Skinny Pesto Shrimp Linguine

I love a great pesto dish, but hate the calories and fat grams that come along with it. I did a little research, and came across this pesto recipe on skinnytaste. I tweaked it a tiny bit and added a dash of cayenne pepper and fresh lemon juice (to taste). Although it still has some fat, it's not nearly as much as you would find in a similar dish at a restaurant (or pre-made pesto sauce).  The shrimp marinade I sort of made up on my own, and it made a huge difference in the taste of the shrimp - SO delish! 

Ingredients:

Linguine

Shrimp (the larger/fresher, the better) 

Parmesan cheese - 1/4 cup

basil - 1 cup

lemon

minced garlic (I used 2 cloves in the pesto, and 2 for the shrimp marinade) 

cayenne pepper

salt and pepper

olive oil 

Skinny Basil Pesto Directions: 

In a food processor pulse basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, cayenne, lemon, salt and pepper until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil while pulsing, until desired consistency is met. Once pasta has been cooked and strained, simply pour pesto sauce over pasta, and mix well to ensure even distribution of pesto. 

Shrimp Marinade: 

In a small bowl, add freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used the juice of one lemon), 2 cloves minced garlic, a dash of cayenne, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt together. Add shrimp to the bowl and massage marinade into shrimp with hands for a few minutes. Let sit (covered) at room temp for 30 minutes. If you want to let it sit longer, place in refrigerator. To cook shrimp, pour shrimp and marinade into small saute pan, and saute until shrimp is pink and marinade has evaporated. 

Top pesto linguine with shrimp, and add freshly grated Parmesan, ENJOY!