Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Pasta

There are two kinds of people in the world - those that love cilantro and those that don't. Interestingly, there is good reason for that! Some people taste a soapy flavor when tasting cilantro, or even smell an extremely unpleasant odor. Funny how taste buds differ a lot!

Cilantro is one of my favorite herbs to use but when someone says they don't like it, I assume their taste buds are telling them something completely different than mine.

If you like cilantro, you probably like it used alongside lime - it's a winning combination. This dish uses a cilantro based pesto that you combine with pasta and quick cooking shrimp to create a flavorful, inexpensive, and quick weeknight meal. Since we're big cilantro fans, this is a favorite at our house!

The crumbled cheese is like the icing on top so please don't skip it. You could use a crumbled queso fresco (I actually found some at Aldi recently), Cotija, or even feta! The added salty bite makes a big impact to such a simple dish.

Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Pasta
1 and 1/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup chopped green onions
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 jalapeno, seeded
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound linguine
1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons tequila
1/4 crumbled Cotija, feta, or queso fresco cheese, for serving
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for serving

In your food processor, blend together the cilantro leaves, green onions, lime juice, garlic, and jalapeno until a coarse puree forms. With the machine running, drizzle in 1/2 cup oil. Season generously with salt.

Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until almost opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add tequila. Return skillet to heat and stir until the sauce is syrupy, about 30 seconds. Add the cilantro-lime pesto and stir to coat. Remove from heat.

Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Top each serving with cheese and chopped cilantro.

Source: Bon Appetit