Shrimp Alfredo

Rating: 5 of 5


Ingredients:
•    12 ounces penne pasta
•    1/4 cup butter
•    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•    1 onion, diced
•    2 cloves garlic, minced
•    1 red bell pepper, diced
•    1/2 pound mushrooms (your preference)
•    1 pound medium shrimp (or other meat)
•    1 (15 ounce) jar Alfredo sauce (or use recipe below)
•    1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
•    1/2 cup cream
•    1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
•    Salt and pepper to taste
•    1/4 cup chopped parsley
 
Directions:
1.    Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2.    Meanwhile, melt butter together with the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic, red pepper, and mushroom; cook over medium-high heat until soft, about 2 minutes more.
3.    Stir in the shrimp, and cook until firm and pink, then pour in Alfredo sauce, Romano cheese, and cream; bring to a simmer stirring constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir drained pasta into the sauce, and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.
 
Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients:
•    1/2 cup butter
•    1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (or neufchatel)
•    2 teaspoons garlic powder
•    2 cups milk
•    6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
•    1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
1.    Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan and pepper. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked too long.