Recipe: Chef Kevin Belton's Pesto Pasta with Shrimp

NEW ORLEANS — Over the course of its 300-year history, New Orleans’ cuisine has been one of its greatest gifts to the world. Now, as we celebrate the city’s 300th birthday and WWL-TV’s 60th anniversary, our gift to you is a free e-cookbook, with 'Family Favorite' recipes.

Click here to download the free "Family Favorites" cookbook

This cookbook series celebrates New Orleans’ family favorites recipes, to coincide with the city’s tricentennial. What better way to commemorate 300 years of life in the city we love than by celebrating the thing that truly unites us all: food.

Pesto Pasta with Shrimp (or Chicken)

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. uncooked penne pasta
• 1 lb. fresh asparagus, cut into 2-in. pieces
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 lb. large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 Tbsp. Creole seasoning
• 1/4 cup or more of pesto (depending on your taste), see recipe below
• 1/2 cup halved multicolored grape tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• Green onions for garnish

Directions:

1. Boil water and add pasta. Cook according to package directions. Throw in asparagus to cook during last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 3/4 cup cooking liquid.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high until butter melts. Sprinkle shrimp with Creole seasoning. Add shrimp to pan and cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove shrimp from pan.
3. Add pasta, asparagus and reserved 3/4 cup cooking liquid to pan and cook 1 minute. Stir in 1/4 cup pesto, shrimp, grape tomatoes and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat thoroughly, garnish with green onions.

NOTE: This can be served warm or cold depending on your preference. 

Pesto Recipe

Yields 1 cup of pesto

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. salt, more to taste
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place the basil leaves and pine nuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a several times.
2. Add the garlic and Parmesan or Romano cheese and pulse several times more. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula and pulse again if needed to combine all ingredients well.
3. While the food processor is running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady small stream while the processor is running. This will help all ingredients to combine and prevent the olive oil from separating. Occasionally stop the food processor and to scrape down the sides of the food processor.
4. Stir in salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

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Watch Chef Kevin Belton every Tuesday morning on Eyewitness Morning News on WWL-TV and WWLTV.com