Last Updated on June 22, 2024 by Lisa Keys
Unless you are living under a rock you are well aware of the viral recipe craze over feta baked pasta. It's an easy, super delicious recipe featuring roasted cherry tomatoes and creamy feta tossed with fresh cooked pasta. How about we take it to another level? Let's add fresh shrimp, broccoli and a most unique pesto made from sea asparagus. This superfood product has totally inspired my recipe for the best Surf & Turf Pesto Pasta with Crispy Bread.
With bright lemony notes of basil you would never know this pesto is made from tender kelp and flavorful sea asparagus. These superfoods are abundant in southern Alaska where the land and salty sea intersect. They are sustainably harvested to not only make pesto, but salsa, pickles and pasta sauces, too. Truly creative genius at work when it comes to flavor, nutrition and the environment.
Now for my recipe in the main dish category. I think you will love my Surf & Turf Pesto Pasta with Crispy Bread. It is such a quick and easy family meal. The pesto is so versatile, too. I not only used it in the pasta, but also to make a side dish.
I just spread a generous amount of pesto over the cut side of a baguette. Then, I sprinkled on some grated parmesan and baked for 5 minutes. The crispy flavorful bread is the perfect compliment to the creamy pasta, vegetables and shrimp.
Surf & Turf Pesto Pasta Substitutions
- diced canned tomatoes for fresh are fine, drain them well
- any size shrimp or scallops as long as you adjust your baking time
- cauliflower instead of broccoli
- any shape pasta works well
Surf and Turf Pesto Pasta and Crispy Bread
Ingredients
- 1 (4 oz.) jar Foraged & Found Sea Asparagus Pesto
- 1 (8 oz.) block feta cheese
- 2 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, I like assorted colors
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- ½ pound (U 51 to 60) fresh or frozen shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail off, thawed*
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 8 oz. farfalle pasta, or your favorite shape
- 1 small loaf (9 oz.) French baguette, sliced horizontally in half
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- Fresh herbs for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400F. Arrange oven racks so 1 is lower center and 1 in upper part of oven.
- Spoon 1 tablespoon of pesto over top of feta. Place feta in center of 9x13 baking dish. Drizzle feta with ½ tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
- In a large bowl, toss 3 tablespoons of pesto, remaining olive oil, tomatoes and broccoli until tomatoes and broccoli are well coated; spoon around feta in baking dish.
- Bake on center rack for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, toss shrimp with 2 tablespoons of pesto. At end of 20 minutes bake time, remove baking dish from oven. Arrange shrimp around the edge of dish on top of broccoli and tomatoes. Return to oven and continue baking 8 to 10 minutes or until shrimp are pink and cooked through.
- Cook pasta according to package directions in lightly salted water; drain reserving ½ cup of pasta water.
- Spread cut sides of bread with some of the remaining pesto. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Place on a baking sheet and bake on upper rack for 5 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Slice bread into serving pieces.
- Remove the baking dish from oven and immediately toss feta, shrimp, broccoli and tomatoes together adding some pasta water to make a creamy sauce. Add warm pasta and toss again.
- Top with fresh herbs and serve with bread.
Notes
Nutrition
Thanks to Foraged & Found for the privilege of sampling their Sea Asparagus Pesto. I really enjoyed creating delicious recipes for this blogger challenge. Check out my sea asparagus pesto showstopper appetizers, too. For more information on this women-owned business and their array of superfood and environmentally sound products click on these links.
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