LEMON LINGUINE WITH BASIL PESTO SHRIMP

Steps:

• Pesto Directions:
• Put basil leaves and garlic in bowl of a food processor.
• Pulse a few times to combine.
• Add Parmesan cheese and pine nuts; pulse a few more times.
• Scrape mixture into a bowl and whisk in olive oil.
• Add salt and red pepper flakes to taste; stir.
• Lemon Linguine:
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Remove shrimp from pan and cover to keep warm. Shrimp will continue to cook for a minute after you remove it from the heat.
• In a large serving bowl, whisk the 1/4 cup of the lemon juice and olive oil until partially emulsified.
• Add the Parmesan and continue whisking until creamy.
• Toss in the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.
• Adjust the oil-to-lemon ratio by adding more lemon juice, a little at a time, until it is to your taste.
• 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.
• Add some cooking water if the pasta seems dry.
• Portion the linguine onto dinner plates; top each with 4 to 6 shrimp.
• Ladle some remaining pesto onto each plate as well.