The classic shrimp fettuccine alfredo pasta is a recipe all chefs should hold in their back pocket. It can be whipped up in less than an hour with store-bought ingredients, or it can be meticulously perfected when making your sauce from scratch. Either way, this recipe from Closet Cooking is your best bet to make a restaurant-grade pasta dish from the comfort of your kitchen.

The benefits of preparing this meal from home coincide with the control you have over the spice levels of your pasta, depending on you and your guests’ preference. This recipe specifically adds a twist to the Italian classic by way of cajun or creole seasoning (think Tony Chachere’s) and the blackening approach to sautéing the shrimp.

Ingredients for Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo:

• 8 ounces of fettuccine or your favorite pasta
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 point of shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• 1 tablespoon of cajun seasoning
• 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
• 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano (parmesan), grated
• 1/2 tablespoon cajun seasoning or to taste
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• ½ tablespoon of salt
• 1/4 cup green onion, sliced (optional)

Directions:

1. In a medium-sized skillet or stovetop pan, melt your butter over medium-high heat. Once it’s completely melted and spread around the pan, you’ll dip your peeled and deveined shrimp into a small bowl of your cajun seasoning and then place them in the pan to brown. Cook the shrimp for at least 3 minutes on each side. Afterward, remove them from the pan, setting them aside.
2. With a metal spoon or similar cooking utensil, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and add your chopped garlic, sautéing the garlic until it’s fragrant. The process should take approximately 30 seconds.
3. While you’re sautéing the above ingredients, fill a large-sized pot with water and place it on a nearby burner. Sprinkle a ½ tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the water to keep the noodles from sticking. Bring this to a boil for approximately 8-13 minutes, removing the pasta once it’s “al dente” (tender, but firm).
4. Poor in your dry white wine to deglaze the pan with the garlic. Then, add in your heavy cream, parmesan, and leftover cajun seasoning until it all begins to thicken up a bit, usually about 3-5 minutes.
5. Once it’s a heftier thickness, toss your cooked pasta into the Alfredo sauce, getting the pasta covered. Then, add your shrimp, and combine it all.
6. Then you’re done! Plate your cajun shrimp fettuccine alfredo, and garnish each with chopped green onions. Enjoy!

Notes:

• Feel free to substitute the fettuccine pasta for a gluten-free alternative or another type of pasta, depending on your texture preference. Typically other types of long pasta such as spaghetti or vermicelli tend to work best at absorbing the sauce.
• Of course, the fresher your Parmigiano Reggiano (parmesan) and green onions are, the better. This is becausefreshly-grated parmesan cheese will melt more evenly and cleanly than a pre-shredded kind.
• Ensure that you are cooking your creamy pasta sauce over low heat while never letting it come to a boil. This is to prevent the ingredients or excess oils from separating.
• Each piece of shrimp should take no longer than 3-4 minutes to cook if using the uncooked kind from the store that has a greyish coloration.

All in all, this is a perfect dish to have at the ready for the upcoming warmer months, as it doesn’t require a lot of time spent over the hot stove, and it’s hearty enough for those with bigger, more-demanding appetites.

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