My name is Andrea and I love to cook and experiment in the kitchen. I am a newlywed who loves to make meals for my husband as well as our friends & family. I am a complete amateur but I thought it would be fun to keep track of what I make and share my recipes. Bon Appetit!

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Shrimp Pesto Pasta

I saw this recipe with Salmon in it on a different blog (thewaythecookiecrumbles). I thought I'd try it with shri and it turned out well. I really liked it but Jimmy didn't love the lemon flavor. It was easy to through together and I'll make it again for sure.

Shrimp Pesto Pasta

For the pesto:
¼ cup pine nuts
5 medium cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 cups fresh packed basil leaves, rinsed thoroughly
2 tbsp. fresh parsley leaves (optional)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
pinch of table salt
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

For the pasta:
1 bag frozen, cooked shrimp
12 oz. salmon
salt and pepper
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. lemon juice
5 oz. evaporated milk
grated Parmesan, for serving

To make the pesto, toast the pine nuts in a small skillet, stirring frequently until just golden and fragrant, 4-5 minutes. Transfer the nuts to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the unpeeled garlic to the skillet, shaking the pan occasionally, and toast until fragrant and the color of the cloves deepens slightly, about 7 minutes. Let the garlic cool, then peel and add to food processor bowl. Process the nuts and garlic until finely chopped. Add the remaining ingredients except the cheese; process until smooth, stopping as necessary to scrape down the bowl. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl, mix in the cheese and adjust salt, if necessary. (Can be covered with a sheet of plastic wrap directly over the surface or filmed with oil and refrigerated up to 5 days).

In a medium bowl mix the shrimp with the lemon juice, zest and olive oil and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil and cook pasta till al dente; drain. Pour evaporated milk into the empty pot and simmer over medium heat until reduced to ¼ cup. Add cooked pasta to the pot and stir to combine. Add the shrimp to the pot and stir over medium heat until hot. Remove from heat and stir in the pesto. Top with grated Parmesan.