Cajun Shrimp with Linguine and Creamy Parmesan Sauce

This would be the perfect dish for Valentine’s Day Dinner.  On special days like Valentine’s Day, it’s ok to splurge.  We splurged before Valentine’s this year.  Who knows, maybe we will splurge again by then too….because this stuff is amazingly delicious!

A little while ago my friend Claudia of What’s Cookin’ Italian Style posted a recipe for Chicken with Bowtie Pasta and Creamy Parmesan Sauce.  As soon as I saw it I knew I would try her recipe.  Who better to give me a delicious recipe like this than an Italian herself?  ;o)  Often times when we eat out the one thing Grumpy will order is a shrimp dish with an alfredo type sauce.  It seems to be his very favorite thing to eat out.  Maybe because out of all the shrimp and pasta dishes I have made, I seem to never make a dish like this and it seems to be what he craves!

Needless to say, when the craving for this type of dish hits again, it will be much easier to just stay home and make it – and much cheaper!  Thanks Claudia for such an awesome website and for such awesome recipes that you share with us!

Cajun Shrimp with Linguini and Creamy Pasta Sauce
Recipe adapted from What’s Cookin’ Italian Style-Chicken with Bow Tie Pasta and Creamy Parmesan Sauce – you can view her original recipe on her site.

For the Shrimp:
1 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on (just to irritate Grumpy, he he)
1 tablespon Mccormick Cajun Seasoning
1 tablespoon butter

Toss shrimp with cajun seasoning.  Cook shrimp in hot skillet with butter until no longer pink (be careful to not overcook or it will be tough).  Remove from skillet and set aside.

Linguine – we use Bertolli fresh linguini.  It is our very favorite and I use it for every pasta dish that I want linguini for!  Cook the package according to directions.  Once cooked toss with 1 tablespoon butter and a few tablespoons of freshly shredded parmesan.

Cream Sauce: (I omitted the garlic, salt and pepper because of the cajun seasoning in the shrimp and I did reduce the butter to 1 tablespoon.)

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Bring to a boil chicken broth and butter.  Add heavy cream and simmer until thickened.  Add parmesan cheese and stir until melted.

Serve sauce over top of linguini and shrimp.  You can sprinkle with parsley, but since I only had cilantro I went with that.  Cilantro is my very favorite anyway so to me, this just made the dish even more awesome!