Make This Creamy Parmesan Shrimp for Dinner Tonight
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Shrimp are the dinner MVP. You can put shrimp in anything, and they’ll be delicious. Heck, if you add shrimp to anything, chances are good that thing will instantly become at least 30 percent more delicious. (You’re on your own if you try it with dessert, though.) In this recipe, they swim in a creamy spinach sauce full of garlic and Parmesan that’s perfect for company, or for a casual weeknight dinner. And they cook so quickly, you can have this on the table in no time.
Start with peeled, deveined shrimp. I like to take the tails off too, because I hate fussing with the tails once the shrimp are cooked and covered in sauce. But you can leave the tails on if you like them better that way.
A little seasoning goes a long way with shrimp and lets their flavor shine through without overpowering it, so sprinkle the shrimp lightly with salt, pepper, and dried basil before cooking them. Heat some butter in a pan and lay the shrimp down in a single layer and let them cook without stirring them until the bottoms turn pink.
Keep your eye on the pan, because shrimp turn rubbery and flavorless when overcooked. You can’t walk away from the stove while shrimp are cooking, but on the plus side, they cook so quickly they’ll likely be finished before you could get to the fridge and back. Once you see the bottoms of the shrimp are slightly pink, flip the shrimp over and do the same to the other side. When they’re pink an opaque on both sides, take them out of the pan and set them aside while you make the sauce.
The sauce cooks almost as quickly as the shrimp. Start by cooking some chopped garlic in the pan with the butter and the little browned bits left behind from the shrimp. When the garlic is fragrant, add chicken broth and scrape the browned butter, garlic, and shrimp juices from the bottom of the pan so they mix in with the broth, then add some spinach.
Finish up the sauce by adding heavy cream, and a bit of cornstarch to thicken the sauce. Keep stirring while you bring it to a simmer, and all that’s left is to mix in some Parmesan cheese and toss the shrimp back into the pot. Give them a good stir and serve them on a bed of pasta, or toss the pasta right in the pan and mix them all together and eat it right away.
Get the recipe: Creamy Parmesan Spinach Shrimp from Cooking Classy
