Having been an athlete for as long as I can remember, (and an Italian for that matter), I've ridden the let's-eat-pasta-for-every-meal wave for the majority of my life. And oh man, those were the golden years. Now, the good news is that I am no longer being *forced* to spend 4+ hours a day playing water polo in a cold pool. But the bad news is it means my metabolism is slowing down and I am no longer in a position to polish off an entire box of pasta in 1 sitting. Cue the carbo-loading.
HOWEVER, while I was in college, pesto pasta in every form was one of my favorite meals to prep and eat throughout the week. Especially if you use prepared pesto, this recipe has so few ingredients and you can make cater it to your personal preferences and/or what you have on hand. This recipe features my favorite way to eat it - bowtie noodles simply tossed in my homemade pesto, topped with some lemony shrimp and fresh, bright cherry tomatoes. Perfect for lunch, dinner, or a simple side dish. So YUMMY!
Ingredients:
1 box dry pasta (I like bowtie for this recipe)
2 C frozen (but fully cooked) shrimp, tails removed
½ of a lemon, juiced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 C prepared pesto
1 C cherry tomatoes, halved
Directions:
Thaw shrimp by placing in a colander and running cold water over them. It is ok if they are not fully thawed when ready to use. Remove the tails.
Follow instructions on pasta box to cook the noodles.
Heat olive oil and minced garlic in a skillet on med/high heat. Add shrimp and lemon juice to the skillet saute for 5-6 min until heated through.
Drain the cooked pasta and return it to the pot. Add shrimp and halved tomatoes. Stir in pesto and serve.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
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