Leahs Pesto Pasta With Shrimp And Bacon - Oh My

Easy twist to a quick pasta dinner I served up with homemade pesto (click on link to see my basil pesto recipe) over pasta with chicken (happened to be left over), shrimp and oh so good crispy bacon. Serve this up hot or cold along with a salad and a fresh cold drink and garlic bread - enjoy! And yes, yet another pesto recipe from me, I'm telling you this stuff is very versatile! Ideas are endless.

Ingredients:

Boiling water for pasta (I used penne pasta)
3 large jumbo shrimp deveined and cleaned per person
1/2 cup or more pre-cooked chicken (or left over chicken) diced large
1/2 cup of caramelized onions (I had some extra over from my 'cilantro bean dip quesadilla' (recipe posted)
1/2 cup diced red or green bell peppers
3 slices of bacon cut into 1 inch wide pieces
4 tablespoons or more pesto (my recipe posted)
red chili flakes
olive oil
salt and pepper
additional fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 spring/green onion and fresh parsley minced

Directions:

Start to boil water in large pot
Slice up bacon and set aside
In deep skillet on top of stove, add a little olive oil and on medium low heat add sliced onions, let caramelize slowly - do not burn. This will take about 8 minutes - enough time for the water to come to a boil for the pasta.
Once water is rapid boiling, add a dribble of olive oil, and add salt
Add penne pasta or pasta of your choice into boiling water and set timer as noted on your pasta package.
Once onions are cooked, remove from skillet and set aside.
Add bacon to skillet and cook on medium heat - turning over occasionally.
While bacon is cooking, clean shrimp removing veins and shells and set aside and dice up chicken (if using) and set aside.
Once bacon is crisped, remove from skillet and add green peppers and shrimp to skillet.
Add freshly cracked pepper to skillet.
Cook shrimp 4 minutes ensuring they are cooked through and add chicken to reheat.
Drain pasta at this point, reserve a little of the pasta water.
Add Penne pasta to skillet, add back onions.
Sprinkle a couple of shakes of red chili flakes to skillet
Skillet should now contain penne pasta, shrimp, onions, peppers, bacon and chicken.
Add pesto to skillet and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water, stir till combined.
Plate and put shrimp on top of pasta, and add garnish of freshly grated cheese, and freshly minced spring/green onions and parsley on top and serve with your favorite salad and some garlic bread!
Enjoy!

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