Pesto has a notably vibrant and strong flavor, gaining its intensity from garlic, cheese, and pine nuts. Make sure to blend the pesto on low as the basil leaves brown easily. Freeze or store leftover pesto in the fridge to use as a flavor booster for your next quick meal.
2-4 servings
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and season generously with salt. When boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the garlic, cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, pine nuts, and basil into a blender or food processor and blend on low until combined. Set aside.
- Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet until shimmering. Add the shrimp, cooking in batches if needed, until they are pink and no longer translucent, about 2 minutes each side.
- In a serving bowl, toss the noodles with the pesto, adding a little of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce until it achieves desired consistency. Add the lemon juice and toss to combine. Serve with the shrimp and pine nuts.
Recipe by Yasmin Fahr
Yasmin Fahr
Yasmin Fahr is a food writer and author of the cookbook, Keeping it Simple. She has a penchant for cheesy phrases, lemons, fresh herbs, feta and cumin (as you’ll soon see). She attended Cornell University and then completed a Master’s degree in Food Studies from New York University. Her writing and recipes have appeared online and in print publications such as The Kitchn, Washington Post, Epicurious, TASTE, Bon Appetit, Serious Eats, Food & Wine, Olive, and The Telegraph and others. She currently lives in NYC with previous stints in London and Los Angeles. Please say hi to her online at @yasminfahr!