In this fettuccine recipe, there’s no cream or milk involved, not when it comes to Chef Jean-Paul’s own Momma K’s Shrimp Fettuccine. He uses pasta water, Parmesan cheese, and butter to make a creamy sauce with a lighter and tastier finish. This is old school Italian cooking with his signature Cajun twist.
Momma K’s Shrimp Fettuccine
Makes about 6 servings
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, divided
- ½ pound tasso, roughly chopped
- 1 cup diced white onion
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- ¾ cup finely chopped green onion, plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 16 ounces fettuccini noodles
- 2 pounds peeled and deveined large fresh shrimp
- 1 cup freshly finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Garnish: sliced green onion, shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
- In a large skillet, melt ½ cup butter over medium-high heat. Add tasso, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. Add white onion and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened. Add bell pepper, green onion, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper to taste, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente; you want the pasta a little more toothsome than you’d usually want to serve it because it will finish cooking with the shrimp.
- Add pasta, 2 to 3 cups pasta cooking water, and 2 tablespoons butter to tasso mixture, and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently; add more pasta cooking water, if needed, to get the sauce to your desired texture. Add shrimp and remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and cook, stirring occasionally, just until shrimp are pink and firm, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Top pasta mixture with grated cheese, and toss mixture well with tongs until a creamy sauce forms. Season to taste with pepper, and add more pasta water and cheese, if desired, and toss until desired texture forms. Add parsley, lemon juice, and green onion to taste. Toss and taste for seasoning. Serve immediately, and garnish with shredded cheese and green onion, if desired, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. To reheat, cook over medium-low heat until heated through.
Notes
Tip from Chef Jean-Paul
Ignore the cooking instructions on the back of the pasta box, because you’ll want this pasta cooked al dente. Once it reaches that good toothsome texture, or about ¾ of the way through cooking, the pasta gets finished with everything else.
Ignore the cooking instructions on the back of the pasta box, because you’ll want this pasta cooked al dente. Once it reaches that good toothsome texture, or about ¾ of the way through cooking, the pasta gets finished with everything else.
Watch this dish come together on our YouTube channel where a new episode of “Louisiana Cookin’ with Chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois” is uploaded every Thursday!
