Grilled Pesto Shrimp

This Grilled Pesto Shrimp was a perfect light meal on a warm evening. Growing basil and having a freezer full of homemade pesto is a favorite  of mine. I’ve been using the same pesto recipe for years (although I will admit to not really measuring). I make up a batch anytime I have a lot of fresh basil. I freeze it in ice cube trays, then once frozen, pop them into freezer zip lock bags. Whenever I need a little or a lot, I just grab out a cube and I’m ready to cook. Do you remember my Pesto Caprese Bread from a while back, yep, pesto from the freezer.

Other than marinating the shrimp, this meal came together in the time it took to cook the pasta. While the pasta was cooking, I grilled the shrimp, halved a few cherry tomatoes and plated some arugula. I decided to cook the shrimp in my grill basket because I think it preserved a lot of the marinating sauce as it cooked, and well, it was simpler than skewering them.

As soon as the shrimp finished cooking, I removed them from the grill and gave them a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

After draining the pasta, I put it back in the pot and mixed together the pasta, the lemony grilled pesto shrimp, and the cherry tomatoes. I then plated it over a bed of arugula and topped with another good squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a round of cracked black pepper.

It was so quick, so simple, and so delicious!!

Here’s my pesto recipe…

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Grilled Pesto Shrimp

Author Joy in Every Season

Ingredients

• Pesto:
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 3-4 large garlic cloves
• 3/4 cup pine nuts
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• As served:
• 1 # large peeled and deveined shrimp
• 1/2 box small bow tie pasta cooked according to package directions
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
• 2 lemons for juice
• fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

• To make pesto:
• Combine basil, garlic, pine nuts, and olive oil in food processor. Process until will mix. Scrape down sides and process until smooth.
• Place in regular bowl and stir in cheese, salt, and pepper.
• As served:
• Make pesto.
• Marinate shrimp for at least a couple of hours.
• Cook pasta (according to directions).
• While pasta is cooking, grill shrimp for 5-7 minutes or until shrimp is pink. Time will depend on grill heat and size of shrimp.
• Remove heat from grill and top with juice from one lemon.
• Drain pasta and combine with shrimp,tomatoes, and a small drizzle of olive oil.
• Serve on a bed of fresh arugula topped with more lemon juice and cracked pepper.

**If you like this recipe, please feel free to share onto your Facebook page and don’t forget to Pin it!You might also like:

Basil Pesto (Make it and freeze it)

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