I’ve been wanting to make this pasta ever since I saw it appear on Woks of Life in May. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) a pair of doves made a nest in our Thai basil plants so we couldn’t kick them out and harvest it. When I was able to get to the Asian supermarket in the suburbs, I went ahead and doubled the pesto recipe. Stored it in a jar, I’ve been using it in sandwiches, chicken salad, and even pizza.
Do yourself a favor and make this Thai Basil Pesto pasta, stat! If you can’t find Thai basil you can sub in regular basil or even cilantro.
Dove & Basil
Pesto & Pea Chicken Salad
Pesto Chicken Salad Sandwich
Thai Basil Pesto Pasta with Shrimp Recipe
By Published: October 22, 2015
- Yield: 3-4 Servings
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Ready In: 30 mins
Adapted from Woks of Life
Ingredients
- ½ pound dried pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ⅙ cup toasted nuts pistachio, walnuts, etc
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¾ cup thai basil leaves packed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- To make the pesto: In a food processor, add the nuts and garlic and puree. Add the basil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and run the food processor, gradually streaming in the olive oil until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for another 30 seconds. Set aside.
- Prepare the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook for 1 minute less than the time recommended on the box. Drain.
- In a separate skillet heated over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the shrimp with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Sear the shrimp until golden and just cooked through. Do not overcook your shrimp! Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
- To the pan, add the cream, pesto and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 1 minute, until thickened slightly. Stir in the pasta and continue cooking for another minute.
- Serve, with the shrimp on top.
- Cuisine: Hapa
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