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Fettuccine Alfredo - Why not add some more Parmigiano Reggiano (Photo by Erich Boenzli)
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5 from 6 votes

Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo

It’s February 7th and that means only one thing: It’s Fettuccine Alfredo Day. To celebrate this wonderful culinary invention, I’ll share my own take on Fettuccine Alfredo in this version, with shrimp with bacon (no butter required).
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: shrimp fettuccine alfredo
Servings: 2
Calories: 1313kcal
Author: Erich Boenzli

Ingredients

  • 1 pound shrimp
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 3 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
  • 8 ounces fettuccine pasta
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 small shallot (or onion)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped sage
  • 1 teaspoon hot chili pepper flakes
  • ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
  • ¼ cup Pecorino Romano, freshly grated
  • 1 teaspoon salt and pepper (each)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Thaw, clean, and rinse shrimp and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper, squeeze some lemon juice over, and put in the fridge.
    1 pound shrimp, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper (each), 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • Cook bacon your favorite way (mine is baked) and chop.
    3 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
  • Cook pasta in salted water, set some pasta water aside, rinse pasta under cold water.
    8 ounces fettuccine pasta
  • Heat a tablespoon olive oil over medium heat and add shrimp and garlic. Stir constantly for about 3 minutes, but make sure garlic doesn’t brown and turn bitter and inedible. Lower heat as necessary. Remove shrimp and garlic, but leave all the bits and juices.
    1 pound shrimp, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 cloves garlic
  • Add another tablespoon olive oil. Use a wooden spoon to scrape everything loose from the bottom of the pan.
    2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Add shallots and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper (just a pinch each), and stir for two minutes.
    1 small shallot (or onion), 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Add heavy cream and hot chili pepper flakes, and stir for another three minutes. Adjust heat so that heavy cream is bubbling but not boiling.
    1 cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon hot chili pepper flakes
  • Add cooked pasta back to the pan; let it absorb the cream and reheat for a minute.
  • Toss shrimp and garlic back in the pan, and add parsley, sage and bacon. 
    ½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped, 1 tablespoon chopped sage, 3 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
  • Add grated cheeses and lazily stir all ingredients for about 2 minutes. As the cheese melts, it emulsifies the liquid to form a smooth and rich coating on the pasta. If it’s too thick, add some of the pasta water you set aside earlier.
    ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated, ¼ cup Pecorino Romano, freshly grated
  • Serve and garnish with some more parsley and maybe even some more grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Notes

  • Expert tips
    • Add some pasta water to the sauce for desired consistency 
    • You can cook bacon and shrimp a day ahead
    • If you don’t bake your bacon and instead cook it in a skillet, save some bacon drippings to add to the sauce
 
  • Variations
    • You can substitute shallots with onion; I personally prefer shallots
    • Don’t like shrimp? How about mushrooms or sausage or chicken instead?
 
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Nutrition

Calories: 1313kcal | Carbohydrates: 93g | Protein: 74g | Fat: 73g | Sodium: 1890mg | Potassium: 1321mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3894IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 606mg