Shrimp pesto pasta and Caesar salad
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Jess.aLittleBit
Hello friends! This is one of my favourite meals. It's very easy to and quick to make. If you're a fan of garlic and lemon you will enjoy this food. The pesto recipe was given to me by my friend Ivan, so I call it Ivan's famous pesto. It's a little different than most pestos because it uses pistachios rather than pine nuts. I like to use this pesto on pasta, salmon, or meatballs. But you can use it on anything you like!
As for the Caesar salad I follow the bon Appétit recipe, but do make a few adjustments. When I'm making this for 2 people I only use 3 TBSP of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) rather than the 4 it calls for. However if I'm making this salad for 4 people rather than 2 than I do use 4 TBSP to make more dressing but still only 1.5 heads of romaine lettuce. 1.5 heads of romaine makes two large salads or 4 small salads. I also don't add in the parmesan cheese into the dressing and mix it in like the recipes says, I like to add it as a topping at the very end when the salad is dressed and plated.
Ivan's Famous Pesto
Makes 4 servings
2 cups fresh basil, packed
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/3 cup pistachios
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves
1 small lemon, juiced
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
Bon Appetit Caesar Salad
1.5 heads romaine lettuce, washed and cut into bit size pieces
1 large garlic clove, sliced
3/4 tsp coarse salt
3-4 anchovy fillets
1 large egg yolk
1 small lemon, juiced
3/4 tsp dijion mustard
3-4 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
2 TBSP shredded parmesan cheese
MUSIC
ARTIST: Joakim Karud
TITLE: By The Croft
Artist: DJ Quads
Song: Bouquet of Roses
Pesto Pasta Salad
Pesto pasta salad is fresh, delicious, and packs tons of flavors. Spiral pasta is dressed in fresh zesty basil pesto, a dab of mayonnaise, cherry tomatoes, bocconcini, pine nuts, small basil leaves, and lemon juice. It’s great for quick lunch or light dinner or packs for summer picnics and potlucks.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Servings: 5 as a meal
Ingredients
12 oz pasta
1 tablespoon salt
1 to 1/2 cups fresh basil pesto (or parsley pesto)
2 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 cup cherry tomatoes
7 oz baby bocconcini
1/3 cup Parmesan
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons pine nuts (toasted)
1/2 cup small basil leaves
Instructions
Start by boiling a large pot of water. Once the water starts boiling add salt.
Cook pasta in boiling water as per packet instructions (cook bit beyond al-dente).
Drain and rinse pasta in cold water. Pesto pasta salad needs cold cooked pasta.
Drain well and cool. the
Add cooked pasta to a large bowl. Toss it with fresh homemade pesto and a dab of mayonnaise until pasta is coated well.
To the salad add cherry tomatoes cut into halves, baby bocconcini, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, a dash of lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste (if needed), smand all basil leaves. Toss it all together.
Transfer to serving bowl. Serve!
RECIPE:
PASTA SALAD 3 WAYS (Literally The Best Pasta Salads I've Ever Had)
It's time to get excited about pasta salad again. I'm showing you my take on 3 classics fit for a king or a casual backyard bbq. Use my link get your 2 free lobster tails and 2 grassfed ribeyes when you try Butcher Box:
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*note: I create all of my recipes in grams. Using grams will deliver the closest outcome to what you see in my videos*
CREAMY
2000g/2qt water
45g or 2.5tbsp salt
225g or 1/2lb elbow macaroni
25g or 2tbsp white distilled vinegar
splash of olive oil
30g or 1/2c shallot finely minced and rinsed
60g or 1/2c celery, finely chopped
30g or 1/3c scallion, thinly sliced
100g or 3/4 cup frozen peas (thawed)
100g or 1/4lb bacon, crispy and chopped
5g or 1/2-3/4c fresh dill
black pepper & salt to taste
DRESSING FOR CREAMY
Add the following into a high sided container:
1 egg
50g or 1/4c sour cream
25g or 2tbsp dijon mustard
15g 1 1/4tbsp sugar
10g or 3/4tbsp lemon juice
5g or 1tsp Worcestershire
5g or 3/4-1tsp salt
1/2 clove garlic.
300g or 1 1/3c neutral oil (light colored olive oil, grapeseed, canola)
Blend with immersion blender and stream in oil.
Add water and salt to med-lrg saucepan and bring to boil. Add pasta and boil for about 11min or until tender. Drain, reserving a few scoops of pasta water. Add vinegar and a splash of olive oil to drained pasta and allow to cool to room temp. Once cooled, add shallot, celery, scallion, peas, bacon. Add a couple of dollops of creamy dressing and a bit of pasta water and gently stir until pasta is well coated, but not swimming in dressing. Add dill, salt and pepper to taste, & stir to combine.
PESTO PASTA SALAD
2000g/2qt water
45g or 2.5tbsp salt
225g or 1/2lb pasta (I use shells)
25g or 2tbsp white distilled vinegar
splash of olive oil
300g or 1 1/4c pesto (recipe below) + more for garnish
200g or 1c mozzarella pearls, halved
200g or 1c cherry tomatoes, halved (I recommend sungolds)
Strong pinch grated parm
Add water and salt to med-lrg saucepan and bring to boil. Add pasta and boil for about 12min or until tender. Drain. Add vinegar and olive oil to drained pasta, stir, and allow to cool to room temp. Add pesto and stir to combine. Add mozz, tomatoes, and strong pinch of parm. Fold to combine.
PESTO for SALAD
Add the following to food processor and spin on high for 20-30sec or until well broken down.
100g or 3/4c toasted pine nuts or walnuts
100g or 5ish c basil
20g 1ish c parsley
30g or 1/2c shallot (minsed and rinsed)
100g or 1+c grated parm
225g or 1 3/4c cold olive oil
5g or 3/4-1tsp salt
30g or 2tbsp lemon juice
CLASSIC MOM'S SYLE/DELI PASTA SALAD
2000g/2qt water
45g or 2.5tbsp salt
225g or 1/2lb pasta (I use rotini)
25g or 2 tbsp white distilled vinegar
splash of olive oil
150g or 1/2-3/4c b-man's Italian Dressing (recipe below)
65g or 1/4c fresh mozzarella, diced
100g or 1/2c black olives, halved
50g or 1/2c pepperoncini, sliced
100g or 1 3/4c oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, sliced
60g or 1/2 of a med red bell pepper, diced small
60g or 1/4lb Genoa salami, sliced
75g or 3/4c grated parmesan
Add water and salt to med-lrg saucepan and bring to boil. Add pasta and boil for about 11-12min or until tender. Drain. Add vinegar and olive oil to drained pasta, stir, and allow to cool to room temp. Add dressing, mozz, olives, pepperoncini, sun dried tomatoes, red bell pepper, salami, and grated parm. Stir to combine and add additional dressing, parm, and/or salt to taste, if needed.
BMAN'S ITALIAN DRESSING
Add the following into a high-sided container, blend with immersion blender and slowly stream in 200g or 1c neutral oil (light colored olive oil, canola, grapeseed, etc)
25g red wine vinegar
45g or or 2 tbsp white distilled vinegar
20g or 1/3c red onion, rinsed
1 garlic clove
15g or 1/8-1/4 of a red bell pepper
25g 1 1/2tbsp grainy mustard
15g or 1 1/4tbsp sugar
5g 3/4-1tsp salt
1/4 tsp each of: oregano, basil, black pepper, and chili flake
#pastasalad #bestpastasalad #macaronisalad
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