Pasta with zucchini pesto, shrimp, and mozzarella

Name: Pasta with zucchini pesto, shrimp, and mozzarella
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Fusilloni pasta 11.3 oz; Mozzarella cheese 3.3 cups; Zucchini 2; Zucchini flowers 12; Almonds 0.7 oz; Garlic ½ clove; Lemon juice to taste; Basil to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Shrimps red 0.9 lb; Lemon peel to taste; Mint to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Serving: 4 persone

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Sebastian Fitarau

Pasta with zucchini pesto, shrimp, and mozzarella is the perfect summer recipe: light, tasty, and ideal for the hottest days. The zucchini pesto, made with almonds, basil, and zucchini flowers, blends perfectly with fusilloni, creating an aromatic and delicate no-cook sauce. The lemon and mint-marinated red shrimp add a lively touch, while the mozzarella, cut into cubes, completes this main course with a fresh note, making every bite even more appetizing. Pasta with zucchini pesto, shrimp, and mozzarella is a tasty twist on the classic cold pasta, ideal for outdoor lunches or dinners with friends, thanks to the combination of simple and genuine ingredients.

Here you can find other variations of creamy zucchini and shrimp pasta:

Garganelli with zucchini pesto and shrimp
Pasta with zucchini, shrimp, and cherry tomatoes
Pasta with robiola cream, shrimp, and zucchini
Linguine with shrimp, zucchini, and saffron

INGREDIENTS

Fusilloni pasta 11.3 oz (320 g)

Mozzarella cheese 3.3 cups (375 g)

for the zucchini pesto: Zucchini 2; Zucchini flowers 12; Almonds 0.7 oz (20 g); Garlic ½ clove; Lemon juice to taste; Basil to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

for the shrimp: Shrimps 0.9 lb (400 g) - red; Lemon peel to taste; Mint to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Pasta with zucchini pesto, shrimp, and mozzarella

To prepare the pasta with zucchini pesto, shrimp, and mozzarella, start with the zucchini: wash them, trim the ends, and chop them into pieces 1, then transfer them to a bowl along with the almonds 3.

Add the basil leaves 4 and the peeled garlic clove 5. Separately, open the zucchini flowers, remove the inner pistil, and clean them with a cloth 6.

Add the flowers 7, keeping some aside for decorating the dishes, then pour in the lemon juice and oil 9.

Complete with water, salt, and pepper 11, and blend with an immersion blender 12.

Set aside the obtained cream 13. Cook the fusilloni in plenty of salted water until al dente 14. Drain the pasta and toss it with a drizzle of oil to prevent sticking. Proceed with cleaning the shrimp: remove the head and eyes 15.

Remove the shell 16 and collect the heads in a bowl 17, then add a drizzle of oil 18.

Add a little water 19 and a pinch of salt. Blend the heads with an immersion blender 20 until you obtain a smooth and fluid consistency 21.

Filter the mixture through a sieve 22 to obtain a sauce 23 to set aside. Now cut the shrimp tails in half 24.

Marinate the shrimp with salt, oil 25, lemon zest 26, and chopped mint 27.

Mix and store in the fridge 28. Finally, cut the mozzarella first into slices 29 and then into cubes 30.

Now dress the pasta with the zucchini pesto 31, then add the reserved zucchini flowers 32 and mozzarella cubes 33.

Complete with the marinated red shrimp 34, the shrimp head sauce 35, fresh basil leaves, and lemon zest to taste. The pasta with zucchini pesto, shrimp, and mozzarella is ready to enjoy 36!