Seafood & Fish

crowdsource Community Insights

This comes together fast, and people who made it found three simple things that change how it turns out. First, people who cleaned the shrimp (removed veins and peel) avoided getting the seasoning stuck to the peel instead of the meat. Second, people who grated a hard cheese like Locatelli right before using it found it incorporated smoothly; those who used pre-shredded Parmesan had it clump. Finally, some cooks stirred a bit of butter into the sauce at the end for a silkier, richer finish.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Crowd Pleaser: A reliable choice when you're cooking for a group.
• Family Favorite: Home cooks regularly mention their whole family loving this one.
• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• 3/4 lb (340g) fettuccine noodles
• Water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 lb (454g) shrimp, patted dry
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 medium onion onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 2 cup cream
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
• Fresh parsley

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Cook 3/4 pound fettuccine noodles in salted water according to the package instructions until al dente; drain but do not rinse.
2. While the pasta cooks, pat dry 1 pound shrimp with paper towels and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; stir to combine.
3. Place a large pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. Once the oil is hot, add the shrimp in a single layer and cook about 2 minutes per side or just until cooked through. Remove shrimp from the pan to avoid overcooking.
4. Chop 1/2 of a medium onion.
5. In the same hot skillet, add 2 tablespoons butter and the chopped onion and sautu00e9 about 5 minutes or until soft and golden.
6. Add 1 minced garlic clove and stir for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
7. Add 1/3 cup white wine (Chardonnay) and cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated.
8. Add 2 cups cream, bring the cream to a simmer, and cook another 2 minutes.
9. Sprinkle 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese over the sauce and stir until the cheese melts and the Alfredo sauce is smooth and comes just to a light simmer; do not boil. Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
10. Add the cooked pasta and shrimp and stir until the noodles are well coated in the Alfredo sauce, then add fresh parsley.

crowdsource Community Insights

Most people who made this found skipping heavy cream and relying on just butter and Parmigiano gives the creamiest, most reliable sauce. What trips people up is the cheese: adding it while the pan is still hot often makes the sauce break. People who took the pan off the heat, stirred the butter and cheese together, then loosened the mixture with a little starchy pasta water, added a splash at a time, had the best results, adding the water too early caused trouble. If you want a small variation, some cooks liked a tiny pinch of nutmeg, but it's totally optional.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• Fettuccine, dried (or fresh fettuccine)
• 2 stick butter
• Heavy cream
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 3/4 cup Pecorino Romano, grated
• Garlic powder (or fresh garlic)
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, fresh cracked
• Basil leaves, fresh leaves
• 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
• Grilled chicken, leftover
• Shrimp, sautéed

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Grate the Parmesan cheese.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it heavily ("like the ocean"), and start cooking the dried fettuccine; break the fettuccine if desired.
3. Before draining the pasta, remove and reserve about 1/2 cup of the hot pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
4. While the pasta cooks, heat the heavy cream in a saucepan, then add 2 sticks of butter and stir constantly until the butter melts into the cream.
5. Bring the cream-and-butter mixture up to a simmer and cook until it reduces slightly, thickens a little, and coats the back of a spoon.
6. Add a pinch of garlic powder to the cream mixture (or use fresh garlic steeped in the cream and removed before tossing, as an alternative).
7. Once the sauce has slightly thickened, stir in about 1/2 cup grated Parmesan and about 3/4 cup Pecorino Romano; allow the cheese to melt and further thicken the sauce.
8. Add just a pinch of salt, reserving pepper for the top.
9. Add the drained fettuccine to the sauce and toss to coat; if the sauce becomes too thick or was made ahead, loosen it with some reserved hot pasta water as needed.
10. Plate the pasta and top with additional grated Parmesan, fresh cracked black pepper, and a few basil leaves.
11. Optionally, while the pasta and sauce are hot, toss in leftover grilled chicken or sautéed shrimp with a little reserved pasta water to combine and heat through.