Lemon Pistachio Pesto Linguine with Shrimp and Asparagus
Delicious pesto pasta dish flavored with homemade lemon pistachio pesto and served with sautéed asparagus and shrimp. The combination of nutty pistachio pesto, perfectly cooked shrimp, crisp-tender asparagus, and that pop of lemon creates the most wonderful flavor balance. This is a beautiful and simple spring dish is a vibrant twist on a traditional pesto pasta that's ready in just 30 minutes.
Servings: 2 Serves 2-4
Calories: 577kcal
Ingredients
Lemon Pistachio Pesto:
- 1 cup shelled, unsalted pistachios
- 2 cups arugula packed
- 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley packed
- 2 1/2 oz Parmesan cheese block
- 1/2 lemon - zest
- 2 tbsp lemon - juice
- 1 cup olive or avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt or kosher salt to taste
Pesto Pasta with Shrimp and Asparagus:
- 4 tbsp Lemon Pistachio Pesto from above
- 8 oz dry linguine or another long pasta of choice
- 1 lb shrimp
- 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 1/2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- Salt
- 1/2 lb asparagus
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Pesto: Combine your dry ingredients in a food processor or a blender and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add oil and lemon juice and blend until completely mixed and smooth. Taste to see if you need more salt. Add more oil if desired.
- Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- While pasta is cooking, shell and clean the shrimp. Combine clean shrimp, lemon juice, vinegar, and some salt in a small bowl. Mix well and let it stand for a few minute, until ready to use.
- Preheat a medium cooking pan over medium-high heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil for cooking.
- Cut the white/purple ends off the asparagus and chop the asparagus stalks into about 2-inch pieces. Add asparagus pieces to the preheated pan and add lemon juice, salt, and garlic powder to asparagus. Stir well and let it cook until asparagus starts to soften.
- Discard the liquid from shrimp and add shrimp to asparagus. Cook just until shrimp turns opaque on one side and flip them. Once shrimp turns opaque on the other side, take it out of the pan.
- Mix cooked pasta with pesto very well. Plate your pasta and top it off with shrimp and asparagus.
Notes
Nutritional note: nutrition is calculated for the finished pasta dish with 4 tbsp of pesto, not the whole pesto recipe.
Substitutions:
- Pistachios: Use pine nuts, walnuts, or cashews in the pesto
- Arugula: Substitute with all basil, or half basil and half Italian parsley
- Shrimp: Swap for grilled chicken, scallops, salmon, or omit for vegetarian
- Asparagus: Try sugar snap peas, fresh peas, or zucchini ribbons
- White Balsamic Vinegar: Use white wine vinegar
- Linguine: Any long pasta works (spaghetti, fettuccine) or shorter shapes like orecchiette or fusilli
- Dairy-Free: Omit Parmesan or use dairy-free alternative
- Leftover Pasta: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water or broth.
- Pesto Alone: Refrigerate up to 1 week in an airtight container with olive oil on surface, or freeze in ice cube trays for up to 3 months.
- Make Ahead: Pesto can be made up to 5 days ahead. Asparagus can be trimmed and cut 1 day ahead.
Nutrition
Calories: 577kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 293mg | Potassium: 524mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1463IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 4mg