What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food is Art: Ah-mazing Shrimp Parmesan Pasta! How did someone come up with the idea of coating shrimp in creamy cheese sauce, you wonder. My guess is because it might appear crude to slurp the sauce with a straw. Just kidding. The cheese actually provides a huge boost of umami (which translates to savory) while the sea salt provides a balance of naturally sweet and succulent shrimp. All these flavors trigger the taste receptors in your tongue, making them linger long enough to smack your lips. Time to grab your diving gear and dig in. 

AH-MAZING PARMESAN SHRIMP PASTA

Ingredients for Pasta:

1 tablespoon sea salt

12 ounces pasta

Ingredients for Shrimp:

1 tablespoon olive oil 

15-ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined 

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

Ingredients for the Sauce: 

2 tablespoons butter

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 1/4 cups Parmesan cheese, grated

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

Instructions: 

Bring a large pan of water to boil. Add sea salt. Cook the pasta for one minute less than the package directions. Once cooked, reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking liquid. Then drain the pasta. Set aside. 

While the pasta is cooking, warm the olive oil in a heavy-based skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the shrimp with sea salt and black pepper; transfer shrimp to the skillet. Stir the shrimp for two minutes until almost cooked. Transfer to a plate. Set aside. Melt the butter in the same skillet. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Pour the white wine into the skillet and bring to a simmer. Cook for two minutes, then add the broth and simmer for two minutes longer. Add the heavy cream. Slowly add the grated parmesan cheese. Stir until the parmesan has melted, then let the sauce simmer for 1 1/2 minutes until it thickens slightly. Add the drained pasta to the sauce along with 1/2 cup of the reserved water. Stir the pasta gently until it is coated in the cheese sauce. Add the cooked shrimp and cook for one minute, tossing gently. If the sauce becomes too thick, add more pasta water until you get a creamy consistency. Add lemon juice, parsley, and black pepper. Serve immediately.