Shrimp and Pasta in Creamy Pesto Sauce

[TimeOfTheEye]

I love pasta and I love seafood and decided to try them together.

* 12 ounces dried penne pasta
* 1 pound frozen cooked shrimp (35 to 40 per lb.), thawed
* 1/2 cup prepared pesto
* 1/4 cup whipping cream
* 1/4 cup fat-skimmed chicken broth
* 3 tablespoons chopped drained oil-packed dried tomatoes
* Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. In a 4- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 3 quarts water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender to bite, 7 to 12 minutes. Drain and return to pan.

2. Add shrimp, pesto, cream, broth, and dried tomatoes to pasta; stir over medium heat until hot and evenly incorporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into serving dish or divide among individual bowls.


This is where I got the recipe: myrecipes.com

I couldn't find any oil-packed dried tomatoes(I'm not sure if they meant the tomatoes themselves were dried or for me to drain the oil and "dry" them, but whatever), so I used this:



Petite diced with garlic and olive oil.

Also, I had no clue what "pesto" was before this, but found out when I went to the store. I found it in the pasta sauce aisle. It came in a jar like this and was a dark, kind of olive green color.



I accidentally used 18 ounces of pasta instead of 12 and the sauce was very good but there wasn't enough to cover everything, so next time even if I used 12 ounces of pasta, I'd still up the other ingredients just a bit(I do not like my pasta dry and flavorless).

Finished product:





It came out absolutely delicious!

[debk]

Looks delicious!!

Sun-dried tomatoes are packed in olive oil and come in a jar. They don't have to be rehydrated.

Looks like what you used worked just fine though....

[Wineslob]

Also, I had no clue what "pesto" was before this, but found out when I went to the store. I found it in the pasta sauce aisle. It came in a jar like this and was a dark, kind of olive green color.

 

It's Basil leaves, salt, olive oil, pine nuts garlic and Romano cheese blended together.

When fresh it is Godly.   

Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe
Print Options
Print (no photos)
Print (with photos)
Ingredients
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Special equipment needed: A food processor (Check Amazon.com's sales on Cuisinart food processors)
Method
1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Makes 1 cup.

Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.

[TimeOfTheEye]

Oh, lol. I'll have to try making it fresh next time.

[Chris_]

If you have a garden or flowerbed (I don't ) I would grow some basil.  Its easy to grow and it's the perfect time of year to plant it.

[Celtic Rose]

If you have a garden or flowerbed (I don't ) I would grow some basil.  Its easy to grow and it's the perfect time of year to plant it.

It generally grows well too.  Just make sure that you pinch off any flowers that start blooming.  Once the plant starts putting energy towards flowers and seed, it will produce less foliage, and you want the leaves to eat.

[NHSparky]

If you have a garden or flowerbed (I don't ) I would grow some basil.  Its easy to grow and it's the perfect time of year to plant it.

Just go to Home Depot or your local nursery and get some basil, cilantro, oregano, parsley, majoram, and chives.  Virtually nothing you can't make out of those.

And when you get bored with cooking or want a cool salad for dinner, tomato/basil salad with a bit of olive oil, basalmic, and a slice of mozzarella and maybe prosciutto works wonders.

[debk]

They grow well in pots too! I have sweet basil, cilantro and sage growing on the patio....

[Wineslob]

One other thing, the leftovers can be poured into an icecube tray and frozen and then bagged. Works great.

I should take pictures of my sage, rosemary, and oregano. With all the rain we've been getting they've gone nuts.

[Hawkgirl]

Love it...but I would make my own pesto.  My dad grows it...and I'm going to have him plant me an herb garden, as soon as I rip up some dying bushes.

Basil will definetly planted.  So far, I have only planted mint and it's growing rather well.

I also planted Hydrangeas as it's my favorite flower(maybe tied with roses)...not sure how that will turn out as I transfered them from a pot.

[debk]

Love it...but I would make my own pesto.  My dad grows it...and I'm going to have him plant me an herb garden, as soon as I rip up some dying bushes.

Basil will definetly planted.  So far, I have only planted mint and it's growing rather well.

I also planted Hydrangeas as it's my favorite flower(maybe tied with roses)...not sure how that will turn out as I transfered them from a pot.

Did you plant the mint in a pot or in the ground? If you just planted it, and it's in the ground....you might want to dig it up and put it in a pot....it will take over your herb garden. Stuff goes crazy!! I planted it one year and it was fine...the next year it was everywhere...

I love hydrangeas!!!! I have several kinds. What ever you do, don't clip the stalks down at the end of the season...you won't have any blooms next year if you do. I learned the hard way...

[Hawkgirl]

I love hydrangeas!!!! I have several kinds. What ever you do, don't clip the stalks down at the end of the season...you won't have any blooms next year if you do. I learned the hard way...

So no pruning?

[Hawkgirl]

Did you plant the mint in a pot or in the ground? If you just planted it, and it's in the ground....you might want to dig it up and put it in a pot....it will take over your herb garden. Stuff goes crazy!! I planted it one year and it was fine...the next year it was everywhere...

BtW...I heard that about the mint...but my favorite drink is a Mojito...so it will be consumed

My father planted it in the ground...I'll see how it goes...

[debk]

So no pruning?

You can cut the blooms off with fairly decent sized stems...but you need to read up on when to prune for your area. I did whacked mine off one year too late in the season, and all I had the next year was leaves. Now I pretty much leave them alone.

Also you can control the color by the acidity in the soil. I have some that are called Lady in Red and they are this fragile veily type bloom that right now are kind of blue...and they will turn red. Also have some climbing ones. This is the first year either one has had blooms and only the one in the front does and so far it's sort of a yellow/white. Also have some that I think are called Bridal Veil...they are a white/ivory that tint to peachy/very pale pink.