Happy Tuesday, friends! My husband and I tried a new recipe last night and it was so good I had to share! Come check out our Pesto Shrimp Pasta Recipe!
Do you ever get tired of making the same meals over and over? Well, we sure do. So yesterday while I was at the grocery store I decided to try something new! I started by buying a packet of Knorr Pesto Sauce Mix.
On the back of the packet was a recipe for Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad. I wasn’t in the mood for chicken so I bought a pound of shrimp instead. The recipe on the back was a good starting point but we decided to tweek it a bit and make it our own. So, here’s our version! Looks tasty, huh?
SHRIMP PESTO PASTA
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 ounces uncooked favorite pasta (we used spaghetti noodles)
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1 package Knorr Pesto Sauce Mix
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 pound shrimp
- Italian seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parmesan Cheese
INSTRUCTIONS:
1-Peel and wash the shrimp and pat dry. Sprinkle liberally with Italian Seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Allow to marinate while preparing the rest of the dish.
2-Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta and put the colander with the pasta in a large pot with a bit of boiling water in the bottom. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and toss. Cover and keep warm.
4-Combine the Pesto Sauce mix, olive oil and red wine vinegar in a bowl and whisk thoroughly. Set aside.
5-In a large cast iron skillet with a cover, steam the broccoli for about 3 minutes in a bit of olive oil and chicken broth. When the broccoli is tender crisp, add the shrimp and basil.
6-Cook the shrimp for 3-4 minutes or until pink on both sides.
7-Add the pesto sauce and warm it up.
8-Gently fold in the tomatoes.
9-Serve the pesto and shrimp over a bed of noodles and top with your favorite cheese! (We used shaved parmesan cheese.)
10-ENJOY!!! (The dish pairs well with a nice cabernet, but doesn’t everything?)
NOTE: If you like, you can replace the shrimp with chopped up rotisserie chicken. And you can also buy pre-made pesto sauce to make it even simpler. But this meal was so quick and easy and had the best flavor! Plus it was a nice change of pace so I highly recommend it! Fresh basil was also key, so thank you to my sweet friend, Helen, for the basil! It was the perfect compliment and added just the right spice to the dish!
Well, I’ve got a bush day ahead, so I”m signing off. I hope you have a wonderful day and please let me know if you try this dish and what you think! Until next time! xoxo Dell
