Combine these succulent shrimp wontons with the rich and nutty notes of pistachio basil pesto to form this culinary fusion of Italian and Chinese cuisine. Pistachio Pesto Shrimp Wonton is the way to go for a simple yet elegant date night appetizer.
Wontons, Dim sum, dumplings, Momos, they are similar names from different regions in Asia. They do come in various shapes and sizes often with vegetarian, seafood or meat filling in them. These Asian appetizers are a quick on the go meal served with a sauce, in a soup or in a fusion dish, just like we love doing it.
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OMG! I need to try this
Elevate your regular shrimp wontons with a rich flavor by introducing this homemade Pistachio Basil Pesto. The extra-virgin olive oil along with the fresh basil, crunchy pistachios, Parmesan cheese and garlic adds a creative and distinctive taste to the wontons.
There are different folding techniques, and you can really get creative and go crazy with it. The art of folding a wonton showcases the labor of love that went into making each dumpling. The shrimps are finely minced and flavored with fish sauce, earthy notes from the shiitake mushrooms, and red pepper flakes for a hint of spice, all wrapped to form a bundle of love.
These wontons can be steamed, pan-fried or deep-fried. The texture of the final dish totally depends on the method of cooking. We decided to use the steaming method with a bamboo steamer to keep it a little healthy. Don’t worry if you do not have a bamboo steamer as you can find an alternative technique to steam your wontons in the tips below.
Get creative with your presentation skills and don’t shy away from thinking out of the box. No one is going to judge you. A simple swoosh of pesto on a plate will work just fine. If you have some pesto sauce remaining try out our garlicky Pistachio Pesto Shrimp Pasta recipe.
Ingredients
Herbs and Spices: salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
Liquids: extra-virgin olive oil, fish sauce
Regular ingredients: basil leaves, garlic, Parmesan, shrimps
Specialty ingredients: pistachios, shiitake mushrooms, wonton wrappers
See recipe card for quantities.
Walk through the Recipe
Let’s start preparing Pistachio Pesto Shrimp Wonton.
We begin by chopping the shrimp and shiitake mushroom and mixing it with fish sauce, red pepper flakes and seasoning.
Next, we place a teaspoon of the shrimp filling in the center of the wrapper and wet the edges with water before folding it into a triangle. Bring the other two ends together and twist it to form the wontons.
Gently line up the wonton in a bamboo steamer. Remember to not overcrowd the container as they might stick together while steaming. Use parchment paper under the wontons to prevent it from sticking.
Place the bamboo steamer over a wok or a big vessel to steam for 15-18 minutes until the wontons are translucent.
Serve these wontons with a drizzle of pistachio pesto sauce or on the side.
Substitutions
You can replace some of the ingredients in the recipe to suit what you have at home.
- Shiitake mushrooms: cremini mushrooms, white mushrooms
- Fish sauce: soya sauce, chili oil
- Parmesan cheese: Pecorino romano, Grana Padano or just regular cheese
Tips
- Properly seal the edges: Seal the edges of the wonton wrappers properly to prevent the filling from leaking during steaming.
- Avoid overfilling: Do not overfill the wontons as it may be difficult to seal them and can open up while steaming.
- Prevent drying: Cover the wrapped wontons with a damp cloth while assembling the other wontons to prevent them from drying out.
- Shiitake mushrooms: Remember to remove the stems from the shiitake mushrooms as they are indelible.
- Thawing the wrappers: Place the wrappers at room temperature for 30 minutes out of the freezer before using it.
- Steaming technique: Try using this alternative method for steaming if you do not have a bamboo steamer. Add an inch of water to a flat pan and place a porcelain plate over it. Place a sheet of aluminum foil over the plate, add your wontons, cover and steam over low to medium heat.
FAQs
Yes, you can make it from scratch by using flour, water and eggs and can also use store-bought wrappers as a convenient alternative.
Yes, you can prepare the wontons in advance and freeze them until they are ready to be cooked. It can be frozen for up to a month, preserving its flavor. You can store the pesto sauce in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or a longer period if frozen.
Add in more olive oil if the Pesto is too thick, similarly, you can add in more pistachios or Parmesan if it’s too thin.
It can be used as a pizza sauce, cold salads, as a dip, sandwiches and also in pasta like Pistachio Pesto Shrimp Pasta.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Prawns Koliwada (Mumbai-style spicy fried shrimps)
- Jerk Chicken Quesadilla
- Sumac Fries
- Crispy Brussels Sprouts Recipe (Indian style)
Fusion Recipes
Try out some of our specialty recipes:
- Jerk Shrimp Pasta (Rasta Pasta Recipe)
- Easy Crab Rangoon Egg Rolls
- Burnt Garlic Fried Rice
- Cevapi Sliders with Ajvar
Recipe
Pistachio Pesto Shrimp Wonton
Ingredients
Wontons
- 1 lb shrimps, cleaned and deveined
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 25 pieces wonton wrappers, square shaped
- salt to taste
- pepper
Pistachio Basil Pesto
- 1 cup pistachios
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- salt to taste
- pepper
Instructions
- Finely chop the cleaned and deveined shrimps on a cutting board or run it in a food processor or mixer. Mix the shrimps with finely chopped shiitake mushrooms.
- Add in fish sauce, red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well to combine all the ingredients.
- Place one teaspoon of the shrimp filling in the center of the wonton wrapper. Use water to wet the edges of the wrapper with your finger and fold it in a triangle shape. Bring in two of the longer edges and give it a twist to form your wontons.
- Steam the wontons in a bamboo steamer on medium heat for 15-18 minutes until the wontons are translucent.
- Blend all the listed ingredients for the Pistachio Basil Pesto sauce and serve it along with the cooked wontons.
Christopher Dcunha
Yummy! Recommend to try this out!