This August my extended family spent 10 days together at our home in Westhampton, NY. With all of us under one roof, we can feel as though we are on top of one another at times. To keep the peace, we divide and conquer. Since I am an uninspired cook, my sister Rachel takes over. With two little girls to take care of she often finds herself overrun with clutter and that is where I come in– I keep everything tidy (I am compulsively neat, to a fault). It’s an equal effort by all and it works to keep everyone happy. At home, I am known for my “10-minute tidies”, a quick cleanup of a room or two before the day begins. Starting with a relatively clean house is a solid way to stay ahead of the mess. With 13 of us to cook for, she prepared a super easy meal that we all devoured, kids included. So, I jumped at the opportunity to share it with you all too. Enjoy this hijacked version of Easy Eats, courtesy of my sis Rachel, (or Aunt Chichi). Note from Rachel: Do yourself a HUGE favor and start buying frozen shrimp. They are fantastic to have on hand for a quick, last-minute dinner like this. I always buy the frozen shrimp with the shell on, but you can buy them shelled and de-veined. Just make sure they are wild from the USA. I wouldn’t buy any shellfish (or any fish for that matter) from Asia. Fresh works too!
Pasta with shrimp & pesto
Ingredients
- 24 shrimp
- prepared pesto of your choice
- 1 box penne pasta (fettuccine works well too)
- 1 box of small cherry or grape tomatoes
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Boil water for the pasta and cook to your liking
- Saute shrimp in a pan with butter, olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon juice, 2-3 minutes per side
- Drain pasta and mix in with shrimp in pan
- Add pesto to taste
- Add tomatoes to taste
- Simmer for a few minutes to mix flavors
- Serve with a crunchy warm baquette
Notes
This recipe is great with substitutions as well. Think chicken instead of shrimp or asparagus instead of tomatoes.
