hell yeah, june!
Recipe: garlic shrimp pesto pasta with roasted tomatoes
There is still good snow in the backcountry despite the warm temperatures. It’s the intersection of spring and summer which means we did the bike-hike-ski on Sunday. Throw your skis on your pack, hop on your bike and ride in as far as you can (basically up to the snow). Then you can either hoof it by foot or by ski into the high country depending on how strong the snowpack is. If you wind up postholing and cussing a lot, then put the skis and skins on. Ski the (safe) slopes to your heart’s content then ski out until you hit mixed terrain. Put the skis on the pack and hike to the bike. Ride on out. In June. Awesome.
the snow was firm enough for walking
alpine lakes starting to thaw
breaking for lunch
jeremy skiing out
and you end the day with sunset like this
that tranforms into rosy hues in minutes
After a long day of (fun) exertion and exposure to the elements, I’m lucky if I can find the energy to dial for take out. But this past week I threw together a pasta dish on a lark that Jeremy loved so much he asked if we could have it again. It’s relatively easy to make, so we had it for dinner.
olive oil, pepper, fettuccine, pesto, salt, garlic, butter, tomatoes, shrimp
prep the tomatoes for roasting with some olive oil, salt, and pepper
roasted
The most time-consuming step is peeling, de-veining, and butterflying the shrimp. Once that is ready, it takes minutes to grill or bake the garlic shrimp. We love to grill whenever possible because it keeps the heat out of the house and minimizes the cleanup.
mash the garlic with the salt
stir the garlic paste into the melted butter
butterfly the shrimp
skewer the shrimp
In general, I try to cook the shrimp last. That is, I try to have the pasta and tomatoes ready (and warm) just before I start grilling the shrimp. I brush the raw shrimp with garlic butter and then I baste the shrimp once more when I turn them over on the grill. It takes about 4-5 minutes because shrimp cook so quickly. Once the shrimp come off the grill, they will not remain hot for long. Toss the pesto and pasta together and then add the roasted cherry tomatoes into the mix.
brushing garlic butter over the raw shrimp
more garlic butter after the skewers have been flipped
ready and full of flavor
coat the pasta in the pesto
mix in the roasted tomatoes
Whether you serve the dish family-style or on individual plates, grate some Parmesan cheese over the pasta along with a few grinds of black pepper. Arrange several shrimp on the pasta and you’re ready! This is our newest favorite easy summer meal.
adorn with fresh basil
a fine summery meal
Garlic Shrimp Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes
[print recipe]
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails on
1 lb. fettuccine or linguine, cooked al dente
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsps unsalted butter, melted
1 cup pesto (or more)
Parmesan cheese to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss the cherry tomatoes with olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper and place in a small (8×8-inches) baking dish. Roast the tomatoes for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Butterfly the shrimp by slicing the shrimp along the curved back without slicing all the way through to make two halves, leaving it connected at the belly. Flatten the shrimp. Repeat for all shrimp. Place the shrimp on skewers. At this point, you probably want to start a pot of water boiling for your pasta. Mash 1/2 teaspoon of salt into the minced garlic with the side of a knife or a mortar and pestle. Stir the garlic paste into the melted butter. Brush the shrimp with the butter. Set on a grill over medium heat and cook for 2 minutes. Flip the shrimp over and baste with the rest of the garlic butter. Grill for another 2 minutes and remove from heat. Alternatively, you can bake the shrimp in a baking dish with the garlic butter poured over the shrimp – bake at 450°F for 2-3 minutes each side. Toss the pasta with the pesto until the noodles are evenly coated. Add the roasted tomatoes and toss. Place the pasta in serving bowls or one large serving bowl and top with Parmesan and ground black pepper. Arrange the shrimp on top of the pasta and serve. Serves 4.
more goodness from the use real butter archives
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shrimp and artichoke fettuccine |
|
darling pasta |
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grilled prosciutto-wrapped shrimp |
|
drunken spicy shameless shrimp with brazen cocktail sauce |
June 3rd, 2013 at 5:16 am
Looks so good! I like the roasting the tomatoes part, can’t wait to try once I have fresh garden toms and basil. Thanks for my daily dose of Colorado pics!
June 3rd, 2013 at 5:22 am
That looks so good. And it reminded me that I want to roast cherry tomatoes with mint, thanks to you!
June 3rd, 2013 at 10:49 am
We still have a leeettlllle bit of snow. I am loving the green and this recipe suits my mood perfectly!
June 3rd, 2013 at 1:59 pm
Pictures are amazing! Dish looks great!
June 4th, 2013 at 1:58 am
Wow. Another amazing post. Not only does that pasta look incredible, but… ah, skiing! Snow! That’s only accessible by plane here in Perth, Australia. I went to the Banff International Film Festival on Saturday and watched about three hours worth of amazing snow-capped mountains, snowboarding, rock climbing etc. Incredible country you have (it was US, Canada, Antarctica and a few other places). Sigh. Anyway, one thing I CAN do is make this pasta. I’ll just pretend that I’m eating it in a log cabin in Colorado!
June 4th, 2013 at 8:10 am
Indeed! Like WOW! It’s breakfast over here, but this makes me want to eat this for breakfast instead. I just made some pesto from scratch two days ago and it’s sitting the fridge. Perfect timing! I will just run to the store to get some fresh mini tomatoes and shrimp. Thank you!
June 4th, 2013 at 11:07 am
This does look like the perfect summer meal! Gorgeous, and sounds so delicious. The more I read your blog…. the more I wish I lived in Colorado! Your bike-hike-ski sounds like a great time :)
June 8th, 2013 at 8:22 am
Sitting on a beach in italy reading this …..sounds delicious its 15 euro for a small bowl of pasta and pesto here.the space and sunlounger is 59 euro for the day ….but the most beautiful swimming bay in the world I think Paraggi a short stroll from Portofino…..i obviously love your blog x
June 10th, 2013 at 11:58 am
farmerpam – you’re welcome :)
Kristin – I think I’m addicted to roasted cherry toms now!
Rocky Mountain Woman – honestly, I wish the snow would linger through the summer. I kinda love sitting in the snow to cool off when on a long hot hike :)
Chef V – thanks!
laurasmess – yes, I imagine Perth is a VERY different scene from Colorado! I hope to visit there one day :) Australia is an equally beautiful country, just in a different way :)
Pey-Lih – it makes a great breakfast with leftovers.
Sophie – thanks!
Patricia – ha ha, you are very sweet. I sincerely hope you are enjoying your vacation!
June 19th, 2013 at 6:05 am
this looks delicious. do you have a preferred pesto recipe?
June 25th, 2013 at 8:58 am
katharina – no, i don’t (yet) :)