Creamy Pesto and Shrimp Penne with Peas

I still love my Southern Living magazines.  I follow lots of food bloggers on Instagram but I still love my Southern Living magazines!

I saw this easy recipe recently.  We love pesto, pasta and shrimp.  I have never been a huge fan of peas.  I guess I remembered canned peas as a child and my dad calling them "chinaberries".  I am a grown-up now and I can do peas.  This dish was great!

I didn't follow the directions (of course).  I bought precooked frozen shrimp at Costco and pesto at Costco.  I thawed the shrimp and cut off the tails.  I cooked the frozen peas separately and then combined everything.  Southern Living has you throw raw shrimp and frozen peas in the last few minutes of boiling the pasta.... I went a different route.  Feel free to visit Southern Living for their exact recipe.

Creamy Pesto and Shrimp Penne with Peas (adapted from Southern Living)

12 oz cooked penne pasta
1 lb medium frozen shrimp, thawed
1 cup or more of frozen peas, cooked
7 oz or more of refrigerated basil pesto
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup or more of Parmesan cheese, shredded
more Parmesan for topping

Thaw shrimp in refrigerator over night. Cook pasta according to directions.  Pat shrimp dry and cut tails off.  Cook frozen peas according to directions.  Drain pasta and gently toss with shrimp, pesto, peas and parmesan cheese. Top with more shredded parmesan.   Enjoy!