Shrimp and Orzo Pesto Recipe

Hey everyone! Thanks for joining me for day 2 of launch month! Today I'm sharing a recipe invented by my mom, whom never fails to think up the tastiest recipes. This one is very simple to make but incredibly delicious. The dish is light but filling - perfect for lunch on a bright summer day. So let's get started.

Shrimp and Orzo Pesto
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
1.5 cups uncooked orzo
20-30 cooked, medium cocktail shrimp, frozen
4 large sprigs fresh basil (1 cup when chopped up)
1 tbsp cooking oil
5 tbsp pesto (I used Classico Traditional Basil Pesto)
3.8oz can - black olives, sliced
3 tbsp pine nuts

Optional Extras
mushrooms
tomatoes, diced
artichoke hearts

1. Cook the orzo according to the instructions on the box.
2. Thaw the shrimp according to the instructions on the bag. Once thawed, remove tails.
3. Squeeze out all excess water from the thawed shrimp using paper towels, as shown below.
3. Wash basil. Pluck the leaves off the stems and chop them up, as shown below.
4. When orzo is done cooking, drain out the water.
5. Heat up oil for 30 seconds in a large pan.
6. Add orzo, shrimp, olives, and pesto. Mix well. Cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Reduce heat to low. Add pine nuts and chopped basil. Cook for 3-4 more minutes.

Your dish is now ready to serve!

Tips
- Make sure to drain the shrimp really well. I usually squeeze out the water several times using a few paper towels. Also, I used 20 shrimps but it was a little sparse.
- Orzo expands a lot so be sure to cook in enough water. The 1.5 cups of uncooked orzo became 4 cups cooked.
- You can easily make the dish vegetarian (but still tasty) by replacing the shrimp with some of the optional extras suggested above.

All the ingredients you need (except cooking oil)! 

Delicious fresh basil.

Basil, chopped up.

Squeezing out the shrimp. 

Draining the orzo.

If you decide to try making the dish, be sure to let me know how it turns out! I will definitely be having this several times this summer. Let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy!