Pesto, You're the Besto!

Well....it's starting to feel like spring out there isn't it?? The weather has a hint of warmth that we have all been so longing for! I don't even care that it's a little rainy today....because it is at least above freezing!!

In light of the recent warm weather I have been spending time dreaming about what we will plant in our garden this summer. This will be the third year for us to have a garden and have learned quite a bit since our first garden several years ago.

Pat and I both grew up in families who planted big gardens, but I am fairly certain neither of us paid any attention to what was going on at all.

This became pretty evident when Pat brought home 10 tomato plants and 15 pepper plants for our tiny little 8x8 foot garden in our backyard the first year!! Needless to say, our neighbor ended up with some extra tomato and pepper plants they hadn't planned on....

Last year I decided to plant a few herbs in the garden. It was pretty much a huge failure, except for my basil. Oh, did my basil grow! I had gads of it that I had no clue what to do with. That is when one of my friends mentioned something about making pesto!

Let me tell you, once you make your own pesto, you will NEVER buy it again! It is that good! I'll tell you how I make my pesto but you can find a recipe just about anywhere...they are all pretty similar too.

However, in the dreary months of winter, basil can be tricky to find, and if you do find it, it can be a bit pricey. So I just swap out the basil for spinach and find it to be just as good.

But, what do you do with all the wonderful pesto? Pat and I love to add it to pasta with shrimp. It's one of my favorite, easy, go-to meals...summer or winter! Plus I think it looks fun too....all green and fresh with yummy shrimp....I'm sure you will love it!

Pesto Pasta with Shrimp

Pesto Sauce (recipe below)

1 bag peeled, deveined shrimp

2 Tbs olive oil

1 lb cooked pasta of your choice

Pesto Sauce

2 cups fresh basil or spinach (pack these cups FULL!)

2-3 Tbs pine nuts, toasted

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, chopped (you can use less if you prefer)

2 tsp butter (feel free to leave this out...I try to...but I just can't!)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra if needed

Pepper and salt to taste

1. Bring a pot of water to boil and cook pasta until al dente.

2. For the pesto, add pesto ingredients to your food processor except for the olive oil. Begin to pulse while streaming in your olive oil until smooth and combined. Scrap down the sides as needed.

3. Heat olive oil in a saute pan on medium heat and add shrimp. Cook for approximately 3-4 minutes. Do not overcook.

4. Drain the pasta and add pasta to cooked shrimp. Add pesto sauce and stir to combine. Enjoy!

Last Bite: I love pesto...and this meal is super simple and delish!