Emeril's Shrimp and Pasta in a Spicy Tomato-Chili Cream Sauce

sofie-a-toast's Note:

OMG! I got this recipe through a recipe exchange with a friend and it is SO good! It does have quiet a few steps and ingredients but it is definitely worth it. Great to make to impress a date :) or for a dinner party!

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1 lb linguine
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tablespoons creole seasoning
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup jalapeno, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup diced tomato
• 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water
• 1 cup monterey jack pepper cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons basil leaves, chopped

Directions:

1. Set a large 1-gallon stock pot of water to a boil and add the kosher salt. Place the linguine in the pot and stir the pot until the water returns to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender, but with a bit of resistance (al dente), about 12 minutes. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.
2. While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Set a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil to the pan. Once the butter has melted, season the shrimp with 1 tablespoon of the creole seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and add the shrimp to the pan. Sear the shrimp until well browned on both sides, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the onions and jalapenos to the pan and saute until the onions are softened and lightly caramelized, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cream, remaining 1 tablespoon of creole seasoning, remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons of the salt and the pepper to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook the sauce until the cream is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
4. Return the shrimp to the pan, and add the tomatoes, linguine and the reserved cooking water to the pan and cook, tossing to incorporate for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and add the Pepper Jack, Parmesan and basil and toss to blend. Serve immediately.

Reviews

[Sydney Mike]

First off for the 2 of us I cut the recipe in half, & then I used just 1 1/2 teaspoons of the creole seasoning & 1 tablespoon of the jalapeno, & that was enough heat for us (well, at least for me it was)! Still we both enjoyed this very satisfying pasta dish! Thanks for sharing the recipe! [Made & reviewed in I Recommend recipe tag]

[KateL]

OMG! Normally I do not cook or eat cream sauces, but I wanted to experience this. This was a quintessinal New Orleans dish, spicy and rich. In Weight Watchers' parlance, I would organize my entire week around this dish, it was that good! It was very spicy, even though the cream offset it somewhat, but I would expect that from an Emeril recipe, wouldn't you? I used Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning, so I would omit the stand-alone salt when I make this again. This is a very filling dish, so do not oversize portions when serving. Made for Summer Photo Tag.

[thellesto]

Not too difficult, very tasty, but also very spicy! Next time I would halve the amount of Creole spice, and it would be perfect. I used Emeril's recipe for Creole spice if you want to google it.