of roasted red bell pepper instead.
-
Now you will follow the package directions for the Barilla Pronto Penne Pasta. Pour your box of pasta into a large skillet and pour the 3 cups of cold water into the pan so that the pasta is covered with the water.
-
Add your bell pepper into the pan now so that the pepper can cook along with the pasta and be nice and tender! If your children are picky eaters you can always leave the bell peppers out of the dish! The peppers will be nice and tender though and my picky eater didn't mind them at all!
-
Turn on the burner to high and set your timer for 10 minutes. Cook on high, stirring regularly, until most of the water is absorbed. It took just over 10 minutes on my stove and the cooking time may vary a little depending on the stove.
-
Now you need to add your half and half, spices, Barilla Pesto Sauce, shrimp and mozzarella cheese. Turn your burner down to low and you are just heating the shrimp up and getting the cheese all melted. If you like your pasta meals a little more creamy/liquidy you can add more half and half. If you prefer your pasta dishes a little dryer...use less half and half! I cooked this mixture for about 6-8 minutes. It doesn't take long since the shrimp are thawed and precooked!
-
Last just sprinkle some shredded Parmesan cheese on top if you desire!
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