Shrimp and Peas with Linguine in Cream Sauce
The delicate texture of fresh pasta is well-matched with a lightly creamy sauce and some crisp-tender shrimp and peas. A simple, quick, and very pretty pasta dish.
Servings: 6 People
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 2 pounds extra-large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled and lightly crushed)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 (9-ounce) packages fresh linguine
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- Chopped fresh parsley (or basil; to taste)
Instructions
- Bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a very large skillet over medium heat, and sauté the garlic for 3 or 4 minutes, just until it starts to lightly color. Remove the garlic cloves and toss them. Add the shrimp to the skillet and sauté for about 3 minutes until the shrimp have started to turn pink, then remove them with a slotted spoon to a plate and set aside.
- Add the tomato paste and white wine to the skillet and stir until the tomato paste has dissolved into the wine. Add the parsley, basil, peas, and cream, and bring to a simmer. Season with pepper. Return the partially cooked shrimp to the sauce and continue to simmer until the peas and shrimp have cooked through, about 2 minutes.
- While you are making the sauce, cook the pasta in the boiling water according to package directions, about 4 minutes. Remove 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and stir it into the sauce, then drain the pasta. Taste the sauce and see if it needs more salt or pepper.
- Return the pasta to the pot, pour over the sauce and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with additional parsley or basil if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
Variations
- You can use dried pasta instead of fresh, though the texture will be firmer and chewier.
- Try making this with prawns instead of shrimp. Larger prawns typically take a few more minutes to cook than shrimp so adjust the cook time accordingly.
- Try this recipe with scallops. You can use small bay scallops, which just need a quick sauté before they are set aside to rejoin the pasta and sauce later. Or, use big fat sea scallops would be a huge treat. Sear the scallops for about 3 minutes on each side, until just cooked through, and then just place them on top of the sauced pasta at the end. You could also top the pasta with grilled scallops.
- Add 1/4 cup of finely grated Parmesan cheese to the sauce.
- Toss 1 teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest into the pasta at the very end.
- Add some red pepper flakes.
Nutrition
Calories: 538kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 84mg | Potassium: 419mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1417IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 2mg