Celebrate Spring With This Delicious Pasta Dish

With the weather warming up, it is time to bring some springtime sunshine into your cooking. So lets celebrate spring with this flavorful Spinach Pesto Pasta with Shrimp recipe.

Spinach Pesto Pasta with Shrimp

Ingredients

PESTO:

• 2 cups packed fresh baby spinach
• 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup seeded chopped plum tomato
• 6 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

PASTA:

• 8 ounces uncooked whole-wheat penne pasta
• 1 pound fresh asparagus, cut into 2-in. pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 pound large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup halved multicolored grape tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

How to Make It

Step 1

To prepare pesto, bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil. Add spinach and basil; cook 20 seconds. Remove spinach mixture to a bowl filled with ice water (reserve water in pan); let stand 30 seconds. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.

Step 2

Place parsley and next 7 ingredients (through garlic) in food processor; process until finely chopped. Add spinach mixture and 2 tablespoons oil; process to combine. Place 3/4 cup pesto in a small bowl; place plastic wrap directly on pesto. Reserve for Pesto Chicken with Blistered Tomatoes and Vegetable Soup au Pisto.

Step 3

To prepare pasta, return water in pan to a boil. Add pasta; cook according to package directions, adding asparagus during last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 3/4 cup cooking liquid.

Step 4

Heat 1 tablespoon oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high until butter melts. Sprinkle shrimp with red pepper and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add shrimp to pan; cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove shrimp from pan.

Step 5

Add pasta mixture and reserved 3/4 cup cooking liquid to pan; cook 1 minute. Stir in remaining 6 tablespoons pesto, shrimp, grape tomatoes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Divide pasta mixture evenly among 4 bowls.