Creamy Shrimp Linguine

This creamy pasta comes together in less than 30 minutes. It without fail always satisfies my craving for pure comfort food. You can make this exact dish with chicken instead of shrimp or keep it vegetarian.

I highly recommend using fresh pasta instead of dry pasta for this recipe. You can find fresh pasta in the fridge section of your grocery store and sometimes even in freezer aisles. Fresh pasta only needs to boil for 3 - 4 minutes and in my opinion is far superior than dried pasta.

If you are using frozen shrimp, make sure they are raw. Defrost by letting them sit under running cold water until they thaw (about 4-6 minutes). Pat dry the shrimp completely with paper towels before seasoning them.

Ingredients

1 package of fresh linguine pasta (9 ounce)

20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 crushed garlic cloves (1 teaspoon)

1/2 teaspoon minced jalapeno

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 jar of marinara tomato sauce (24 ounce)

3/4 cup heavy cream or half and half

1 1/2 cups finely grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves

Instructions

1. Prep shrimp marinade in a bowl: combine olive oil, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, crushed garlic, minced jalapeno, salt and pepper. Toss cleaned and tried shrimp in marinade and let it sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, prep a large pot with water and bring to a boil.

2. In a wide hot pan, sear shrimp for 2 minutes on each side or until they are bright orange. Flip and sear on the other side then set aside in a clean bowl until ready to use.

3. Pour marinara sauce into the same pans with the shrimp drippings and bring to a simmer.

4. Season pasta water generously with salt then drop in the fresh linguine. It should only need 3 to 4 minutes to cook el dente. Follow your box's instructions if using dry pasta.

5. Stir in cream and parmesan into the tomato sauce. Add cooked shrimp and any drippings back into the sauce.

6. Transfer cooked pasta into the tomato sauce and toss thoroughly.

7. Remove pasta from heat, then add fresh basil.

8. Garnish with extra parmesan if desired and serve immediately.