Creamy Shrimp Pasta
Yield: 4 servings
Rich without being heavy, garlicky with just a bit of heat, this dish is a restaurant-worthy meal that's easy enough for a weeknight and ideal for a date-night-in!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Morton kosher salt
- 12 ounces fettuccine pasta
- 1 pound large (21-25 count) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- 8 large garlic cloves, minced (about ¼ cup)
- ⅓ cup dry white wine, such as a dry Chardonnay
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 2 ounces (about ¾ cup) freshly shredded Parmesan, plus a bit more to finish See Notes below.
- 1 cup reserved pasta water (use as much as is needed)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the tablespoon of salt and then the pasta. Cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and set it aside. Then drain the pasta without rinsing.
- While pasta is cooking, prepare shrimp and sauce. Place shrimp in a low wide bowl and drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over the shrimp; fold gently to coat evenly. Sprinkle shrimp evenly with paprika, salt, black pepper, and cayenne.
- Set a large, non-stick skillet over medium/medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Once oil is hot, add shrimp in a single layer and cook 2-3 minutes per side, or until just cooked through and no longer translucent. Remove skillet from heat and transfer shrimp to a plate. Let skillet cool a bit until it's at a medium-low warmth (so the butter doesn't burn in the next step).
- Set the same skillet over medium/medium-low heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the butter. Once butter has melted, stir in onion. Sauté until onion is just softened, stirring occasionally and taking care to not let the butter and onion darken, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in garlic and sauté 1 more minute. Add wine and let mixture simmer until liquid has reduced to just 2 tablespoons.
- Stir in cream and bring mixture to a simmer. Let simmer 2 minutes, reducing heat if needed so it does not boil. Sprinkle Parmesan over the top and stir just until creamy and smooth. Let cream sauce come to a very gentle simmer, then remove skillet from heat. Taste test and season with more salt & pepper if desired.
- Add cooked pasta and shrimp to the cream sauce and use a tongs to gently fold everything together. The noodles should be well coated with sauce, yet lightly silky-creamy (not thick and gloppy). If needed, sprinkle some of the reserved pasta water over the top and fold again to combine, using as much of the water as is needed to reach a lightly silky-creamy consistency.
- Add creamy pasta & shrimp to individual pasta bowls. Sprinkle freshly cracked black pepper and minced fresh parsley over the top, plus a bit more shredded Parmesan.
Notes
For the Parmesan, I recommend shredding a block of Parm yourself. This will give the sauce the best creamy texture, as pre-shredded cheeses are often mixed with an anti-caking agent.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 929kcal Carbohydrates: 73g Protein: 41g Fat: 52g Saturated Fat: 26g Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g Monounsaturated Fat: 18g Trans Fat: 0.1g Cholesterol: 303mg Sodium: 2452mg Potassium: 695mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 6g Vitamin A: 1869IU Vitamin C: 7mg Calcium: 300mg Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.