Saturday, February 19, 2011

Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce and Bibb Salad with Parmesan Butter Crostini


Today in the Stirring the Pot kitchen we have yet another shrimp dish.  In the past few weeks I've made garlicky shrimp, shrimp fried rice, and now Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce.  I've enjoyed all the shrimp dishes that I've made thus far, but this one is probably the most impressive and certainly has a restaurant-quality feel to it.  I can see making this meal for a dinner party, as a romantic meal for two, or even just for me and my girlfriends.  
 Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce
Adapted from Giada's Kitchen
Serves 4-6

1 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup olive oil (I used 1/8 cup)
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup bottled clam juice
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes.  Drain the pasta and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the shrimp, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through, about 3 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.

Add the tomatoes, 1/4 cup of the basil, 1/4 cup of the parsley, and the red pepper flakes to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add the wine and simmer for another 2 minutes.  Add the clam juice and cream.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the cooked shrimp, the drained pasta, and the remaining basil and parsley.  Toss together until all the ingredients are coated with the sauce.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl.  Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve immediately.
Notes/Results:  Delicious!  I think the key to this recipe is adding a little extra garlic and possibly a little extra red pepper flakes (especially if you like it hot).  I think this is a very quick and impressive meal. 

I also made Giada's Bibb Salad with Parmesan Butter Crostini.  The salad is great and all, but it's the Parmesan Butter Crostini that steal the show.  Giada combines half a stick of butter with 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  When the crostini come out of the oven, they are coated with the butter mixture.  The butter soaks into the bread and the Parmesan cheese melts onto the surface of the bread.  Those Parmesan Butter Crostini are the stuff dreams are made of.  I have made them at least four times already.  They are great to serve alongside a meal such as this Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce, or any other meal for that matter.

Now Cooking the Recipes of Giada De Laurentiis

22 comments:

  1. Looks absolutely delicious! Blessings, CAtherine

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  2. The pasta is right up my alley and I love Giada's parmesan butter. I was in Borders over the weekend, but couldn't bring myself to spend $32 on any of her cookbooks. I know they'll be much less at Amazon. Which book do you have?

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  3. Now...if only all the shrimp lovers in my family weren't lactose-intolerant! What a beautiful dish.

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  4. I like the combination of flavors in this pasta sauce. The clam juice goes a long way to add that wonderful seafood flavor. I love garlic and always think that dishes taste better with more garlic than the recipe calls for.

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  5. I almost picked this one! When you made the fried rice, you made me want shrimp! Good to know this recipe is a keeper b/c it's on my list.

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  6. parmesan butter crostini? YES PLEASE!

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  7. I seem to be on a shrimp kick too. In recent months I seem to have discovered the virtue of always keeping a couple of bags of frozen shrimp in my freezer and some good meals have emerged. Definitely going to try this one though - looks wonderful, and I'm all over those crostini. I'm pretty sure I can't get clam juice anywhere here though - would fish stock make a good substitute?
    Sue

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  8. Can't wait until the Fish Shop opens on Tuesday - I'll be in first thing for a large bag of prawns(shrimp)!!

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  9. I really enjoy all of your posts including shrimp--seafood is definitely one of my favorites :-)

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  10. Oh my goodness. Kim, this looks down right delicious.

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  11. SO yummy! going down your list of ingredients, i can practically taste this. love the shrimp recipes, they're so good! the salad and crostini look amazing too.

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  12. I'm a bit squeamish about the clam juice but I think this sounds outstanding. Actually I read somewhere that if you buy good quality clam juice (which I never have) it's not even comparable to the odd taste of cheap. Can't wait to give this a try.

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  13. Mm, what a great meal! I am with you, always double the garlic and chilies. Delicious!

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  14. You've gone shrimp crazy, girl! Can't go wrong with it though...low cal and delish. Nice pick for Giada's pasta week,

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  15. I want what you're having now. Love using clam juice in seafood recipes and welcome the bit of decadence with the cream. There's a blizzard outside right now and rich and filling foods rule the day.

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  16. YUM!! I'm having an Italian Fest over at Seaside Simplicity, hope you'll stop by and link this up along with any other Italian treats you might have in the archives! :-)

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  17. You selected another delicious Giada recipe . . . I think this was a great chef choice for you, Kim! I love the salad crostinis the best!

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  18. This shrimp dish looks incredible Kim! I don't think it has one ingredient I don't love. Love the addition of clam juice for additional sea food flavor and I think you are right on with this being restaurant quality!

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  19. The pasta sounds rich, creamy and so delicious Kim! Restaurant quality for sure. The crostini must of been wonderful alongside it! How many girlfriends can you fit at your table - hope there's room for me!

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  20. Another drool-worthy pasta dish on Stirring the Pot! That Parmesan Butter Crostini looks pretty fab too....

    Where do you buy your shrimp? Since you've been using so much I just wondered if it was a craving or if you found a great sale and stocked up. : )

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  21. Both the shrimp pasta and the salad with those wonderful crostini look truly amazing. Great picks. ;-)

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