Shrimp is my current obsession. I recently made a trip to Whole Foods to buy shrimp for tacos and I got to chat with the man in the fish department. He was so knowledgeable about the products they sold and actually pointed me to a less expensive product that better met my needs. The prices are high but the staff is so knowledgable I find it’s money well spent. While shrimp is not something that I can cook with on a regular basis, it’s been a fun addition to our menu rotation.
On a recent date night, Currey and I headed to Brio for dinner. I’d had a friend recommend the restaurant and it was one of the best meals we’d enjoyed in months. I had pesto shrimp with asparagus and orzo. The pesto was thin and just slightly salty and the shrimp was perfectly cooked. It’s one of those meals that I woke up the next day craving. I decided to recreate this concept at home and came up with Pesto Shrimp with Quinoa.
I couldn’t help but laugh as I prepared this meal at home. Bennett was teething and was crying and clinging to my legs while I cooked. Not quite the romantic evening this meal was inspired by. I did eventually get dinner on the table and both my kids ate it. Always a sign of a great meal!
I started with a feta and arugula pesto. I then sautéed the shrimp then tossed them in the pesto. I topped the quinoa with the shrimp. This dish is simple and so delicious!
ingredients
1 cup packed arugula
4 cloves garlic
4 oz feta cheese
½ cup sunflower seeds
6 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb shrimp
2 cups prepared quinoa
instructions
- Combine arugula, garlic, feta, and sunflower seeds in a food processor. Stream the olive oil as the other ingredients are being chopped. Add oil until the pesto reaches desired consistency.
- Sauté shrimp in 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Allow shrimp to cook 2-3 minutes or until light pink in color.
- Add ¼ cup to ½ cup pesto to the shrimp. Stir until shrimp is covered with pesto and warmed through.
- Serve over prepared orzo. (You could use rice, couscous or orzo too!)
Whether you want to impress dinner guests with a fancy meal or enjoy a special dinner with the one you love, this meal is beautiful and full of flavor.