Pasta with Lemon-Basil Pesto Recipe
Pasta is a great comfort food. It’s definitely one of my favorite meal options, especially now that the weather is cooling. I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Mom Central for the National Pasta Association. I received pasta samples and a stipend to facilitate the creation of pasta recipes as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation. #PastaFits #MC #sponsored
We love pasta in all shapes and sizes. Trying different varieties in different dishes is a fun way to switch up pasta recipes. With back to school and back to colder weather, pasta is also a filling addition or side to any meal. Mike often works all day in frigid temperatures, so I love to have a hot and hearty pasta dish waiting for him when he gets home.
Pasta Fits is an excellent resource for lots of recipes and new pasta meal ideas. I chose the Fusilli with Lemon-Arugula Pesto from the site but drastically switched it up to fit our tastes. Mike has been really into shrimp lately, so I added that. I also used a bunch of fresh basil that my friend had given me from her garden. The site has many pasta recipes to try out which will help me experiment more. As much as we love my normal spaghetti recipe, it’s nice to be more adventurous in the kitchen and try new things.
Pasta with Lemon-Basil Pesto Recipe
Morphed from the recipe mentioned above found on PastaFits.org
- 2 tsp. vegetable oil
- 4 oz. penne
- 2 cups/2 oz. basil
- 1 Tbsp./½ oz. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- 3 cloves/¼ oz. garlic
- 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- Small bag of frozen, cooked shrimp
- 4 tsp. grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Sautee the shrimp in a pan with a little bit of olive oil. When I use frozen shrimp I have to drain it a few times.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne according to package directions. Drain and reserve.
To make the pesto, place the basil, lemon juice and zest, garlic and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse and scrape down sides as needed to puree. Add a tablespoon of warm water, or more, to help bring it together, if needed. Season with salt and pepper.
Toss the penne, basil pesto and shrimp. Sprinkle with grated Parmigiano.
The end result was delicious. I even got some enthusiasm from my rather stoic husband. For him to verbalize the yumminess means he really enjoyed it! This will definitely be added to my list of favorite pasta dishes to make.
Visit Pasta Fits to get some scrumptious recipes for your family dinners. Make sure to like their Facebook page, follow @PastaFits, follow on Pinterest so you don’t miss anything delicious!
More Pasta Recipes to Try:
- Kale pasta recipe – great for Meatless Mondays
- Asparagus and ham pasta skillet recipe
- Simple chicken pasta recipe
What is your favorite pasta dish? Or which one from the Pasta Fits site are you most excited to try?
This looks delicious and it’s easy to make, i can’t wait to give it a try. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Yum! I like the flavors in this and I have some shrimp in my freezer….
This looks delicious! My family loves pasta so I am always looking for new pasta recipes to try. I think this will be a big hit with my family. Thanks for the recipe!
We are some serious pasta lovers in this household. We also love shrimp. This is definitely a recipe that we’ll have to try soon. Thanks!
Pasta is one of my favorite meals in the whole world. This sounds delish!!
OMG, I want to make this tonight. This is mouthwatering!
This is my fave pasta dish, we make it a lot. My girls love shrimp so it’s one of our go-tos!
I love the idea of site dedicated to pasta dishes. There is so much you can do and a little inspiration is all that is needed sometimes!
This looks really good. I am a huge pasta fan!
hmmm, shrimp pesto pasta! I’m seriously drooling. I love Pasta with shrimp!
I actually came across this recipe on Pinterest the other day and totally fell in love with it. I love pasta, shrimp, and pesto, so it is a win/win.. YUMMY!
wow looks so delicious
This looks so good. I am all about lemon pasta.
Oh that recipe sounds really amazing. Love shrimp just wish my family did too. What a great twist on pasta!
That looks so yummy! I love pasta dishes when the weather starts to get cooler. Love it!
What a great dish! I love a dish that’s tasty and easy. I’ll be making this one.
Oh, this sounds tasty. I love the combination of the lemon and basil. Yummy.
I love this recipe. It’s so easy, but it’s also very tasty. I love pesto in any form, so this is perfect for me.
That sounds delicious! I’m always up for a refreshing sauce like that and I love when lemon is added to pasta/seafood dishes!
This looks yummy! I have basil growing so this is perfect!
This recipe looks wicked good! I love shrimp and pasta pairings!
I love creating new pasta dishes for the family. This one sounds delicious.
Looks really good. I am going to make this one soon
This sounds so good! I recently made homemade lemon-pepper pasta and it was good but time consuming. This is better the lemon is in the sauce and is so much easier and looks delish!
This looks fantastic. It’s a dish I’m pretty sure my whole family would love. I’m always looking for new ways to spice up pasta and this is perfect. We all love shrimp and I bet the Parmigiano Reggiano is the perfect addition!
this sounds so yummy! looks like a great combo of flavors.