The pasta with pistachio pesto and shrimp is a dish with an enveloping and delicate sauce, creamy without the addition of butter, milk, and cream, thus lactose-free.
To be consumed occasionally.
A refined dish for special occasions, the heart-shaped pasta format makes it perfect for celebrating Valentine’s Day.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Shrimp, from prawns to small shrimp
For convenience, I often use prawns: shelling and cleaning a few prawns per person is much simpler than shelling and cleaning entire portions of small shrimp.
I exceptionally used ready-made pistachio pesto.
- 160 g rigacuore (or mezze maniche or mezzi paccheri)
- to taste pistachio pesto (or pistachios + extra virgin olive oil)
- prawns (no less than 4 per person)
- 1 small glass white wine
- 1 ladle water
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch mixed peppercorns (with grinder)
Suggested Tools
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- 1 Pan with lid preferably glass
Preparation
I exceptionally used ready-made pistachio pesto bought in a local specialty shop, ingredients: extra virgin olive oil 51%, pistachios 49%, salt, pepper; without added preservatives or colorants.
Alternatively, you can prepare a pistachio pesto by blending pistachios and extra virgin olive oil in more or less the same proportion: for the dish to succeed, the pesto’s consistency must be creamy.
Gently detach the heads from the bodies of the prawns.
Rinse the heads under running water as if washing small containers until internal organs and residues are removed.
Let them drain in a colander.
Set aside for the prawn stock.Shell the prawns.
Then:
– with a sharp knife, make an incision along the prawn’s back;
– with a toothpick or the knife’s tip, extract the black thread.
This applies to all shrimp, from prawns to small shrimp, though it can be tricky with small shrimp and sometimes skipped if not noticeable.Rinse the shelled prawns thoroughly under running water.
Let them drain.
Pat the residual water with kitchen paper.
Cut them into chunks.In a pan/wok, add the cleaned prawn heads and toast them on both sides.
De-glaze with a small glass of white wine.
Moisten the prawn heads with a ladle of water.
Let it evaporate and reduce for a few minutes.
With the heat off, use kitchen tongs to squeeze out the stock retained in the prawn heads and discard any shell and antenna pieces.Bring the stock to a boil again.
Add the shrimp to the pan, stir, and sauté over high heat for 2-3 minutes.
Add a pinch of salt and grind the pepper.Cook the pasta al dente, drain it, and quickly rinse it under running water.
Meanwhile, heat the stock and shrimp.Mix the pistachio pesto well until it becomes a homogeneous cream.
With the heat off, add a tablespoon of pistachio pesto and the pasta to the pan with stock and shrimp, and mix to combine.
Stock + pistachio pesto = creamy sauce without added butter, milk, or cream.Plate the dish.
Grind some more pepper.Your pasta with pistachio pesto and shrimp is ready.
Enjoy your meal!
Pasta with pistachio pesto and shrimp is a complete dish that is not low-calorie; add your portion of vegetables to create a balanced meal or single dish that helps maintain stable blood sugar.
Avoid additional sources of fats in the same meal.
Consume occasionally, reserve it for special occasions.
Storage, Tips, and Variations
Shrimp, from prawns to small shrimp
For convenience, I often use prawns: shelling and cleaning a few prawns per person is much simpler than shelling and cleaning entire portions of small shrimp.
Reduce the amount of pistachio pesto for a lighter dish.
Use whole wheat pasta to increase the fiber content.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Should the black thread always be removed?
The black thread is the prawn’s intestine.
Its content is not toxic but can ruin the dish:
– it is unpleasant to see and taste;
– it may contain sand or residues.
It is better to always remove it.Shrimp in the diet
Shrimp, from prawns to small shrimp, are crustaceans low in triglycerides but high in cholesterol and they also contain a small amount of available carbohydrates.
For these reasons, they are not suitable for all diets.
In our dietary plan, shrimp are among the foods indicated as “to be consumed occasionally.”
