Garlic Scape Pesto Shrimp Zoodles
I am by no means a recipe developer. For meal planning I rely on a rotation of simple, easy nutrient-dense recipes and separates that can be thrown in a bowl or mason jar salad (roasted veggies, chicken breast, sliced produce, etc.). Once in awhile I throw in a high maintenance dish from Bon Appétit and narrate each step like I’m on the Great British Baking Show.
Now that I have that out of the way, I wanted to share a quickie recipe I whipped up for dinner this week that had me pleasantly surprised:
Garlic Scape Pesto Shrimp Zoodles (with homemade garlic scape pesto)!
It combines several things I love: Costco. Shrimp. Kerrygold butter. Organic local produce. AND a thing that doesn’t love me back (Parmesan cheese), but I like living on the edge (sometimes).
Since we started a CSA box with Groundswell Community Farm it has been a fun challenge to incorporate the weekly organic produce haul into our meals. I was a bit intimidated by garlic scapes, but they were the perfect addition to this pesto. I also didn’t want to splurge on pricey pine nuts, so pistachios were a good stand-in.
Curious about a CSA box? Check out my “What’s in the CSA Box” series!
Pesto atop a bed of organic mixed greens from our CSA box with avocado, roasted chicken, and leftover pork and cabbage stir fry.
This meal came together in less than 30 minutes and, honestly, it could have been less if I wasn’t dancing around to Donna Summer – “Hot Stuff”.
Let me know if you give either of these recipes a go!
Garlic Scape Pistachio Pesto
INGREDIENTS
12-14 garlic scapes
1 1/2 c packed cups of fresh basil
1/2 c EVOO (good olive oil, not the kind in a clear container)
1/4 c raw pistachios (while expensive, they're $pine nuts$)
1/2 c freshly grated parmesan cheese (don't you dare put Kraft cheese in there)
Juice of 1 lemon
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Process/blend the garlic scapes.
2. Add in remaining ingredients and process until smooth.
3. ENJOY! Store excess in jars with a little olive oil on top, or freeze cubes of pesto in an ice cube tray!
Pesto Shrimp Zoodles
Looking for a spiralizer? I have this one from Paderno, but I hear the Inspiralizer is good stuff. Also check out your local Homegoods or TJ Maxx – I’ve often seen other brands on sale there.
INGREDIENTS
2 medium zucchini (or 1 monster)
1 lb raw shrimp (wild is best - I bought ours at Costco)
1 tsp dried basil
1 c halved lil tomatoes
2 tbsp garlic scape pistachio pesto (see above)
2 tbsp EVOO
Sea salt (NOT table salt or kosher salt. The real stuff has trace minerals!)
(Optional) balsamic vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Pat shrimp dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Zoodle your zucchini. Halve the tomatoes and sprinkle lightly with sea salt to bring out their flavor.
3. Spread the zoodles on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with sea salt (to release their water).
4. Preheat a large pan on medium heat. Add 2tbsp olive oil and saute shrimp. Sprinkle with dried basil. Remove and set aside.
5. Drain water from zoodles in a colander or nut milk bag.
6. Add 1tbsp Kerrygold butter and 2tbsp pesto to the pan. If it’s too thick, add a lil dash of olive oil.
7. Add zoodles to the pan and saute for a few minutes, until heated.
8. Place zoodles and shrimp in a bowl, top with tomatoes and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
