We have recently had some pretty exciting things happen in our lives! The home renovation is moving along well, but more importantly, B has been able to visit some potential locations for our restaurant! Not sure if they are the right fit for us at all, but it is definitely a step in the right direction! It has been difficult (because of COVID) for us to really get going with it, but we never stop working and try to always stay positive about the situation! So to celebrate I decided to practice my pesto recipe. I think it turned out pretty well and I wanted to share it with you!
For this recipe, I want to do things just a bit differently. Often when I cook I like to experiment, taste as I go, just kind of make what I feel tastes good in the moment! When I started this blog, I got a lot better about writing down exactly how I cooked or baked everything so I could ensure your version would turn out just as good as mine. I make a lot of mistakes along the way. We eat a lot of burnt cookies and overdone meat! But I always learn form my mistakes, and it makes me better at what I do! I think so many people are afraid to try cooking/baking because they are afraid of making a mistake. That is part of it. So what if you have to throw it away and order take out? Tomorrow when you try making it again, it will be perfect.
So with this very simple but delicious dish, let's go on a journey. It's going to be pesto your way. Add on, take away, and do whatever you like! Below I have listed the suggested ingredients:
Ingredients for Pesto
Fresh spinach
shaved parmesan cheese
lemon juice
salt
pepper
garlic cloves
Fresh Basil
Olive Oil
pine nuts
Ingredients for Shrimp
large raw shrimp (peeled and deveined)
shaved parmesan
parsley
garlic powder
salt
pepper
olive oil
To prepare the pesto, begin by adding the spinach, basil, pine nuts, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic to your food processor or blender. I used the Ninja Professional Countertop Blender on the low setting. The amount of these ingredients is up to you. I began with 4 oz of spinach leaves but ended up using 6 oz, slowly adding in the spinach overtime for more texture. Normally I would use about 1/5-2oz of fresh basil leaves. However, I wasn't able to get fresh basil so I substituted for 1 tbsp of dried. Basil has a peppery taste, with minty undertones. Sometimes it has a slightly lemony scent and anise flavor, especially when fresh. I think that dried basil sometimes tastes too minty and I do not like to use it in dishes like this, but what can you do. The same thing happened with the garlic. I was unable to get fresh garlic, but I was able to get minced garlic in a jar. Not bad. B swears there is no difference between garlic powder and the real stuff when it is mixed into a sauce. I disagree! I love garlic and would normally throw about 5 (peeled) whole cloves right into the blender! This time I did about 3 tablespoons of the minced and a dash of powder. Salt and pepper are also to taste. I don't like salty foods, and I cook pasta in saltwater, so I only added a pinch. Pepper, on the other hand, I love! I also wanted to make up for the peppery taste that I was missing by not having fresh basil, so I used quite a decent amount of pepper.
The amount of olive oil you use will depend on the consistency you want your sauce to be. I wanted a thinner pesto for this recipe, so I started with 1/2 a cup of olive oil, but ended up using about 3/4 cup. This is also when you will want to add in the shaved parmesan cheese. Again, it is all about the texture. How creamy do you want it to be? I knew that I would be adding cheese on top of the pasta and cooking the shrimp in it, so I only added a small handful. I have made it with up to 2 cups of cheese before! If you want it to be a thicker, more rich sauce, you can add in a bit of heavy cream here as well. Because of their buttery texture, pine nuts also play into the makeup of the pesto. To me, pine nuts have almost a bland oily sort of sweet flavor. I used a 2.5 oz bag, but would probably use a bit more next time. You can also substitute unsalted walnuts for the pine nuts, although the flavor might be a bit more bitter.
What really sets the pesto over the edge for me is the lemon juice! This is a surprising ingredient to some people, but I think it really brightens the flavor and gives it zest! The lemon flavor plays very nicely with the basil, and is especially great if you are serving the pesto with seafood. I used the juice from one full lemon, but add in what seems right to you. Remember you can add, blend, and taste as you go. I always start with less and build with each ingredient, tasting as I go. Don't forget to use a new spoon to taste each time!
Now your pesto is done! Store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. You will probably have a ton leftover. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
To prepare the shrimp, first, place the shrimp on a paper towel and pat dry. If you are using frozen shrimp, you can thaw it in a brine mixture of water, lemon juice, and salt. The brine acts to not only purify the meat but also adds to the flavor ( I also always brine chicken in saltwater). Then place it in a large mixing bowl. Coat the shrimp in olive oil, garlic powder, parsley, salt, and pepper, and mix so the shrimp is completely covered. For this, I like to use garlic powder because it helps the shrimp crisp up in the air fryer. I also use a generous amount of olive oil. Fresh or dried parsley is fine here as well! Next coat the basket of the air fryer with cooking spray. I used olive oil spray. Then place the shrimp in the basket, spray the shrimp with cooking spray, and sprinkle a bit more parmesan cheese on top. in total, I think I ended up using about a cup of cheese. Some will fall off before it makes it into the fryer and that's ok! Fry the shrimp at 390 degrees F for 12 minutes. Halfway through, pull the shrimp out and shake them. You can also add more parmesan cheese here. I did and really liked how the shrimp turned out!
While the shrimp is cooking, you can make the pasta. I used basil-infused gnocchi (not ready to share this recipe quite yet, as you might see it on a menu sometime soon :) but you can use any type of pasta or rice here! Slightly undercook the pasta (about a minute less), drain the pasta, and return it to the pot. Over low heat, stir in the pesto for about a minute. Or, just serve it on top of the gnocchi/rice/pasta. That is what I did for this recipe.
If you arent into shrimp, pesto also tastes amazing with chicken and tomatoes. Or simply spread it on some toast or bread! I also like to eat it on a plain bagel for breakfast. However you eat it, you will enjoy it even more because you made it!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe and I would love to know your thoughts! For more behind the scenes of my everyday life, you can follow me on Instagram @_sincerelylovely.
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