Cilantro & Kale Pesto Shrimp Pasta

If you’ve read my blog for a while now then you know that my kids’ favorite thing for supper is “shrimp with noodles”.  It is THE most requested dinner at our house, so I’m constantly thinking of ways to reinvent it.  What I love the most about cooking with shrimp is that it comes together so quickly.  In minutes, you can have supper on the table!  This recipe is really basic: homemade pesto made with kale and cilantro, noodles and shrimp.  Easy as this!

Enjoy!

This recipe serves four.

Shopping List
1 cup of cilantro leaves (loosely packed, not chopped)
1/2 a cup of basil leaves (loosely packed, not chopped)
1 cup of kale (loosely packed, not chopped)
1½ cups of toasted almonds (just toast them in a clean, dry skillet for about 3 minutes)
2 garlic cloves
1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, plus a little more for garnish
1 cup to 2 cups of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
1 pound of shrimp (make sure it’s defrosted if you buy frozen)
1 pound of cooked pasta (we used a whole wheat linguine), hot and ready to eat
salt and pepper

Begin by making your pesto: in the bowl of your food processor, place the first six ingredients.  Cover and turn on to zip the ingredients around.  As they’re zipping around, slowly pour your EVOO down into the food processor and you’ll see your pesto begin to form.  Slowly add the EVOO.  You’ll keep pouring it in there until the pesto reaches a desired consistency.  Since this is for pasta, I prefer my pesto to be thinner rather than thick.  Stop the food processor when you think it’s ready to go.  Reserve the pesto.

In a very large skillet (or big pot) over medium-high heat, quickly cook up your shrimp in a drizzle of EVOO with a big pinch of both salt and pepper.  It will only take the shrimp about 3 or 4 minutes to cook.  Once they’re ready to go, reduce the heat and pour your pesto down in the skillet with the shrimp and toss everything together.  Next, add your cooked pasta to the skillet and make sure everything gets coated with pesto.  Let everything heat up together on top of the stove about five minutes.  Then remove from heat, plate your pasta, garnish with just a touch more Parmesan cheese and serve!

That’s it!

So simple, so quick and so delicious!