Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad

Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad

 

Ingredients:

For the pesto:

2½ cups packed fresh basil leaves

3 cloves garlic

⅓ cup pine nuts

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ cup olive oil

For the pasta salad

8 oz dried pasta

1¼ cups pesto, plus ¼ cup for tossing the pasta

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

¾ cup milk

1 15 oz can cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups baby arugula

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

15 sun-dried tomatoes

15 kalamata olives

15 mozzarella pearls

1 roasted red pepper, sliced into thin strips

2 oz Parmesan cheese, shaved


Directions:

First, make the pesto. In a food processor, combine the basil, garlic, pine nuts, and Parmesan. Pulse until well combined. Then, slowly stream the olive oil through the top of the food processor as it runs, until the pesto comes together. Add salt and pepper and pulse again.

Then, boil the pasta according to package directions. As you wait for it to boil, combine the 1¼ cups pesto, ½ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup sour cream, and ¾ cup milk in a medium sized bowl. Mix well, until the pesto dressing is creamy but smooth. Add more milk if necessary to thin it out to dressing consistency. Refrigerate until ready to use.

When the pasta has boiled to al dente, drain it and let cool. Then, toss with the remaining ¼ cup pesto, cannelloni beans, arugula, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, mozzarella pearls, roasted red pepper, and Parmesan. Once well mixed, pour over the creamy pesto dressing and toss again.

Mango Chili Glazed Shrimp

Mango Chili Glazed Shrimp

Ingredients:

2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped, to garnish

2 green onions, chopped, to garnish

For the Mango Chili Glaze:

1 tablespoon canola oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

½ red onion, chopped

2 small ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and chopped

¼ cup orange juice

¼ cup pineapple juice

2 tablespoons honey

¼ teaspoon chile de arbol powder

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup fresh cilantro


Directions:

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in the onions and garlic and saute until softened. Then, add in the mango and cook until soft, stirring occasionally.
Add in the juices, honey, and chile powder and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool for 5 minutes

Transfer the mango mixture to the bowl of a food processor or blender. Add in the cilantro. Pulse until well-combined and smooth. Taste and adjust amount of spice if necessary.

Thread the shrimp onto metal skewers or soaked wooden skewers through the tops and bottoms (so the shrimp is in a "C" shape). Once all of the shrimp have been threaded, spray them with oil or nonstick spray on each side. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.

Lay the shrimp skewers on the grill over high heat. Cook for 2 minutes on each side. The shrimp should now be pink.

Brush the side of the skewer facing up with a liberal amount of Mango Chile Sauce. Let cook for 1 minute, brushing on more as it cooks if necessary. After a minute, turn the skewers and repeat on the opposite side. Check for doneness. Shrimp should be pink, opaque, and cooked through, but still moist inside.

Serve the shrimp with additional Mango Chile Sauce. Sprinkle with cilantro and green onion. Serve warm.