Ingredients
1 lb. fetuccine
3 tbsp. butter, divided
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. whole milk
1 egg yolk
1 c. freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
1 tbsp. Chopped parsley, for garnish
Preparation
Step 1Cook fettuccine according to the instructions on box, reserving a cup of pasta water to thicken the sauce, if needed.Step 2In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon butter until melted. Add shrimp, season with salt and pepper and cook until pink and completely opaque, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside.Step 3Into the pan, add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and garlic. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in flour and cook until no longer raw, 2 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and milk, then whisk in egg yolk. Bring to a low simmer and whisk in parmesan. When cheese is melted and sauce has thickened slightly, add cooked pasta and shrimp, tossing to combine. Season with salt and pepper.Step 4Garnish with more parmesan and parsley.
Overcooking the pasta. Nothing is worse than a bowl of mushy pasta. We’re going for al dente in this recipe—as in, it should still have some bite. This can be especially tricky when you’re adding cooked pasta back to a hot pan because it will continue to cook. We recommend tasting your pasta for doneness a 3 to 4 minutes before the box recommends. There should still be a bit of firmness in the center of your fettuccine. That means, given a little extra cooking time in the sauce, it’ll come out perfectly. Overcooking the shrimp. Never underestimate how fast shrimp can cook. Depending on their size and the heat of your pan they could cook in literally one minute, so keep an eye on them! As soon as they turn from gray and translucent to pink and opaque, they’re good to go! Set them aside on a plate and continue with the sauce. Just don’t ditch anything they’ve left behind in the pan! Those juices will add so much flavor to your final sauce. Using shell-on shrimp would provide even more flavor, but we don’t love to use our hands while eating pasta. If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, feel free to leave the shells on! Curdling the sauce. One of the secrets to making an extra creamy Alfredo sauce is the addition of an egg yolk. In order to incorporate that yolk without cooking it, you need to make the sauce in a specific order. After you’ve added your flour, add your cold milk and cream first, so that when you drop your yolk in, it won’t start cooking immediately. When you do drop your yolk in, whisk it into the sauce immediately to avoid clumping. If it still sounds risky to you, you can whisk together your heavy cream, milk, and yolk in a separate bowl and pour it into your pan as a homogenous mixture. Using pre-grated parm. This creamy sauce is totally dependent on the cheese. Most of the pre-grated parmesan cheeses sold at the grocery store are mixed with preservatives in order to prevent caking, and to keep the cheese dry. Unfortunately, this can lead to a less than favorable texture, and can make it more difficult for the cheese to melt. If you can, splurge for a real piece of Parmigiano Reggiano (or another hard cheese like Locatelli or Pecorino Romano). It’ll make your Alfredo sauce a bit more smooth and creamy. Made this? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!
