“Pasta doesn’t make you fat. How much pasta you eat makes you fat.” ~ Giada De Laurentiis
When I am tired, I like comfort food. Easy to prepare, tasty and filling. I don’t want take-out or fast food. This dish fits the bill — shrimp, garlic, butter, parmesan, cream cheese all combined and poured over angel hair or fettuccine. The leftovers aren’t bad either if you chance to have any. What better dish to have on Mother’s Day?
A slice of French bread spread with baked garlic is a very satisfying accompaniment, or even a slice of sourdough to help mop up the creamy sauce . . . you don’t want to miss a bite!
Shrimp Scampi Alfredo
Ingredients
1# shrimp, peeled
Salt & Pepper
1 T. minced garlic
3 T. butter
1 t. smoked paprika
2 oz. cream cheese, cut into chunks
1/4 c. fresh grated parmesan
Prepared pasta
Fresh parsley, minced to garnish
Directions
Place peeled shrimp on plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat skillet on medium heat and add butter. When butter is melted, add minced garlic stirring until clear and aromatic. Add shrimp. Cook until starting to turn pink (3-4 minutes) and turn. Sprinkle with smoked paprika. Stir in chunks of cream cheese and turn heat to low. Stir until shrimp is cooked and cream cheese is melted. Sprinkle with fresh parmesan cheese, remove from heat and continue stirring until parmesan is melted. Ladle over bowls of prepared pasta. Sprinkle with a garnish of fresh parsley.
If running short on time, you may substitute 1/2-3/4 c. of prepared Alfredo sauce from the store. Not as tasty, but tolerable.
This is a menu item that serves well for a quick and easy meal but is tasty enough to impress friends. I’m a firm believer in spending more time with friends over dinner than in the kitchen, cooking or cleaning up.
Food brings people together and good food should be enjoyed and shared. So, get to cooking, and if you make this dish . . . please comment and let me know how it turned out for you and if you made any changes.
