1 lb. shrimp
1 green pepper
1 yellow or white onion
12 white mushrooms
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
sunflower oil
butter
16 oz. linguini or fettuccine
3 oz. parmesan cheese (shredded or powdered)
Allow time to thaw the shrimp, if frozen. Saute shrimp in sunflower oil and butter. Let cool. Shell the shrimp, remove the legs, then set aside.
Chop up green pepper, onion, mushroom, and garlic. Get a clean pan, warm it to Med/High, add sunflower oil, then butter. Any high temperature oil can be substituted, the idea is to keep the butter from burning while cooking at high temps. Saute the green pepper, onions, and garlic. Add thyme, parsley, white pepper, red pepper, and garlic salt, then add the mushrooms. You should be getting red or brown sticky stuff on the bottom of the pan. If not, you should be using a bigger pan so the vegetables don’t get crowded and steam.
Bring the heat to Low and add enough cream to cover the bottom of the pan. The cream should bubble slightly, then not at all. Gradually add the parmesan cheese while scraping the brown stuff off the bottom of the pan. The sticky brown stuff is intensely flavorful. The sauce should start out thin, then slowly thicken. The Kraft parmesan doesn’t take long, the fancy shredded parmesan takes much longer, but it’s worth it. Be patient with alfredo sauce, the best ones are made slowly.
Cook the linguini just slightly short of done. Drain and let it get a little dry. When you add it to the alfredo sauce it will absorb some of the liquid, giving the pasta more flavor and softness, while thickening the sauce just a little bit. Add the shrimp with the pasta and simmer for a few minutes.
Serve it up after salad or with asparagus or brocolli, paired with Chianti or Pinot Grigio.
Bon appetito!
