Creamy Alfredo Shrimp Pasta

This recipe is incredibly simple and so quick and easy. It’s a great meal to have on deck when you don’t have a lot of energy to cook but still want something nutritious. Shrimp is so packed with so much protein! We try to include it in a dinner recipe every other week. I also love preparing extra and setting it aside to add into salads throughout the week. Try this one out and let me know how it goes!

INGREDIENTS:

Shrimp & Pasta

1-2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails removed if desired)

Salt and black pepper

12 oz linguine or spaghetti

1 tbsp olive oil

Cream Sauce

2 tbsp butter

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1½ cups whole milk or heavy cream

2 tsp cornstarch (if using milk)

¼ tsp salt

Pinch of black pepper

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Remove the shrimp tails if needed and pat the shrimp dry. Place them in a medium-sized mixing bowl and toss with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
3. While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook shrimp for only a few minutes, being sure to stir them/flip them after a minute or so. Transfer to a bowl.
4. In the same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. If using milk, whisk it with cornstarch first. Add milk mixture (or cream) to the pan and simmer for 1–2 minutes until slightly thickened.
5. Add salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Stir until smooth and melted.
6. Add pasta to the sauce and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the pasta. Return shrimp to the pan and gently mix them in with the noodles.
7. Option to garnish with parsley and additional Parmesan cheese for presentation.