Bow Thai Pasta with Shrimp
I don't stem the cilantro in this recipe, and the pesto comes out just fine. Makes the recipe faster and easier to make.
I don't stem the cilantro in this recipe, and the pesto comes out just fine. Makes the recipe faster and easier to make.
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 3 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup peanut oil
- 2 large cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
- 1 bunch cilantro stemmed (about 2 cups)
- 1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts
- 8 ounce bow tie pasta (farfalle)
- 12 ounce shrimp cooked, peeled, deveined
- 4 green onion chopped
- Carbohydrate 51.8822813151845 g
- Cholesterol 129.273825336 mg
- Fat 36.7323934189286 g
- Fiber 8.07362631718702 g
- Protein 25.4120685867786 g
- Saturated Fat 5.99234717292656 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (216g)
- Sodium 246.975510297082 mg
- Sugar 43.8086549979974 g
- Trans Fat 2.29166597573038 g
- Calories 627 calories
Step-by-step
- With processor or blender running, drop garlic and ginger through feed tube. Add cilantro, peanuts and red pepper. With machine running, gradually add oil. Season to taste with salt. (Can be prepared 6 hours and up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
- Bring pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until just tender. Place shrimp in colander. Pour pasta into colander. Drain. Return shrimp and pasta to pot. Add pesto sauce, onions and lime juice. Toss to coat. Divide between plates and serve.
Substituting toasted cashews for peanuts fundamentally alters the fat profile and introduces a softer crunch that behaves differently under the blade of a food processor. Processing aromatics efficiently requires dropping garlic and ginger through a running feed tube to ensure the blades shear the fibers uniformly rather than bruising them against the walls. Gradual oil incorporation builds an emulsion, preventing the pesto from breaking prematurely.
Sequencing the Heat
Placing pre-cooked shrimp directly into the colander before draining the boiling pasta utilizes residual thermal energy to gently warm the protein without overcooking it, which prevents the shrimp from turning rubbery. Tossing the hot ingredients with lime juice immediately locks in brightness before the starches cool and absorb liquids unevenly.
- If the pesto separates during blending, drizzle one tablespoon of ice-cold water through the feed tube to force re-emulsification.
- Undercook the bow tie pasta by one minute relative to package instructions since residual heat in the pot will continue softening the starch during the final toss.
