Summertime brings many opportunities for transporting food from one place to another… picnics, concerts, covered dish dinners. We recently went to Chastain Park in Atlanta to hear Sarah McLachlan. Chastain is an outside venue where concert goers bring a range of culinary delights from sandwiches in a to-go bag to wine glasses, white table cloths, and a full four-course dinner. A Chastain concert is always a fun event!
I made a variation of this salad for our outing to Chastain. This dish can be made ahead and you can enjoy it cold or at room temperature, making it an ideal picnic dish. I would normally add parmesan cheese to this type of dish, but I love the creaminess that the cashews add to the pesto and I like it without cheese. If you feel differently, feel free to add parmesan to make it a more traditional pesto.
Ingredients
1 lb. of large shrimp
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cashews
2 cups flat leaf parsley leaves, packed
2 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp lemon juice
1 large clove garlic
1 1/2 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pint of grape or cherry tomatoes
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb of penne pasta
3 cups bite-sized broccoli florets
Instructions
1. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving the tail intact.
2. Place shrimp in shallow dish with the lemon juice, zest, olive oil, garlic and salt.
3. Marinate shrimp for about 15-20 minutes.
4. After marinating, heat grill pan or grill.
5. Grill on high heat for about two minutes on each side, depending on the size.
6. When the shrimp begin curling and turn solid pink, remove them from the grill and set aside.
1. Place cashews, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor.
2. Process until all ingredients are chopped and blended.
3. Gradually pour in olive oil while food processor is running.
4. When the olive oil is incorporated, turn off processor.
5. Taste and add additional salt and pepper to taste.
1. Bring large pot of water to boil.
2. Add liberal amount of salt.
3. Pour in pasta and cook according to package directions.
4. Drain and set aside.
1. Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet.
2. Place whole tomatoes into hot oil and toss.
3. Cook until skin begins to blister, about two minutes.
4. Remove from skillet and set aside.
In a sauce pan, bring three to four cups of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli florets and blanch for about 45 minutes. Pour into a colander and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
1. Pour pesto over slightly warm pasta and stir until pesto is evenly distributed into pasta.
2. Add broccoli and shrimp and toss.
3. Add tomatoes and toss very gently. If you toss too vigorously the blistered tomatoes will burst.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
https://southernboydishes.com/2012/09/01/grilled-lemon-shrimp-with-penne-and-cashew-parsley-pesto/
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