So the temperature finally dropped into the absolutely friggid 80s recently (crazy, right?) and it oddly put me in the mood for something heavy and hearty. One of my favorite cold-weather pasta dishes is a super rich alfredo, so I figured why not? Although it was in the "frigid" 80s, I still didn't feel like spending too much time in the kitchen, so instead of making in from scratch, I used a jarred alfredo sauce as a base. I know, sacrilegious! Whatever. It was easy. Here's what you'll need:
- 8 ounces linguine pasta
- 1 tablespoon cup butter
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 pound portobello mushrooms, diced
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 (8 ounces) jar Alfredo sauce (I used Bertolli)
- 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
Begin by bringing a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook per package directions, until al dente.
Meanwhile, melt the butter together with the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Next, stir in the garlic, red pepper and mushroom and cook over medium-high heat until soft, about another 2 minutes.
Stir in the shrimp, and cook until firm and pink, then pour in the alfredo sauce and Romano cheese and bring to a simmer stirring constantly until thickened, about 2 more minutes. Season with cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir drained pasta into the sauce, and serve. Simple and delicious, even with jarred sauce.
Bon chappétit!
