Grilled Shrimp Kabobs with Arugula-Walnut Pesto

Grilled Shrimp Kabobs with Arugula-Walnut Pesto.  Easy bite-size shrimps on skewers are grilled until they are lightly brown, then topped with a fresh pesto sauce made with fresh arugula and walnuts.  So good, the arugula-walnut pesto is what enhances the flavors of the grilled shrimp making these the best tasting shrimp kabobs!  And, it makes a terrific appetizer to serve your guests on any weekend!

When we have friends over, we like to have at least one fun finger-food appetizer that we can prepare, grill and have it ready just before everyone arrives.

I love this recipe because I can prepare the arugula-walnut pesto sauce early in the morning, then grill the shrimp later in the day.

The arugula-walnut pesto sauce is made with fresh arugula, basil, walnuts, olive oil, garlic and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  It was so good, I couldn’t stop licking my spoon.

To save some time with this recipe, I prefer buying already peeled and cleaned shrimp.  You can find them fresh at your local seafood market for a few pennies more, and for a little more money they do all the work for you.  I love that, and for me that alone is worth it!

Though these grilled shrimp kabobs were bite-sized, they were perfect to complete a full platter, making enough for our guests to have more than one kabob before dinner.  The shrimp kabobs are equally good served hot, room temperature or even cold.

You can chill them after they’re grilled and serve with the arugula-walnut pesto spread on top.  Don’t forget to leave some extra in a small bowl for dipping!

Keep in mind, if you are entertaining you may want to eliminate the nuts in case any guest may have nut allergies.

Serve these grilled shrimp kabobs with arugula-walnut pesto sauce on the side or lightly spoon some pesto over the shrimp and serve.

ENJOY!!

Here’s a tip:  Best to keep unused pesto stored in the refrigerator for up to one week, or frozen up to two months.  Make sure you drizzle a small layer of olive oil over the top surface to prevent discoloration and seal tightly.

*You can follow along with our steps or jump down to the bottom of this post for our full recipe card. 

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Looking for more shrimp recipes as appetizers? 

• Easy Italian Shrimp Salad

•  Zesty Lemon Shrimp and Mango Salad

•  Shrimp Cocktail with Vodka Sauce

Yield: 12 to 14 kabobs

Grilled Shrimp Kabobs with Arugula-Walnut Pesto

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Grilled Shrimp Kabobs with Arugula-Walnut Pesto. Easy bite-size shrimps on skewers are grilled until they are lightly brown, then topped with a fresh pesto sauce made with fresh arugula and walnuts. Makes a terrific appetizer to serve your guests on any weekend!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes

Total Time 21 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound small or medium size fresh shrimp-cleaned, peeled, deveined
• 3 cups arugula- rinsed, stems removed
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, firmly packed
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• fresh cracked black pepper
• 3/4 cup walnut halves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra
• 1 lemon juiced -divided
• 8 inch skewers
• organic cooking spray, for grill

Instructions

1. Rinse shrimp under cold water and drain. Season shrimp lightly with salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over them. Thread shrimp onto skewers, about 3 shrimps per skewer.
2. Heat and spray a non-stick grill pan with cooking spray. Grill shrimp kabobs for about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add a squeeze of lemon juice over them while grilling. When shrimp is cooked, transfer to a serving platter.

For the Pesto Sauce:

1. Place the arugula, basil leaves, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into blender or a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed.
2. Add the walnuts, pulse and then in add Parmesan cheese and pulse again about 2 or 3 times, until all ingredients are well combined. With machine running on low speed, slowly stream in the oil until desired consistency is reached. It should resemble a loose paste.
3. Stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice. Best made the same day serving. Lightly spoon or brush pesto sauce over the shrimp kabobs. Serve. Refrigerate any remaining unused pesto sauce.
4. Yields: 2 cups pesto sauce and approx. 14 to 16 kabobs

Notes

Using frozen shrimp helps make it this even speedier! Allow the frozen shrimp to defrost under running water, and rinse several times to rinse out the iodine. Then drain well before grilling.

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Happy Cooking!

xo Anna and Liz