Plantain Pesto Penne

⚽ World Cup 2018 Game 25 – Nigeria vs. Iceland

The Plantain Pesto Penne inherits Nigerian and Icelandic ingredients to forge its own path to pasta glory. The plantain serves as a base for a creamy pesto while hearty vegetables and shrimp adds texture and dimensionality to the whole dish. While it might take some practice to clearly articulate its tongue-twisting name, you will fall in love with the taste on the first try.

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Plantain Pesto Penne

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

African, european, Icelandic, Nigerian

Servings

Ingredients

Plantain Pesto

• 1 yellow plantain
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 1/2 cup fresh packed basil
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Pasta

• 2 cups dried penne
• 3 TBSP olive oil
• 12 21-25 size raw shrimp
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 1/2 tsp cajun seasoning
• 1/2 stalk leeks chopped
• 1 cup cabbage thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tomatoes cut into 1 inch pieces
• fresh basil for garnish

Course Main Dish Cuisine African, european, Icelandic, Nigerian Servings Ingredients Plantain Pesto 1 yellow plantain 3 cloves garlic 1/2 lemon juiced 1/2 cup fresh packed basil 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper Pasta 2 cups dried penne 3 TBSP olive oil 12 21-25 size raw shrimp 1/2 lemon juiced 1/2 tsp cajun seasoning 1/2 stalk leeks chopped 1 cup cabbage thinly sliced 1/2 cup milk 2 tomatoes cut into 1 inch pieces fresh basil for garnish

Instructions

1. To make the plantain pesto: Add peeled plantain pieces to a food processor. Grind until smooth. Add garlic + lemon juice + basil + black pepper + salt + crushed red pepper and blend.
2. In a pot of salted water, cook the penne for 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat a skillet to medium-high heat and pour olive oil on the bottom of the pan. Place the shrimp in one layer on the pan and sprinkle the lemon juice and 1/2 the cajun seasoning over the shrimp. Cook for 2 minutes and flip the shrimp, sprinkling the rest of the cajun seasoning. Remove the shrimp onto a plate and set aside.
4. In the same skillet, add the leeks and cabbage and cook for 5 minutes and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the plantain pesto and milk and cook for 2 minutes until you have a creamy sauce.
5. Add the cooked penne and mix well so that each penne is coated with the sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes, mixing constantly. Add the tomatoes and remove from heat.
6. Plate a 2 cups of penne mixture onto a plate and top with shrimp. Garnish with chiffonade basil.

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