This Grilled Shrimp Pasta Salad with Garlic Scape Pesto is so fresh and delicious! I am so pleased to be doing a guest post for Marlee from I Just Make Sandwiches while she takes a well deserved break!
I love to use fresh local fruits and vegetables in all of my dishes in the summer! The winters here are so long. We go for 8 months with store bought produce that was picked green and never ripens. Either that or they were grown in hot houses.
I also love adding sweet elements to savory dishes! Such as these fresh, juicy sweet cherries with this garlic scape pesto! It is such a surprise! An explosion of flavor in your mouth!
You know, if you follow my blog that have been charged with making a plethora of salads for picnics and BBQ’s this year.
I have been trying to mix it up and come up with some unique, tasty salads. This BLT Pasta Salad is one of the most popular! This one definitely qualifies for both unique and tasty! Let me know in the comments below what your favorite summer salads are! I have more BBQ’s to host! 🙂
It was very fun to do this guest post for Marlee! Head over to her blog I Just Make Sandwiches and show her some love!
Due to my background in horticulture, I had several readers request a tutorial on Vegetable Gardening. To this end I have published a series of posts on the subject, packed full of information about how to get that big harvest by the end of the season! If you need help in this area, don’t miss my How to Start a Garden Series! The first part is Planning Your Garden!
Enjoy! And have fun cooking!
Grilled Garlic Pasta Salad with Cherries and Garlic Scape Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta, your favorite shape
- 1 lb can shrimp
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 cup cherries, halved
- 1 pint each green beans and yellow beans
- 4 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
- 1-1.5 cup pesto, any flavor you like but one with extra garlic is best
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
Instructions
- Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain when done and toss with a bit of olive oil so the pasta doesn't stick together. Cool to room temperature or refrigerate until cool.
- Peel and devein shrimp. Marinate the shrimp in the olive oil and garlic for about 20 minutes. Cook shrimp on a hot grill for a minute or so, until pink on the bottom. Flip and grill the other side. Cool to room temperature.
- Blanche green and yellow beans for only about 3-4 minutes, depending on the size. You want them to be a bit crunchy. Bathe in an ice bath to stop cooking.
- Add cherries, beans, chives, pesto and the salt and pepper, to the pasta and toss well. Serve either room temperature or cold.
Notes
Nutrition
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I don’t think I’d ever have thought of adding cherries to shrimps and garlic scapes but when I look at this, it really appeals, I think I’d love it!
It was definitely a risk. But the combination of the savory garlic and shrimp with the sweetness of the cherries is a surprising delight for your mouth! Thanks Kavita!
Wonderful recipe Beth, looks so full of flavors, Yum! Saw it on Marlee’s, such a marvelous guest post, hope you’ll make one for me one of these days 🙂
Absolutely, Patty! Any time! Just let me know! Thanks!
This recipe would be perfect for a barbecue , it sounds so delicious.
Thanks Nayna! It is very tasty, for sure!
It’s that time of the year and the grill is out! Love all of the pesto that you use in your sauce! Always extra garlic 🙂
Absolutely nothing wrong with extra garlic, is there Ginny? Thanks!
i haven’t used garlic scapes before, but they sound so good!! maybe i’ll finally go hunt some down (; and i love the use of cherries here; a hint of fruit in salads or anything savory really is so tasty and unexpected!
Thank you, Heather! I, too, am very fond of sweet and savory dishes!
I love grilled shrimp!! This looks AMAZING!!!!
Grilled shrimp are the best! Aren’t they! They are great in this salad! Thanks, Deanna!
What a fantastic recipe, great combination of flavours. Marlee must be delighted to have this on her blog.
Thank you so much, Laura! I think she is pleased with what I came up with!
Perfect combo – pasta + scampi = yumminess. I may try this recipe later since I have leftover shrimp. Yum.
Very fresh and tasty! Especially with the fresh cherries and the pesto! Thank you Calleigh!