Linguine with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce

Make this tonight.

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Or, tomorrow night, as I realize I’m a little late for you east coasters. But….just make it. Trust me on this one.
Here’s what you need for success:
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Plus basil and olive oil! We can’t forget those, can we?
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First things first, fill a large pot with water.
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While that’s getting ready to boil, mince your garlic:
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And chiffonade your basil. To do this, simply roll the basil leaf up into a tight wrap. I can imagine this is how one would roll a cigarette, but I really have no idea.
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Once it’s wrapped, just slice it up to get thin little ribbons.
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Perfect!
By this time, your water should be boiling, so add some salt and your pasta. I heard once that the proper portion size for pasta is equivalent to the size of a quarter…. and don’t tell me otherwise or else my whole life would be a lie.
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Let the pasta cook and then drain, reserving about half a cup of the cooking water.
Now, set all that business aside and heat up a cast iron till it’s screamin’ hot. Once it is, add about a tablespoon of oil and then quickly add the raw shrimp. And MOVE BACK—you don’t want oil in your eye. I know this from experience. Well actually I personally don’t, but there was this one time in high school when my friend Kathleen got oil in her eye and it wasn’t pretty.
We laugh about it now.
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Because your pan is so hot, the shrimp will cook really fast. And by really fast, I mean about fifteen seconds. Right when they start to curl up they’re done. Now, quickly add that garlic and cook for about ten more seconds. TEN SECONDS!!!
Turn the heat to the lowest possible setting and add half a cup of the diced tomatoes plus one tablespoon of cream.
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Friends, meet heavy whipping cream. It’s not to fear, it’s to love. It equals love. It brings love in all it goes into. Add it and love it.
Add the cooked pasta back into the pan with the shrimp and toss it all together, adding the reserved cooking water if things start to look dry:
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Add a bit of dried pepper flakes, another sprinkle of salt and some pepper for good measure.
Now plate this baby up and sprinkle your ever so delicately chiffonaded basil on top—
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But wait! I almost forgot the most important ingredient of the whole thing. Without this simple ingredient the entire dish, and your life, will be ruined.
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Parmesan cheese. Here’s the secret: DO NOT BUY THE STUFF IN THE CONTAINER. IT WILL RUIN YOUR LIFE. If you ever take to heart anything I say (the verdict is out if you actually should but that’s another post for another time), buy the real thing and grate it yourself.
I use my favorite tool ever to produce only the sexiest whispers of cheese ever grated by two hands
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I can’t tell you how many times my microplane has saved my life. It’s remarkable, really.
***
Here’s the full recipe. I made it to serve one, but you could easy double or triple it to your heart’s content.
Linguine with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce

serves 1

4 ounces shrimp (I just eyeball this)
1/2 cup canned tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp heavy whipping cream
1 large basil leaf, chiffonaded
1 tbsp olive oil
enough dry pasta for yourself (see above for my take on that)
pinch of red pepper flakes
pinch of sea salt and pepper
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water. Drain and set aside, reserving about a half cup of the cooking water. Heat a cast iron skillet to high heat, adding the oil once the pan is hot. Quickly add the shrimp and cook for about fifteen to twenty seconds, just till the tails start to curl upwards. Immediately add the garlic and saute for about ten more seconds. Now, add the diced tomatoes and heavy cream and stir everything together. Add back the cooked pasta to the pan and add a little of the reserved cooking water to combat dryness. Sprinkle with sea salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.
Serve with basil and Parmesan cheese.
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2 Comments

  • Reply
    Lesson #17: How to Be (Or Have) a Cheap Date
    August 26, 2010 at 1:39 pm

    […] is how we do it: This recipe was inspired by the Eat, Live, Run pasta with shrimp, but Eric isn’t crazy about shrimp. I wasn’t sure what to do instead, but when I saw […]

  • Reply
    April Knight
    January 5, 2020 at 8:57 am

    Yammy!!)) I want try!!)
    My favourite recipe – Baked potato with amazing Vegan Ranch Sauce https://greenann.com/recipe/vegan-ranch-dressing/
    Try!)

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