Creamy Prawn Linguine

I love a good sauce. A good sauce is something that once you know how to make it well, you can get creative and use it in so many different things. Enter creamy Alfredo sauce. It's my go to for making this dreamy prawn fettuccine but it also works perfectly for macaroni and cheese, for slathering broccoli or cauliflower, and so many other things. 

You can substitute the dairy with other options (vegan butter, non dairy milk) if you need to, the steps for the sauce will be the same. I will say you need to use regular flour to get the best thickness from the roux (cooking the flour in the butter - this takes away the 'floury' taste and gives the creamy, thickness to the sauce).

I love this prawn fettuccine for a Saturday night dinner with friends, Christmas or New Years eve, or sometimes just a regular Wednesday night....because everyday should be a celebration, right?! 

Prawn Fettuccine  

• 12 ounces fettuccine
• 1 pound large prawns, peeled and deveined, tails removed
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup milk 
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 pinches freshly grated nutmeg
• zest of half a lemon
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for finishing

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt generously. Add the pasta, until al dente, tender but still slightly firm. Reserved about a cup of pasta water then strain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, arrange the shrimp in a single layer on a large pie pan or paper plate, and pat them with a paper towel until completely dry. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add 1 tablespoon of the butter. When the butter melts, raise the heat to medium-high, Add the prawns to the pan. Cook without moving them, until the underside is pink, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the shrimp, and cook until fully pink and cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Add the garlic in the last 30 second of cooking then transfer the prawns to a bowl.
4. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. When the butter has mostly melted, whisk in the flour. Cook until thick and bubbling, about 3 minutes stirring often. Add the white wine whisking constantly. until smooth. Add the cream, lemon zest and nutmeg and bring to a simmer, then cook for 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Lower the heat to keep the sauce warm.
5. Whisk the Parmigiano-Reggiano into the sauce. Add the prawns. parsley and cooked pasta, and toss well. Add some of the pasta water if the sauce is too thick Season with salt and pepper. Serve with more parmesan and fresh ground pepper.