Shrimp & Red Pesto Pasta

I am currently going through what can only be described as a 'red pesto phase'. I am unsure when it began, but it has become pretty serious. By this I mean that I keep thinking of meals I could, and definitely should, add it to. For example, delicately dolloped on top of a chicken risotto (which actually worked beautifully by the way). I have even started to just spread it on baguette and eat away as if it is some sort of condiment.

So as I said, this red pesto phase has become a pretty big deal. To make myself feel better about my strange new love, I thought I should blog about a recipe where red pesto actually belongs. 

I adore seafood and have often thought to myself that if I could eat restaurant-standard seafood dishes for the rest of my life, I could give up meat for good. However, I rarely cook seafood for myself as it never quite lives up to my expectations. 

I hope to remedy this, and blog about my successful seafood adventures. My first 'official' creation is this Shrimp and Red Pesto Pasta dish. 

Thanks to my current pesto obsession, I have a ton of it in the fridge, and after picking up some shrimp from the supermarket, I thought I should combine them. 

For a super, super speedy version of this recipe, you can buy readymade pesto and cooked shrimp from the shops and then just heat everything through and mix through some hot pasta.I have listed the longer version below, which involves making the pesto and preparing the prawns. 

It may mean a little more preparation but it means you can make the pesto exactly how you want it. Home-made pesto means you can make it super garlicky or add some chilli to give it a kick. The recipe below is an outline of what you need. However, it is 100% tailored to how I like it so if it sounds a bit garlic heavy or lacks enough chilli, get creative and make it your own!

HOT RED PESTO

• 2-3 cloves garlic ~ crushed
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts
• 250g sundried tomatoes in oil 
• 1 red chilli pepper ~ deseeded and finely chopped
• 50g Parmasan cheese  finely grated
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• handful of basil ~ finely chopped
• Salt (to taste)

1. Place all the ingredient, except the oil, in a blender and process until almost smooth. 
2. Taste and add extra ingredients as needed *e.g add more chilli if you like it hot, or more pine nuts for a bit more texture.
3. Blend again and gradually add the olive oil
4. Scrap down the sides of the mixer to make sure everything is combines, blend for a couple of seconds more.
5. Put in a bowl to one side.

This pesto will last for 2 days, unless you're like me and end up eating it with everything.

SHRIMP AND RED PESTO PASTA

Difficulty
 Easy

Timing
Preparation: Up to 20 minutes
Cooking: 15 minutes

Serves: As many as you like!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 x Hot Red Pesto recipe (above). approximately 1 tablespoon per 100g pasta
• 100g pasta per person
• 50-90g shrimp per person (I use 90g as it means no one looses out on the shrimp front!) ~ peeled and prepped for frying.
• butter

RECIPE

First you need to prep your shrimp!

1.  Peel off the shell and discarded the head and the tail.*You can usually buy prawns already prepped. If you have done this, skip to next section.
2. Use the tip of a sharp knife to get rid of the black line running down the back. *This step isn't as important on teeny tiny shrimp (as i used today) but is when you're dealing with big prawns and shrimp as the little vein is filled with 'dirt' and so won't taste too great!
3. Give your prepped shrimp a little wash and then they are all ready to go!

I hope I have explained the process clearly. I have managed to find a video too (thanks to www.allrecipes.com) in case you need a little more guidance: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qXtyq8-MHE 

Now back to the recipe:

1. Cook your pasta following cooking instructions on pack.
2. When your pasta has 5 mins left, put the shrimp in a frying pan with a knob of butter and fry until they turn pink. * Shrimp obviously come in many sizes and so cooking time varies. Leave a little longer than 5 mins if you have some giant shrimp to cook. Just remember, as soon as they are pink they are done! 
3. Drain your pasta and return to pot. Pour your cooked shrimp over the pasta along with all the delicious butteriness in the frying pan.
4. Add your HOT RED PESTO to the pasta and stir through. *As I have said above, I usually add about a tablespoon of pesto per 100g pasta. This is enough to properly coat the pasta rather than be used as a sauce but feel free to add more if you are a saucy kind of person!

I have literally just finished a wonderfully big bowl of this very dish and I must admit, it was particularly delicious.  It may just be because of my current 'red pesto phase'  but I would call this dish a winner.

Good luck and have fun!
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