Shrimp Alfredo with a Foolproof Pan Cream Sauce

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Plump, just-cooked shrimp folded into a glossy Parmesan cream sauce built in the same pan. The trick is timing: the shrimp sear for two minutes and come out, the sauce reduces gently off high heat, and everything meets at the very end so nothing turns rubbery or grainy. Weeknight-fast, but it tastes like the $23 plate you'd order out.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb large shrimp (26/30), peeled and deveined, tails off
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

• 12 oz fettuccine
• 1 tbsp kosher salt, for the pasta water

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (about 1 1/2 packed cups)
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels — wet shrimp steam instead of sear. Toss in a bowl with 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and the garlic powder. Let sit at room temperature while you set up everything else.
2. Grate the Parmesan on the small holes of a box grater or in a food processor and let it come to room temperature. Finely grated, room-temp cheese melts smoothly; pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking starch and is the #1 cause of gritty Alfredo.
3. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil with 1 tbsp kosher salt. Add the fettuccine and cook 1 minute short of the package's al dente time. Before draining, reserve 2 cups of pasta water.
4. While the water heats, cook the shrimp: heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high for 2 minutes, then add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. When the butter foams, add the shrimp in a single layer, working in two batches if needed. Sear undisturbed 60–90 seconds until the underside is pink and lightly golden, flip, and cook 45–60 seconds more, until just opaque and curled into a loose C. Transfer to a plate immediately — they will finish cooking in the sauce.
5. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the pan cool for 30 seconds. Add 3 tbsp butter, the sliced garlic and the red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, 60–90 seconds until the garlic is fragrant and pale gold but not browned.
6. Pour in the wine (or broth) and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to lift the shrimp fond. Simmer 1 minute until reduced by about half.
7. Add the heavy cream and the nutmeg. Bring to a bare simmer — small bubbles at the edges only, never a rolling boil — and cook 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until the cream lightly coats the back of a spoon.
8. Pull the skillet completely off the heat and wait 30 seconds. Add the Parmesan in three additions, whisking each one until fully melted before adding the next. Off-heat is the whole trick: boiling cheese sauce is what makes the fat separate and turn oily.
9. Return the skillet to low heat. Add the drained pasta plus 1/2 cup pasta water and toss with tongs for 1–2 minutes until the noodles are coated and the sauce clings. Loosen with more pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time, until it flows like heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper.
10. Kill the heat. Fold in the shrimp along with any juices from the plate, the parsley, lemon zest and lemon juice. Toss gently for 30 seconds — just long enough to warm the shrimp through. Serve immediately in warmed bowls with extra Parmesan and cracked pepper.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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