Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Pesto Pasta with Shrimp

I made this meal for my family a few nights ago and they RAVED. Realistically I'm not sure when they haven't raved, but this dish really stole the show for a while. The flavors are super intense and a crowd pleaser for sure. Try it out, modify for your tastes and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
- 1 pound linguini or pasta of your choice
- 2 pounds fresh shrimp
- 25 fresh basil leaves
- 1 jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
- Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- salt / pepper
-oregano and garlic powder
- crushed red pepper
- olive oil


To Make:

Begin by boiling a pot of water for the pasta. Make sure you salt the water. Cook the pasta for 7-9 minutes depending on which type and until it's AL-DENTE!

In the meantime, begin sauteing in olive the onions, garlic and red bell pepper on medium low heat until almost tender. Remove the tails from the shrimp (if you prefer) and add into the peppers and onions. Season with salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, garlic powder and oregano. Cook until the shrimp are done, about 4 minutes.


While that is cooking on the stove and the pasta is boiling away, in a food processor, add in the container of sun-dried tomatoes with olive oil, 20 basil leaves and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Add in a pinch of salt, pepper and garlic powder. Pulse together until it's smooth. Set aside.

Once the pasta is done, in a large bowl, pour the sun-dried tomato basil mixture over top the pasta and mix together. Slowly mix in the shrimp and pepper. Top with additional fresh basil leaves and Parmesan cheese. Add crushed red pepper to taste. ENJOY!