Pasta with Shrimp & Creamy Pesto Sauce
A 30-minute restaurant-worthy pasta dish with a creamy arugula-basil pesto sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves stems removed
- 2 cups lightly packed arugula
- 3 medium cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt to taste
- 8 ounces fettuccine or spaghetti
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp (21/15 per pound) peeled, and deveined
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 medium Roma tomatoes diced
Instructions
- Combine the basil, arugula, garlic, walnuts, Parmesan cheese, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor, and process until fairly smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure everything is combined, then pour the olive oil in a stream while the machine runs. Season with salt to taste. If the pesto seems too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin it. Transfer the pesto to a bowl or large measuring cup and set it aside.
- Fill a stockpot with about 6 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt if desired. Cook the pasta according to directions until just al dente, about 12 minutes for fettuccini.
- Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, and remove the pot from the heat. Add the shrimp to the hot water. Once the shrimp turn pink and curl, (about 30 seconds), drain the pasta and shrimp.
- Pour about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water into the pesto and stir to combine. Return the pot to the stove, pour the thinned pesto into the pot, and heat it over low heat. Slowly add the cream while stirring the pesto.
- Add the cooked pasta and shrimp to the pesto cream sauce and stir to combine. If necessary, add additional pasta water to thin the sauce.
- Add the diced tomatoes to the pasta and stir. Taste and add additional salt or Parmesan as needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
Don't overcook the shrimp, or they'll be tough. Drain them as soon as they turn pink.
The sauce will thicken as the pasta cools, so you may wish to add most of the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce.
This recipe tastes best served immediately, but you can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Nutrition
Serving: 0gCalories: 540kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 27gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.05gCholesterol: 209mgSodium: 707mgPotassium: 459mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1293IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 154mgIron: 2mg
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