Shrimp and Scallop Roasted Red Bell Pepper Pesto Pasta

Many times I let ingredients in my fridge inspire me for an answer to that never ending question of “What to make for dinner?”. This dish was inspired by the roasted red pepper pesto I had in the fridge from this post. Feel free to use store bought if you don’t wish to make your own pesto.

Shrimp and Scallop Roasted Red Bell Pepper Pesto Pasta

*Serves 2
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:
- 1/3 lb medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 1/3 lb bay scallops
- 2 leeks
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup prepared alfredo sauce, I like Buitoni
- ¼ cup red bell pepper pesto
- a few handfuls of fresh spinach
- 4oz thin spaghetti, cooked per package instructions
- salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Place fresh spinach in the colander you plan to drain pasta in. Slice leeks in half and cut into 1/3 inch slices using only the white and light green parts. Fill a large bowl with water and rinse leeks to remove dirt. Remove from water and drain excess.

2. Heat a large sauté pan to medium heat and melt butter. Add leeks and sauté for approximately 4 minutes. Add shrimp and scallops, season liberally with salt and pepper. Sauté shrimp and scallops for about 4 minutes.

3. Add alfredo and roasted red bell pepper pesto to sauté pan. Stir to combine and allow to heat through. Stir occasionally, will take about 2-3 minutes.

4. When pasta is done, drain over spinach in colander. (This will start to wilt the spinach). Allow to drain well, and then add pasta and spinach back to the pasta pot. Toss together to wilt remaining spinach. Add sauce mixture and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Thoughts: This dish is very simple to prepare and only has a few key ingredients that work beautifully together. The sauce is not overwhelming to the seafood and the leeks and spinach add a nice balance to the flavors. The amount of sauce is just enough to coat the pasta without drowning the ingredients.