Most of the year, I really appreciate the giant, south-facing windows in each room of my apartment. Particularly in wintertime as the sun rises and paints my buttery yellow walls with a gentle glow, I’m thankful that my odd-numbered apartment placed me on the south side of the building.
In July, however, those same windows with tightly sealed blinds conceal an indoor climate of roughly 8 berzillion degrees with a dew point of oh-my-god-my-hair-is-still-wet-three-hours-after-washing-it. I can’t believe I’m talking about the weather, but what the fork? It’s hot.
So hot. Only my lemon understands.
And that’s not just my garbage-crap excuse for failing to post a new recipe for nearly a month. It’s also my garbage-crap excuse for failing to cook anything blog-worthy for nearly a month. I’m smack-dab in the center of my annual mid-summer meal slump. I don’t really feel like cooking and nothing sounds good to me except salads and sandwiches.
So I was shocked—shocked—when I found myself craving pasta. In JULY. One steamy afternoon, I imagined twirling my fork in a mess of spaghetti, and I just had to make a light, sunshiny, quick and easy, pasta dinner. This lemon pesto capellini with shrimp is the perfect combination of bright, summer flavors, tender-toothsome textures, and crave-busting carbs.
Continue reading for the Lemon Pesto Pasta with Shrimp recipe
- 8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
- 12 ounces ready-to-cook shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 7 ounces prepared basil pesto
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
- In a large bowl, stir together the pesto, cream, and lemon zest until well combined.
- Cook the pasta in salted water per package directions, adding the shrimp during the last two minutes of cooking time. Cook just until shrimp are pink and opaque. Drain.
- Add the pasta and shrimp to the pesto mixture and toss gently.
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always been a pesto lover and this lemon pesto with shrimp truly looks delicious. will defo try your recipe!
I’d never tried lemon zest in basil pesto before, but it was a revelation! Let me know how you like it.
Creamy and yummy!
Visiting for FTF- hope you can stop by..
http://myrecipecollection.info/2012/07/dairy-queen-ice-cream-cake.html
This sounds so good! I’ll be trying this soon! Glad you could find something to make when it’s so hot; it’s so hard to even want to cook then.
This dish looks amazing! I love pesto based pasta dishes, and your addition of lemon is brilliant… not to mention my affinity toward shrimp. xoxo Hopping over from Melt In Your Mouth Mondays. xoxo
So happy to find this dish on your site! I have leftover homemade pesto in the fridge and shrimp in the freezer. This is what I’ll be making for dinner tonight! Yay! Thanks for the inspiration.
I’m thinking of subbing buttermilk for the cream, and serving it cold over shredded lettuce. Don’t BBQ me for culinary heresy, please.
Nothing in my kitchen is sacred. Improv to your heart’s content!
I’ve never had lemon pesto, but I bet is fantastic!!! Naturally pairs well with shrimp! What a great summer meal!
This looks so awesome! I’m in a meal slump too. My menu planning has flown out the window this summer! Thanks for sharing at must Try Monday
I go through a “it’s too hot to cook” slump every summer. MY family refers to them as the salad days of summer. Your pasta looks incredible. I would love for you to share it with the Hearth and Soul Hop if you have a chance: http://premeditatedleftovers.com/hearth-and-soul-hop-724/
Salad Days! That’s one of my favorite musicals. #nerdalert
[...] Check the complete recipe at Galley Kitchen [...]
Goodness … that pasta looks incredibly delish!
Your Lemon Pesto Pasta with Shrimp looks delicious, we will really enjoy this recipe. Hope you are having a great week and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Looks so good. What a great blog you have makes me hungry lol. If you have a min check out mine if you have not already
http://www.thedailysmash101.blogspot.com
have a great day