Bucatini pasta with pesto sauce and shrimp

Ingredients:

• 2 cups canned San Marzano or cherry tomatoes
• 2 cups fresh leaves, compactly packed basilica
• 2 cups fresh mint leaves, compactly arranged
• 1/2 cup sliced ​​almonds, lightly toasted
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 450 gr. bucatini or spaghetti pasta
• 1/2 cup wheat flour
• 450 g large sea shrimp, peeled, heads and dark veins removed, cut in half lengthwise
• 1/2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
• Olive oil for frying and pasta
• Coarse salt

Preparation:

1. Prepare pesto sauce: In a food processor, coarsely chop the tomatoes, basil, mint, almonds, garlic, orange zest, and 1 teaspoon salt. With the food processor running, gradually add 1/3 cup olive oil. Transfer the pesto sauce to a large bowl.
2. Pour 0.5 cm of olive oil into a frying pan and heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle flour onto the pan. Sprinkle the shrimp with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, then dredge them in the flour. Fry the shrimp in batches until golden brown and crispy, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the shrimp to paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
3. Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the bucatini pasta and cook for the amount of time indicated on the package. Using tongs, remove the pasta from the pan (reserve the broth for the sauce) and toss with the pesto sauce. If the pasta and sauce are dry, thin it with more broth. Add the cheese and toss. Drizzle with olive oil and arrange among plates, topping with the shrimp.