If you're hankering for a seafood and creamy pasta dish for dinner -- no problem. Splurge on a small, one-pound bag of flash-frozen, large shrimp, pick up a box of fresh linguine pasta, plus, a few other miscellaneous items -- fresh basil, sweet grape tomatoes and heavy cream (you've no doubt already got the cheese in your refrigerator). Voila. You and yours can be pouring a glass of wine and sitting down to a sumptuous, affordable, restaurant-quality dinner, from stovetop to table, in about 30-40 minutes (and there will be little cleanup afterward too). This will be everything you'd craved all day: a well-balanced mixture of buttery-rich and perfectly-cooked cream-enrobed, cheesy, garlicy, and, slightly-spicy pasta loaded with succulent shrimp.
Bring it on -- Buttery-rich & creamy, cheesy, garlicy & slightly-spicy perfectly-cooked pasta loaded w/succulent shrimp:
8-9 ounces fresh linguine pasta, it must be fresh pasta not dried
12 ounces large shrimp (28-30 shrimp), peeled, deveined, tails on or off, your choice
2 teaspoons salt, for seasoning pasta water
6 tablespoons salted butter, cut into cubes
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup heavy or whipping cream
6 tablespoons finely-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
chiffonade of 5-6 fresh basil leaves, for garnish
12 grape tomatoes, sliced in half, for garnish
~Step 1. In a shallow 3 1/2-quart enameled cast-iron casserole or 3 1/2-quart chef's pan w/straight, deep sides, place 2-quarts of water and the 2-teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add all of the fresh pasta and all of the shrimp all at once. Adjust heat to a steady simmer and continue to cook until pasta is al dente, about 3-3 1/2 minutes -- the shrimp will cook perfectly in this same amount of time, which is why fresh pasta (not dried pasta) must be used to cook this dish. Drain pasta and shrimp into a colander. Do not rinse the pasta.
~Step 2. Working as quickly as possible, return still hot skillet to still hot stovetop. Add the butter pieces and spices: the garlic powder, red pepper flakes and salt. Return the still steaming hot pasta and shrimp to skillet. Using two large spoons or two large forks, toss until the pasta and shrimp are enrobed in a spicy butter mixture. Add the cream and the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Toss again. Cover the skillet and allow to rest about 1 minute, to give the pasta time to soak up any excess cream. Remove the lid and give the mixture another thorough toss. Portion into 2-4 pasta bowls or pasta plates and serve each portion immediately, garnished with a chiffanade of fresh basil leaves (or some torn basil leaves) and a few grape tomato halves.
Every bite = everything you were craving all day:
One-Skillet Creamy Parmesan Linguini and Shrimp: Recipe yields 2 large or 4 smaller servings.
Special Equipment List: cutting board; paring knife; microplane grater; 1-cup measuring container; serrated tomato knife; 3 1/2-quart shallow, wide-bottomed enameled cast-iron casserole or 3 1/2-quart chef's pan w/straight, deep sides & lid; colander; two large forks or two large spoons
Cook's Note: The world is full of pasta-bilities. Our modern marketplaces have supplied all of our demands with hundreds of shapes, sizes, and colors of dried and fresh pasta. I suppose it is because pasta is relatively quick to cook that many cooks impulsively try to create their own versions of well-known pasta dishes having little knowledge of the tried-and-true principles and classic recipe techniques these recipes require. To learn more, read my post ~ Pasta - Choose, Portion, Cook, Sauce, Toss & Serve ~.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2022)
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