Ingredients
-
10-12 large Shrimpdeveined but not peeled
-
16 oz Fettuccine
-
12 Cherry Tomatoes
-
7 Sun Dried Tomatoes
-
1 cup Heavy Cream
-
1 Shallot
-
2 tablespoons Butter
-
5 cloves Garlic
-
8 oz Romano Cheese
-
1 cup White Wine
-
to taste Fresh Basil
-
to taste Fresh Thyme
-
to taste Salt
-
optional Smoked Paprika
-
optional Fresh Parsley
My Two Cents
My Pasta with shrimp in creamy tomato sauce recipe is very easy and quick!
What is my favorite dish to make? Anyone who knows me for some time would easily answer: “Pasta!”.
I have a little personal story coming next, so if you are in a rush please don’t feel bad and straight to the DIRECTIONS.
Pasta holds a special place in my heart for so many reasons, but the main one is that it was my first dish I was proud of! I just moved to Barcelona and rented a small studio apartment (if you can call it that, I referred to it more as a closet lol).
My kitchen was so tiny and served a decorative purpose more than a cooking one, but it was my OWN kitchen in Barcelona! And it did not matter that I did not have an oven, and my stove was sitting on top of a washing machine (say hello to city life!), I was super excited and ready to make something better than a sandwich or a cereal. And I decided why not make pasta?
It was a simple cream and mushroom spaghetti but at the same time, it was my first real dish I was proud of. I mastered it to the level that I could make it in industrial quantities for student house parties and La Liga (soccer) nights. And most importantly it was the time I realize that cooking for others and receiving compliments on my food makes me feel good. Good that I want to do it more, to get better, to feed more people, and to share my love for food. So simple pasta in a little closet in Raval, Barcelona is the birthplace of this blog!
SO today we are cooking this simple yet delicious and comforting pasta with shrimp in creamy sauce.
Directions
|
1
Done
|
We will need 2 frying pans – one larger for the sauce and 1 smaller for our shrimp, and 1 pot to boil our pasta. Start with chopping shallot and garlic. Don’t try to make it pretty but rather on a smaller side. Melt some butter over medium heat and add shallot and garlic to the pan. Sweat stirring for 2-3 minutes. |
|
2
Done
|
Peel shrimp and save 4-6 shells to use in our sauce. This is my go-to TRICK to make any seafood sauce even more flavorful without using broth/stock. Add shrimp shells to the pan and pour white wine in. Place several brunches of thyme on top and let it all simmer without stirring for 5 minutes or until wine would almost totally evaporate. |
|
3
Done
|
Take thyme and shells out and add whole cherry tomatoes. Soon enough cherry`s skin will soften up and break. Using a fork gently mash each tomato and mix well with the sauce. |
|
4
Done
|
While making the sauce, let`s cook shrimp by simply frying it 2 minutes per side over high heat with some butter. I do season my shrimp with salt, pepper, and paprika to add nice gold color. Slice sun-dried tomatoes into thin strips and add to the pan. I also like to add a little bit of smoked paprika for color, but it is totally up to you! Add 1 cup of heavy cream and lower the heat to a minimum. Keep stirring and simmering sauce for another 2-3 minutes. |
|
5
Done
|
Boil pasta (I used fettuccine, but any pasta would work!) to al-dente or simply 2 minutes less than cooking instructions on the pasta box, drain and add to the sauce. Mix it well to make sure you coat pasta with your amazing sauce and let it simmer for 2 minutes altogether. Chop fresh basil and grate Romano cheese. Add to your pasta. |
|
6
Done
|
To serve I place my wonderful-looking shrimp on top of pasta and sprinkle a little bit more cheese and basil on top. Voila! |
