{recipe of the week} shrimp and pesto pasta

I have been in the mood for pasta tossed in pesto lately.  I'm not entirely sure why but I've been craving it (and no I'm not pregnant again).  So for "meatless mondays" I decided to get creative with a few ingredients I had on hand.  This recipe is easy, fast, and delicious.  Even Anna loved it!

Shrimp and Pesto Pasta

{the goods}
whole wheat pasta (I would use this but I can't get my husband to eat it!)
assorted peppers (I used red, yellow, and orange)
pesto sauce (in the jar/premade or homemade. I used the jar kind because sometimes you just don't have enough time)

{skinnytaste homemade pesto}
1 cup basil
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup grated parmesan
salt & pepper to taste
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
 In a food processor pulse basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil while pulsing. Store in a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use or you can freeze this in ziplocks bags to use at a later date. Makes 5 tablespoons.

 

^ first boil your pasta ^ 

^ the key to great pasta is a the salt - add the salt just as the water comes to boil ^

 ^ grill your shrimp on a grill pan over medium heat ^

  ^ drizzle a bit of olive oil over your shrimp ^

^ cut up your veggies - I only used peppers but feel free to get creative here ^

 ^ toss in the veggies ^

^ I added a little bit of lemon juice and chia seeds ^

 ^ grill until the shrimp is curled and pink - if the veggies aren't done yet set the heat on simmer ^

 ^ when everything is cooked toss everything together in a large bowl with the pesto ^

*I also added alittle parmesean to the top right before serving.

{all photos by sixteen sunbuckles}