Pancetta Shrimp And Pesto Penne Recipes

PENNE WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Meanwhile, pluck the basil leaves from the stems (you should have about 2 cups leaves). Wash the leaves in a large bowl of cold water and dry in a salad spinner or pat dry with paper towels. Smash and peel the garlic.
• Put the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. With the processor running, gradually add the olive oil and process until the pesto is smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large bowl and stir in the cheese. Season with the salt and some pepper.
• Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil over high heat and salt it generously. Add the penne and boil, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and save about 1/4 cup pasta cooking water. Add the pasta to the bowl. Use tongs and toss with enough of the cooking water so the pesto coats the pasta evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
• Upgrades: a. Make the pesto creamy by adding 1/4 cup ricotta cheese when processing the basil, garlic, and pine nuts. This is great with tortellini or ravioli. b. Top dressed pesto pasta with 1/2 pound diced large or halved small fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini), 3 medium tomatoes cut in large chunks, and 1/2 cup pitted black olives, (we like kalamata for this), roughly chopped. c. Add cooked 1 to 2 cups chicken or shrimp.
• Twists on Pesto: In place of basil, try the following combination: 1 cup parsley, 1 cup fresh spinach leaves, 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves. Substitute walnuts for the pine nuts

PENNE WITH SHRIMP AND SCALLION PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions for al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water and then drain the pasta.
• Meanwhile, put the scallion greens, parsley, pine nuts, 1/4 cup oil, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in the bowl of a food processor and pulse the until smooth. Set aside.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the scallion whites, garlic and lemon zest, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is soft and is begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp, season with a pinch each of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp just begin to turn pink but are not completely cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and scallion mixture, toss to combine, and bring to a quick simmer to heat through; remove from the heat.
• Add the drained pasta and reserved cooking water to the skillet. Toss until the pasta is coated with the sauce. Divide the pasta among 4 plates and season with pepper. Serve with lemon wedges and a green salad if using.
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PENNE WITH SHRIMP

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until onion is tender. Mix in wine and tomatoes, and continue cooking 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Mix shrimp into the skillet, and cook 5 minutes, or until opaque. Toss with pasta and top with Parmesan cheese to serve.

PENNE WITH PANCETTA AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and set aside. Meanwhile, cook pancetta in a large skillet over medium heat until browned but not crispy, about 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
• Pour pancetta grease out of the skillet, and add butter. Increase heat to medium-high and stir in sliced mushrooms. Cook and stir until the mushrooms have softened and released their liquid. Add the minced garlic, and cook 2 more minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, then stir in cream and Italian seasoning. Simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly.
• To serve, toss the cooked penne with the sauce, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

PANCETTA SHRIMP AND PESTO PENNE

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high. Toss the shrimp with the lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Place one sage leaf in each shrimp cavity, where it was deveined, then wrap a slice of pancetta around the shrimp; secure with a toothpick. Drizzle with some olive oil and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the penne according to package directions. Drain.
• While pasta cooks, in a food processor pulse the 2 whole garlic cloves, lemon peel, basil, mint, parsley, tarragon, and pine nuts. Pour in the 1/2 cup olive oil in a steady stream.
• Transfer the food processor mixture to a serving dish; stir in the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add peas and pasta and toss to combine.
• Grill the shrimp until pink, about 4 minutes on each side. Serve 2 shrimp on each plate with some pesto penne.

SHRIMP AND PENNE WITH SPRING HERB PESTO

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. In last 3 minutes of cooking, add shrimp and snap peas and cook until shrimp are opaque throughout and peas are bright green. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta mixture and return to pot. Add pesto and toss to coat, adding enough pasta water to create a thin sauce that coats pasta. Top with ricotta. If desired, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with Parmesan.