Creamy Shrimp Pasta Recipe

It takes about 30 minutes to receive your order of Creamy Shrimp Pasta from your local diner, just about the same time to prep it yourself. Generally, eating seafood has a lot of benefits, particularly, it contains Omega-3 fatty acids, which has a positive influence on the human body.

But there’s a big difference. You can customize the dish according to your family’s wishes or yours; add some mushrooms for added taste, squid or clams to make it more seafoody, more shrimps if it’s the family’s favorite, and more Parmesan cheese according to your heart’s desire.

What are the Ingredients?

• 1 lb. large raw shrimp peeled, deveined, and tails removed
• 2 or more ounces (56 grams) unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoon minced garlic
• ½ onion (medium), finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste (optional)
• ½ cup(120ml) heavy cream
• ½ cup(120ml) milk
• ½ cup(120ml) chicken stock
• Juice of 1/2 lemon or more to taste
• 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
• ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 8-ounce fettuccine or linguine pasta

How to prepare?

1. Add 8-ounce pasta to a pot of boiling water with t tbsp. salt and cook according to package instructions or until al dente.
2. While pasta is cooking prepare the shrimp. Season the shrimp with salt, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika.
3. In a skillet heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter. Sauté for about 3 -5 minutes, until lightly cooked. Set aside.
4. Using the same skillet, add butter, followed by garlic, then add thyme, oregano. Stir for about a minute or until fragrant.
5. Add tomato paste; give it another stir, followed by cream, milk, lemon juice and chicken broth.
6. Bring it to a boil, then simmer for about 5-7 minutes.
7. Add shrimp and parsley. Stir until combined. Add cheese if using cheese. Stir for about a minute, adjust salt and pepper to suit taste bud. Add more chicken broth if needed.
8. Add pasta to the pan, stir.
9. Turn off heat and let pasta soak up some of the sauce.
10. Serve and Enjoy.

Wine Pairings

Creamy shrimp pasta may seem fancy yet it’s easy to prepare and not pricey. With shrimp as the main ingredient the dish resembles Italian recipes. And an Italian meal won’t be complete without delicious, acidity driven white wines.

With the zest of lemon that balances the buttery richness of the dish, a pleasant, fruity white wine will complete the meal. Appraise the citrusy flavors of Muscadet or a perfectly lovely Etna Bianco to strike the right balance. A nice Chablis with its saline and fresh notes is a great option. Other crispy dry whites are Frascati, Verdicchio, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, or Picpoul de Pinet.

How to Check Freshness of Shrimp?

Shrimp is highly perishable; you should know how to pick fresh shrimp. This can make or break your shrimp pasta dish, stale shrimp will leave an aftertaste or a hateful odor.

Catch the freshest shrimp at your local fish market, you can see lively ones either fresh from the ocean or from the tank. There are those that are stiff, although they’re dead they can still be fresh. Don’t buy if you notice these red flags:

• Take a sniff before buying, a smell of ammonia is a sign that it’s spoiled.
• Signs of decay are sagging, slimy, or falling apart.
• Absence of black spots on the head and body. This does not mean that the shrimp is bad, it can be fresher with the presence of black spots.

Shrimps at the supermarket or from your fishmonger were deep frozen at sea before delivery. Those you see at the counter labeled fresh were thawed, there’s no way of knowing how long they’ve been melted before going on display. It’s best to buy frozen shrimp and defrost them yourself, you’ll have more control over the process.

Eat well, Stay Healthy

The savory taste of shrimp can stand alone in your creamy pasta. But when you mix it with squid, or oysters, or clams, or all of them, you’re in for a delightful treat.

Aside from gratifying your palate, you are rewarded with the health benefits of seafood. As you enjoy the food, your health condition improves from the therapeutic properties of seafood.

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are omega-3 fatty acids found in seafood. These fatty acids lower blood pressure and heart rate and improve cardiovascular function. Consuming two servings of seafood per week provides 250 mg. of EPA and DHA reduces the risk of cardiac attacks.