Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 4 servings
This super quick and straightforward shrimp and fresh pesto pasta recipe brings together a host of delicious flavors and textures, especially the classic fresh pesto straight from the kitchens of Genoa in northern Italy. Pasta and pesto is a Genovese classic. Add in the shrimp and you have a sure-fire winner of a dish.
Better still, serve the dish hot for lunch or dinner, or leave it to go cold and you have a fantastic salad for a warm summer's day.
Ingredients
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1 cup fresh basil leaves
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1/2 clove garlic
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4 to 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
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2 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
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2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
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2 tablespoons pine nuts
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Kosher salt, to taste
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8 ounces dried tagliatelle or spaghetti
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8 ounces shrimp, cleaned
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1 tablespoon vegetable oil
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1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Steps to Make It
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Gather your ingredients and start by making the pesto.
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Place the basil and garlic into a food processor and pulse several times.
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With the motor running continuously, slowly add the olive oil through the top funnel to form a thick (but not oily) paste. You may need less olive oil than the recipe states.
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Add the Pecorino and Parmesan and pulse two or three times.
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Finally, add the pine nuts (pignoli) and stir. Taste and add a tiny pinch of salt if needed. Scoop the pesto into a bowl, cover with a tea cloth, and put to one side.
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Cook the tagliatelle according to the packet instructions in a large volume of boiling lightly salted water (approximately 8 to 10 minutes). The pasta should be slightly firm (al dente).
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While the pasta is cooking, check over the shrimp to make sure they are clean and there is no black vein remaining down the back. If there is, wipe with a paper towel.
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Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet to hot, but not smoking. Add the shrimp and fry until the shrimp are pink through to the middle. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
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Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the pan you cooked the shrimp in, sprinkle with a tiny pinch of salt, and cook over a medium for 3 to 4 minutes to soften the tomatoes. Keep warm.
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Drain the pasta reserving a cup of the cooking water.
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Toss the pasta in a large warmed bowl. Stir the pesto through one tablespoon at a time until you have the strength of taste you want; pesto is a very strong flavoured, so be careful not to drown the pasta. If the pasta feels a little dry, add a bit of the cooking water and stir through.
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Add the shrimp and cherry tomatoes, stir again.
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Serve immediately in warmed pasta bowls. The shrimp pesto is also good cold and served as a summer salad.
Tip
- Leftover pesto? The pesto will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days if covered with a thin layer of olive oil. Pesto also freezes well; freeze it in small quantities (e.g., ice cube trays are very useful).
No Pecorino?
If you cannot find Pecorino Romano, do not worry; double the Parmesan instead. The Pecorino does add a different flavor to the pesto, but freshly grated Parmesan will still taste fabulous.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 4 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 271 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 13g | 16% |
| Saturated Fat 2g | 11% |
| Cholesterol 125mg | 42% |
| Sodium 707mg | 31% |
| Total Carbohydrate 21g | 8% |
| Dietary Fiber 1g | 5% |
| Total Sugars 2g | |
| Protein 19g | |
| Vitamin C 6mg | 32% |
| Calcium 124mg | 10% |
| Iron 2mg | 8% |
| Potassium 287mg | 6% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
