Shrimp and Veggie Pesto Pasta

Pasta can be flavorful… and healthy
This spicy, garlic pesto shrimp pasta is packed with mouth-watering flavors. Its still creamy from the pesto yet light without all the heavy cream that is typical of pasta dishes. The charred broccoli in the dish brings a great crunch to complement the shrimp. This dish is truly the best of both worlds… flavor and health.
I used an orecchiette pasta from Italy for this dish, but feel free to incorporate your favorite type of pasta. I have tried this recipe in the past with angel hair pasta and spaghetti.

Ingredients: 

• Garlic (A TON, around 10 cloves)
• Parsley (a handful)
• Shrimp (1 lb)
• 1/4 th cup pesto ( used this pre-made italian version which can be found here )
• dash of black pepper
• 1 jalapeno
• dash of dried basil
• dash of dried oregano
• dash of red pepper flakes
• Broccolli florets ( I used broccolli, but this would also go great with mushrooms, asparagus, or zucchini)
• 1 lime
• Parmesan grated (for topping)
• Pasta ( of your choice, I used orecchiette )

1. Grind the garlic, parsley and jalapeno into a paste

1. Add in the shrimp to this mix

2. Cook on low heat for a few mins. Add the lime, salt, and black pepper at this point. You want  to heavily coat the shrimp with the black pepper.

3. After cooking for 5-7 mins, add the broccoli florets, pesto, and all other spices. Stir in and cover for 5-10  mins.

1. Once the flavors are cooked into the shrimp and the veggies, it will form a gravy. At this point you can add in the pasta.and stir. You can avoid overcooking the shrimp by turning off the heat before the shrimp start to form into circular rings.

2. Top with a heaping spoonful of Parmesan, and serve! Voila!

Author: Ankitha Gadag

Recipe Curator & Tastemaker behind AnkithaGadagRecipes! View all posts by Ankitha Gadag