Thai basil pesto with chili garlic shrimp

Pesto Italian cuisine

While listening to my favorite foodie podcast, The Splendid Table, a listener said she had an idea to make a Thai basil pesto and asked if this idea sounded too outside the box for a dish. Before the radio host could even answer, I was mentally taking note. I have been a Thai food addict for a few years now but have not attempted too many of my own dishes at home. After hearing confirmation that this sounded like a fantastic idea, I rushed home, wrote down ingredients ideas so I would not forget, and put the list on my refrigerator. Nine months later, the tiny list of ingredients was still hanging by a magnet, unused, on my fridge. I hadn’t ever stopped thinking about attempting the dish, however. I actually went as far as planting and growing my own Thai basil this year. And that plant was what I was waiting for to make the meal. I wanted a big enough harvest of basil leaves so that I didn’t have to supplement from a store. The first time I made the pesto, I instantly knew that I would fall in love with the dish. The sauce came out creamy, spicy, and bright with flavor. I poured the rich pesto over rice noodles, tossed them with some spicy shrimp, and cooled off the dish by topping it with fresh mango and more red bell pepper. This meal is the Thai food enthusiast’s new best friend. It also takes under 20 minutes to cook.