I recently found out that I am lactose intolerant, and for one who likes food in all its varieties, that was bad news. I noticed the tummy trouble I would experience after every little bowl of cereal, and I began to suspect it, I have finally come to terms with it. But, will that stop me from making or savouring a creamy and hearty dish of Shrimp Alfredo? Hell to the NO!
I will not let such deliciousness become a thing that exists only in my fantasies, the tummy will be fine…lol
Anyway, the first time I had Shrimp Alfredo was at a lovely Italian restaurant in downtown Chicago in 2016 on the eve of Thanksgiving, let’s just say I had not tasted any better pasta dish at the time, and no, no tummy trouble back then.
Since then, I have made different forms of pasta Alfredo every other month in my home, it has become a family favourite. While a lot of Alfredo dishes allow for a variety of protein additions, I decided to stick to seafood here, shrimp precisely.
You can also learn from this article on How to Make THE AUTHENTIC FILIPINO ADOBO (Chicken Adobo)
Shrimp Alfredo Penne Ingredients
What do you think is the most important part of an Alfredo dish? That’s right, it is the sauce! All in the sauce. Your base has to be rich, creamy, and made with quality ingredients.
Since this dish calls for Parmigiano or parmesan, it is pertinent that you use the real Parmigiano block and not the store-bought shredded ones, which means you should grate the cheese you will use by yourself.
I made the mistake of using the store-bought parmesan and my pasta ended up having a grainy consistency. Using the real thing goes a long way to ensuring you end up with an authentic Alfredo sauce.
Other ingredients that will be needed include:
Have you tried out our sweet Toogbei/Wet Ghanaian Bofrot/Puff Puff you should!
Pasta/Pasta Water: I used the penne pasta for today’s Alfredo, but I have also used so many other kinds in the past such as fettuccine, fusilli, macaroni etc.
After the initial boiling of the pasta until just about al dente, you must save some of the pasta water as it may be needed to loosen up the sauce if it is too thick. Using the pasta water is better than water because of its high starch content.
Chopped onions and garlic: Very few Italian dishes skip the use of the Twins, some people take it up a notch by roasting the garlic before adding it to the sauce. Whatever you do, please do not skip adding these.
Butter: You will need the unsalted kind of great-tasting butter you can find in your local store. The butter is the source of fat that will be used to saute the shrimp before adding cream and other ingredients.
Heavy Cream: Also referred to as whipping cream, this makes up 75% of the sauce. The brand I used is Sealtest’s Double Cream.
Spices: While I used specific spices and seasonings that aligned with my taste such as paprika, shrimp bouillon and black pepper, you are at liberty to go with your flow. This is why I love the world of food.
Spinach: I used just a handful to garnish my pasta, this is totally optional. It added a bit of colour and a light crunch.
Take time to also learn from this article on: How to Make South African Bobotie (Meat Loaf)
SHRIMP ALFREDO PENNE RECIPE
Shrimp Alfredo Penne Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pack of Penne pasta can use any other pasta
- 2 lbs of deveined shrimp
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 200 g of Parmigiano
- 1/2 stick of unsalted butter
- 1 red onion
- Garlic to your liking
- 1 scotch bonnet optional
- 1 Tbsp paprika
- 1 Tbsp black pepper
- Shrimp bouillon
- Salt to taste
- 15 cups of water for boiling pasta – Spinach (for garnish
- Freshly chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Boil the penne in salted water till al dente in texture, this should be done in about 5-10 minutes of continuous boiling . Drain and set aside, do NOT forget to save some of your pasta water.
- Chop up onion and garlic and set aside.
- In a large pan, melt half of the butter, go in with your shrimp, season with salt and black pepper and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Take out the shrimp and set aside.
- Add in the other half of the butter to the pan, toss in the onions and garlic, fry till fragrant.
- Add in chopped scotch bonnet.
- Season with bouillon, paprika, salt, black pepper, keep frying for 2 minutes.
- Add in the heavy cream and let it come to a soft boil.
- Grate parmigiano and it into the cream, stir on medium to low heat till it is melted and well combined, if too thick, add a bit of the pasta water till the consistency is just as you like it. Adjust seasoning at this point.
- Go in with the pasta, combine well and then add the shrimp. Cover and let cook for 5 minutes, garnish with the spinach.
- Sprinkle some freshly chopped parsley on it and serve hot.
