Lemon Linguine With Basil Pesto Shrimp

• Basil Pesto↗
• fresh basil leaves↗2 cups

  finely chopped

• medium sized garlic cloves4 cloves

  finely minced

• Parmesan cheese↗2⁄3 cup

  freshly grated

• pine nuts↗1⁄3 cup

  toasted or 1/3 cup walnuts

• extra virgin olive oil↗1⁄2 cup
• salt and red pepper flakes
• The Rest
• lb shrimp, large, peeled and deveined↗1 lb
• batch basil pesto (recipe above, divided)↗1
• olive oil↗1⁄2 - 2⁄3 cup
• lemon juice, fresh (2 or 3 lemons)↗1⁄4 - 1⁄2 cup
• Parmesan cheese↗1⁄2 cup
• fresh lemon zest↗1 tablespoon
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• lb linguine, cooked al dente↗1
• cup pasta cooking water1

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Put basil leaves and garlic in bowl of a food processor.

2. 2

   Pulse a few times to combine.

3. 3

   Add Parmesan cheese and pine nuts; pulse a few more times.

4. 4

   Scrape mixture into a bowl and whisk in olive oil.

5. 5

   Add salt and red pepper flakes to taste; stir.

6. 6

   Place shrimp in a non-metal bowl or zipper bag; spoon in half of the pesto to coat. Mix well. Set aside the rest of the pesto for later.

7. 7

   Place shrimp in the refrigerator to marinate for about 30 minutes. You can also put the shrimp on wooden skewers that have been thoroughly soaked in water.

8. 8

   Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet or grill pan. Add the shrimp and saute just until it turns pink, about 1 or 2 minutes per side.

9. 9

   Remove shrimp from pan and cover to keep warm. Shrimp will continue to cook for a minute after you remove it from the heat.

10. 10

    In a large serving bowl, whisk the 1/4 cup of the lemon juice and olive oil until partially emulsified.

11. 11

    Add the Parmesan and continue whisking until creamy.

12. 12

    Toss in the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.

13. 13

    Adjust the oil-to-lemon ratio by adding more lemon juice, a little at a time, until it is to your taste.

14. 14

    Add hot pasta to the bowl and toss until well-coated. The heat from the pasta will melt the cheese and help it stick to the linguine.

15. 15

    Add some cooking water if the pasta seems dry.

16. 16

    Portion the linguine onto dinner plates; top each with 4 to 6 shrimp.

17. 17

    Ladle some remaining pesto onto each plate as well.