And the Valley Cooks: Shrimp in NOLA-Style Barbecue Cream over Pasta

Barbecue shrimp — the New Orleans style, a spicy butter sauce version — is a favorite for a lot of reasons. Mostly because it’s insanely good.

But it’s also a flavor that can translate to a couple of other mediums. We’ve done a pastalaya version before, and while I was feeling experimental the other weekend (and had some leftover heavy cream that needed to get used), I came up with a sauce idea that’s perfect over a heavier style of pasta like linguine or perciatelli — something that the sauce can really cling to.

Ingredients

1 lb shrimp, peeled & deveined
¹⁄₄ cup butter, cut into cubes
¹⁄₂ cup heavy cream
1 shallot, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced fine
1 can amber beer
¹⁄₂ cup seafood stock
¹⁄₄ cup worcestshire sauce
Juice of half of a lemon
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp chopped rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add your shrimp and saute until pink and curled. Use a set of tongs to remove the shrimp and set aside. Try to leave as much garlic in the skillet as you can.

Billy Gomila

2. Add the diced shallots and bell pepper (I like red mostly for color, but go with whatever you prefer here) and saute until wilted.

3. Add the rosemary, thyme, paprika and black pepper and mix well. Deglaze your pan with the beer, bring the heat up until the mixture simmers and starts to reduce.

4. Add the seafood stock, lemon juice and worcestshire. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for five minutes, to bring your flavors together.

5. Add the cream and mix well. Return to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add your shrimp, mix well and serve over the pasts of your choice. Garnish with some green onions and be fancy.

This will serve about four people.