Double Pesto Tortellini with Shrimp
Submitted by sherbear
Cheese tortellini tossed in homemade spinach-basil pesto with sauteed shrimp, toasted almonds, and blistered cherry tomatoes. A restaurant-quality pasta dinner ready in about an hour.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
1 hrsThis pasta goes big on flavor from every angle. A homemade pesto made with fresh spinach, Parmesan, almonds, basil, and garlic coats tender cheese tortellini in a vibrant green sauce that’s earthy and nutty all at once.
The “double” comes from the pesto doing double duty: almonds appear in both the sauce and toasted as a golden garnish on top. Plump sauteed shrimp add protein, and quick-blistered cherry tomatoes burst with sweet, jammy juice.
Everything gets tossed together right in the pan and served immediately. It feeds six and looks like something you’d order at a white-tablecloth Italian spot.
Kitchen Tips
- Toast the slivered almonds in oil until just golden, then pull them out immediately since they go from toasted to burned fast
- Cook the shrimp in the same pan after the almonds to pick up that nutty, garlicky flavor left behind
- Use fresh spinach (not frozen) for the brightest-colored pesto
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare pesto sauce by processing spinach, cheese, ¼ c. almonds, basil, garlic, salt, pepper and ⅓ cup olive oil in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Cook tortellini in a large pot of rapidly boiling salted water, for about 25 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
Drain.
In a medium frying pan over medium heat, sauté almonds in 2 tb. oil until golden.
Remove with slotted spoon; drain. Add shrimp and garlic to pan; sauté until shrimp are cooked.
Remove from pan. Add cherry tomatoes to pan.
Sauté for 1 minute. Remove from pan. Add pesto sauce to pan; heat through.
Combine tortellini and all cooked ingredients with the pesto sauce in a large bowl.
Toss to blend; serve immediately.
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