Pesto Pasta with Shrimp & Cherry tomatoes
This simple pasta dish, packed with deep delicious flavors is spaghetti tossed in a flavorful pesto sauce, then topped with sauteed shrimp and tomatoes. This quick easy dinner tastes as good as it looks.
Pesto Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes and Shrimp
Spaghetti tossed in a rich basil pesto with cherry tomatoes and shrimp.
Ingredients
- 10 oz pasta - spaghetti, linguine or fettuccini
- ¾ cup basil pesto - see below
- 1 lb medium or large shrimp - peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- salt and pepper - to taste
- ¼ cup parmigiano-reggiano
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes - halved
- chopped parsley - to garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large pan over high heat. Add the shrimp and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook for 2-4 minutes or until shrimp are just pink and opaque.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the shrimp. Stir in the pesto.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and parmagiano-reggiano cheese to the pan. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.
Pesto
A rich puree made from basil, pine nuts, parmigiano-reggiano and garlic is perfect with almost any shaped pasta and can be served with a variety of proteins. (see pasta recipes).
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves - packed
- ½ cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese - about 2 ounces – Grated
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 3 garlic cloves - minced – approximately 3 teaspoons
- ¼ teaspoon salt - more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper - more to taste
Instructions
Basil Pesto
- Pulse basil and pine nuts in a food processor several times.
- Add garlic and cheese and pulse several times more. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula.
- While the food processor is running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady small stream. Adding the olive oil slowly, while the processor is running, will help it emulsify and keep the olive oil from separating. Occasionally stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor. Set aside.
Notes
Rob’s Little Secret: You can make this up in advance and store it in the refrigerator indefinitely.
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