Two of my favorite things come together in perfect harmony to tantalize your taste buds with succulent savory flavors in this Pesto Linguine with Shrimp Scampi… What else could you ask for? The simplicity of this recipe coupled with slight elegance makes this a perfect meal during the week with the family and for entertaining guests. There are also ways of enhancing this recipe to your liking simply by adding in different cheeses, roasted vegetables, tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes… literally the possibilities are endless. Also, if you happen to not use all of the pesto put it in a container and pop it in the freezer and pull it out in small doses as you need it to kick up your food a few notches. The shrimp scampi, on the other hand, I doubt you’ll be able to resist the temptation to not finish every last bite in every sitting. In fact, that’s a challenge! Enjoy!!
Pesto Linguine with Shrimp Scampi Recipe
INGREDIENTS
For the Pesto:
- 2 cups packed basil leaves
- 1 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
For the Shrimp Scampi:
- ½ cup unsalted butter + 1 tablespoon
- 8 finely minced cloves of garlic
- 1 lb deveined and peeled shrimp
- ¾ cup of white wine
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 pound cooked linguine pasta
- ¼ cup of parmesan cheese
- ½ cup of pasta water
- Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a food processor add in the basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan, juice and lemon juice and pulse 5 to 6 times.
- Next, slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to pulse to make a pesto and then set aside.
- In a large saute pan on medium high heat add in the butter until melted and then add the garlic and cook until lightly browned.
- Next, add in the shrimp and saute for 2 to 3 minutes and then remove them from the pan.
- Deglaze with white wine and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add in some lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of butter along with the shrimp. Season with salt and pepper.
- To Plate: Combine the cooked pasta with the pesto, ¼ cup of parmesan cheese, pasta water, salt and pepper and mix together.
- Serve the shrimp scampi over top the pesto linguine pasta.
