Shrimp Spiedini with Pesto, New Potatoes & Chickpea Aioli

This is the kind of plate that makes people put their phone down and just stare for a second before picking up a fork.

Shrimp get threaded onto skewers and grilled until charred and smoky. Pesto-tossed new potatoes sit in the center of the plate. And tying the whole thing together is a brilliant chickpea aioli made with mint, lemon, and garlic that’s creamy, earthy, and unlike anything you’ve had on a shrimp dish before.

Both sauces are made from scratch in a blender, and they come together fast. This is a plate built for long summer evenings and a cold glass of white wine.

Variations

• Lemon herb: Skip the pesto and toss the shrimp in lemon juice, garlic, and fresh herbs before grilling.
• White bean swap: Use cannellini beans instead of chickpeas in the aioli for a milder, silkier version.

Pro Tips

• Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling so they don’t catch fire.
• Leave the head and tail on the shrimp for a more dramatic presentation and extra flavor from the shells.
• Make the pesto thick. It needs to cling to the potatoes and shrimp, not run off onto the plate.
• Grill the spiedini just 3 minutes per side. Shrimp on skewers go from done to overdone in a blink.