Pesto Shrimp Bake with Squash and Tomatoes

Ingredients

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The Bake:

  • 1 pound (20-30 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
  • 3 small zucchini or other summer squash, sliced
  • 3 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced (or a mix of sliced heirlooms and halved smaller tomatoes)
  • 2 cups lightly packed fresh basil
  • 1/4 cup walnuts*
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese, plus more for serving (optional)*
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream or coconut milk
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pesto shrimp bake with zucchini, squash, and cherry tomatoes in a baking dish with a wooden spoon.
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Prep Time: 10 Minutes

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Prep Time: 20 Minutes

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Total Time: 30 Minutes

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Yields: 4 servings

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil. Layer the tomato slices, shrimp, and zucchini in the dish in an alternating pattern. Bake for 15 minutes.
  2. While the shrimp and vegetables are baking, make the pesto. Pulse the basil, walnuts, and cheese (if using) in a food processor until finely ground. Drizzle in the olive oil and then the cream or coconut milk with the processor running. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  3. After the dish has been baking for 15 minutes, remove it from the oven and spoon the pesto on top. Return the dish to the oven and bake for 5 more minutes, or until bubbly around the edges. Let sit for at least five minutes before serving. Top with additional cheese if desired and serve hot.

Notes

*You can omit either the cheese or the nuts, but I don’t recommend omitting both. If you do need the pesto to be nut-free and dairy-free, you will probably want to add more oil and salt. You could also use pine nuts instead of walnuts, since pine nuts are actually seeds.


Credit: A Calculated Whisk

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