Shrimp & Brussels Sprouts Alfredo

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I love good alfredo sauce dish. No, it’s not healthy but who cares? I never said this was a place for healthy food. Life is short – just do the heavy cream and move on. Alfredo sauce is not only delish, but it goes with almost everything. I use it on pizza, pasta, with a wide variety of proteins or veggies – it’s always yum. I feel like I can balance out the calories with green veggies, so tonight I tried brussels sprouts. My normal go-to with alfredo is broccoli or chopped asparagus but this time I tried brussels sprouts…and damn was it good.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb Raw deveined shrimp, tail on or off. Can be frozen or fresh (fresh of course best but frozen is honestly very good. Shrimp hold up well to freezing)
  • Alfredo sauce
  • 2 cups brussels sprouts, stems cut and sliced thin (about 1/4 inch thick rings)
  • Your choice of pasta
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp garlic
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup white wine (dryer wine, not sweet)
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley (Italian preferred)
  • salt
  • pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. If using frozen shrimp, must start this step at least 4 hours in advance. If you don’t want to do that…buy fresh shrimp. Put frozen shrimp on a plate (not paper plate) lined w/ paper towels to thaw. Do NOT run the frozen shrimp under hot or cold water to rush the thaw process. The shrimp must thaw slowly or they take on a rubbery texture and are terrible to eat. Not good.
  2. Once shrimp are thawed, remove paper towels that should be wet from the melted ice. Replace with fresh dry towels. Remove tails at this time if your shrimp had their lil’ tails still on
  3. Pat shrimp dry and lightly salt & pepper both sides of the shrimp
  4. Melt 2 tbsps of butter in a larger non-stick saute pan over medium heat
  5. Add garlic to pan – cook for 1 minute
  6. Add white wine to the pan and cook for 1 minute
  7. Add shrimp to pan and ensure they are laying flat, none on top of each other or crowded. There should be free space around each lil’ shrimp
  8. After 2-3 minutes, shrimp should be cooked on one side: pink and shrimp are tightening up into more of a ‘C’ shape.
  9. Turn shrimp over to cook other side
  10. After about 1 more minute, dump all ingredients of the pan onto a plate and spread shrimp out. Set plate to side.
  11. Lightly wipe pan with a paper towel and return pan to stove top – we’re coming back to this guy once pasta gets moving
  12. Heat large pot with salted water and bring to a boil
  13. Place your choice of pasta in the pot and begin to cook
  14. Melt other 2 tbsp of butter in the same sauté pan – this time over medium high heat
  15. Add olive oil
  16. Add shaved/chopped brussels sprouts to pan
  17. Sprinkle with a couple of small pinches of salt and pepper
  18. Cook in pan, moving sprouts about – until brussels sprouts are tender to a fork puncture but are not mushy – probably 5-8 min
  19. Remove pan from heat and place brussels sprouts onto a plate next to the cooked shrimp
  20. Check pasta for done-ness. If pasta is slightly al dente and soft to the bite, drain pasta and leave in colander. Place paper towel over pasta to ensure it keeps some heat.
  21. Make alfredo sauce – can make ahead but its better when its fresh and hot
  22. Return pasta to large pot
  23. Add cooked shrimp and brussels sprouts to the pot
  24. Add alfredo sauce to your liking of sauciness. The hot alfredo sauce will heat up the sprouts and shrimps
  25. Serve immediately in pasta bowls and top w/ chopped parsley

Pairs well with a dry white wine like a sauv blanc or a dryer pinot grigio. Good caesar salad and foccacia bread FTW. (CARBS!!!)

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