Seared salt and pepper shrimp over thin spaghetti with a mushroom and garlic cream sauce sounds like a fancy dinner, but it's actually super easy!

45 Minutes or Less - Dinner - Food - Pasta - Seafood

Seared Shrimp Over Thin Spaghetti With a Mushroom and Garlic Cream Sauce

Name: Seared Salt and Pepper Shrimp over Thin Spaghetti with a Mushroom and Garlic Cream Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian American
Ingredients: 8-ounces dry thin spaghetti; 2 tablespoons table salt; 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced; 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup stick salted butter; 2 cups whole milk; 1 16-ounce bag jumbo frozen raw shrimp, thawed and peeled; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup pasta water; 1 Roma tomato, finely diced; 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

August 19, 2013 - By Liza Hawkins

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Last updated on March 8, 2021 by Liza Hawkins

Seared shrimp, seasoned with salt and pepper, over thin spaghetti with a mushroom and garlic cream sauce sounds like a fancy dinner, but it’s actually super easy!

This title might win in “the longest recipe title ever conceived by anyone anywhere” category. But, really, I’m not sure how else to explain this simple recipe I made a couple of months ago.

That’s exactly what’s pictured — except I should have also added and fresh tomato and basil to the title, if I were truly trying to be exact about things.

Because, you know, there’s fresh tomato and basil sprinkled right on top.

I originally posted an Instagram shot of this recipe on my Facebook page a few months ago. MONTHS.

After that, I had several requests for the recipe, to which I replied, “Don’t worry! I’ll be putting it up on the blog soon!”

Except that never happened, and the recipe has been in my head ever since.

Until now!

PS: Do yourself a favor and sear those shrimp in cast iron. It’s not required, but it’s oh-so-good!

PPS: Try your hand at making homemade Italian bread or French bread to go with it.

4 to 6

Seared Salt and Pepper Shrimp over Thin Spaghetti with a Mushroom and Garlic Cream Sauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

This shrimp pasta dish is perfect for a quick weeknight meal when you only have 30 minutes to get dinner on the table. Goes great with a crusty loaf of Italian bread!

Ingredients

8-ounces dry thin spaghetti
2 tablespoons table salt
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup stick salted butter
2 cups whole milk
1 16-ounce bag jumbo frozen raw shrimp, thawed and peeled
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pasta water
1 Roma tomato, finely diced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Instructions

For the pasta

Add the table salt to a large pot of water and set it to boil over high heat.
Boil the thin spaghetti in the pot of salted water; cook it until it's al dente, about 7 minutes. Reserve 1/4-cup pasta water. Drain the thin spaghetti and set it aside while you finish the sauce.

For the shrimp

Heat the olive oil in a deep 12" skillet over medium-high heat for 3 minutes.
Pat the shrimp dry and use half the sea salt and pepper to season one side of the shrimp.
Place the shrimp, seasoned side down, into the hot skillet. Season the other side with the remaining sea salt and pepper. Cook them for 3 minutes.
Flip the shrimp and continue cooking them for 2 more minutes. Remove the shrimp from the skillet, and set them aside.

For the sauce

Add the butter to the same skillet the shrimp were cooked in and reduce the heat to medium.
Add the mushrooms once the butter is melted and foamy, then sauté them until they start to get brown around the edges and soft. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Sprinkle the flour on top of the mushrooms. Use a wooden spoon to stir them for 1 minute. The mixture should look thick and kind of clumpy — this is normal.
Pour the milk into the skillet all at once and bring the sauce to a boil until it's thick and bubbly, continuing to stir every minute or so, scraping bits from the bottom of the pan.

To finish the dish

Add the thin spaghetti to the skillet, along with 1/4 cup of pasta water, and use tongs to toss the pasta until it's well coated with the sauce.
Add the shrimp back into the skillet and continue tossing the pasta for another minute.

Notes

Serve the pasta and shrimp with a sprinkle of fresh basil and finely diced tomato.

Seared Shrimp Over Thin Spaghetti With a Mushroom and Garlic Cream Sauce