My colleague Ramonna let me borrow a few of her favorite vegetarian cookbooks for inspiration. This delicious dish comes from The Fishes & Dishes Cookbook ~ Seafood Recipes and Salty Stories from Alaska’s Commercial Fisherwoman.

Shrimp & Orzo Salad with Pesto, Roasted Tomatoes, and Snow Peas

Ingredients

• 2 pints cherry tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon EVOO
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 cups orzo
• 8 ounces fresh snow peas, trimmed of strings
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, for garnish
• 1 lb shrimp (peeled and cooked)

Pesto Sauce Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 2 cups fresh packed basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup EVOO
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Place the cherry tomatoes in an oven-safe dish and toss with EVOO, sea salt and garlic. Roast for approximately 20 minutes, tossing at about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

While tomatoes are roasting boil a large pot of water and cook 2 cups orzo according to directions. While water is boiling also steam the snow peas in a colander over the boiling water for approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Rinse orzo and snow peas under cold water to avoid over cooking.

To make the pesto, blend the pine nuts, basil, garlic and Parmesan cheese in a food processor. Add the olive oil to the pesto sauce in a slow drizzle, then add the lemon juice.

Toss orzo, tomatoes, shrimp, snow peas and pesto together in a large bowl.

Put on stretchy pants because you are going to want seconds and thirds! Mike was working on a project in the basement as I got dinner ready and when he walked upstairs exclaimed, “it smells amazing!” I love that validation in the kitchen. Despite the dish being pasta based it was very light yet still filling. Because it was getting late I didn’t even make a side salad, and it wasn’t missed. I forget about how nice the crunch of a snow pea can be in a dish so I want to use them more often.

Got a Meatless Monday recipe for me to try? Let’s swap!