Long before I met Mark and we started trying new recipes, whenever I got a hankering for Alfredo sauce with shrimp (or chicken), I’d buy a jar from my local grocery store and call it good.
However, when we tried this recipe years ago, we have never, ever bought store-bought Alfredo sauce again. This recipe is that good — no, not just “good”, but decadent and delicious. I guarantee you that you’ll do the same thing.
We use the sauce with chicken or shrimp, and sometimes we cook the dish with sun-dried tomatoes or fresh spinach, just depending our mood and on what we have on hand. (This is why the photos in this post are a tad different.)
Go on, give it a try. It really is super simple and it’s 100 times better than anything you’ll buy in a grocery store.
CAJUN-SPICED SHRIMP ALFREDO
1 – 1 1/2 pound medium shrimp, shelled, deveined, and patted dry
Cajun spice of your choosing
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced or store-bought minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup roughly marinated sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped (optional)
2 cups fresh spinach (optional)
16 ounces pasta of your choice (fettucine, bow-tie, penne, etc)
3/4 cup grated parmesan
salt and black pepper to taste
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta according to the package directions.
2. Dredge the shrimp in the Cajun spice.
3. Add half the olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the shrimp and cook it for about 2 minutes until almost done.
4. Remove the shrimp to a plate.
5. Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet and cook the minced garlic until lightly brown, about 2 minutes.
6. Stir in the wine and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced by half.
7. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, fresh spinach, and shrimp and cook for just a few more minutes.
8. Add 1/2 cup parmesan cheese to the sauce.
9. Drain the pasta and toss it with the creamy shrimp sauce.
10. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan on top of the dish.
Serve with a salad and bread.
P.S. My recipe is a modified version of this one.
Save
When you say “Cajun Spice”, what is it that I’m looking for in the grocery store? For example, is it in the dry spice-in-a-jar section? Or, is it a liquid, like where I might find wet condiments, like A-1 Sauce? If you could, give me the brand name of yours, and I can find it or something similar at my grocery store. This recipe sounds great. We end up making the same old things week after week, so we have been making a few changes!
Fonda, I looked through our spice drawer and saw that we have “Slap Ya Mama cajun spice” on hand, but honestly we buy any cajun spice that looks good and is on sale. Please do let me know if you do try it and if you like it.
This looks and sounds wonderful. I believe I’ll be making this dish this week. How is your job going?
Thanks for the recipe
That’s awesome, Sally! I hope you and your family like it. My job at SFA is going really well!