Arugula Pesto with Shrimp, by Alison Milwe Grace of AMG Catering Company

Ingredients

ARUGULA WALNUT PESTO 1 garlic clove

1/2 cup walnut halves and pieces
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 big handfuls arugula (3 to 5 ounces) 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed to thin out the pesto Salt, to taste

LEMON GARLIC SHRIMP PASTA
3/4 pound/12 ounces linguine (or your favorite pasta)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (21-30 count), patted dry Zest from 1/2 a lemon (I zest the peel off lemons using a microplane grater)

INSTRUCTIONS

ARUGULA PESTO

1. In a food processor, blend the garlic, walnuts and cheese until very finely chopped.
2. Add the arugula and basil. Pulse the blade a few times to chop up the leaves.
3. With the blade running, pour in the olive oil and blend until the pesto is fairly smooth. If it seems too thick, add more olive oil.
4. 4.Add salt to taste.

 

LEMON GARLIC SHRIMP PASTA

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions.Before draining the pasta, scoop out 1/2 cup of the pasta water andset it aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat.
4. Add the garlic and cook only about 20 seconds.
5. Add the shrimp. Saute about 5 minutes, stirring often so garlicdoesn't burn, until the shrimp are pink and plump.
6. As the shrimp cook, add the lemon zest.
7. In a large bowl, combine the pesto and the reserved 1/2 cup ofpasta water, to thin out the pesto.
8. Add the pasta to the bowl and toss well to coat the noodles inpesto.
9. Add the shrimp to the bowl, making sure to scrape the skillet wellso that all of the garlic and oil come with the pasta.
10. Serve the pasta with lemon wedges and grated parmesan cheese.