Ingredients
200g pasta, 200g shrimp (peeled and deveined), 150ml heavy cream, 15 cherry tomatoes (halved), 6 garlic cloves (sliced), Parmesan cheese (for grating), fresh parsley (chopped), 2 tbsp white wine, 1 tbsp butter, cooking oil, 3 tbsp reserved pasta water, ¼ tsp paprika, ⅛ tsp salt for the shrimp, ½ tsp salt for the pasta water, ⅛ tsp salt for the sauce (optional), and black pepper to taste.
Instructions
Mix the shrimp with the salt, paprika, and black pepper and let them marinate for 5 minutes. At the same time, cook the pasta in salted boiling water until done, making sure to save 3 tablespoons of the pasta water before draining.
Heat some oil in a pan over medium heat, add the sliced garlic and cook until golden and fragrant. Add the shrimp and cook until pink and lightly golden, then remove them from the pan and set aside, leaving the garlic and oil behind.
Add the cherry tomatoes to the same pan and cook until they soften. Pour in the white wine and let it cook for a minute, then add the butter and let it melt. Pour in the heavy cream, add the optional salt, and let the sauce simmer gently over low heat until it bubbles softly.
Add the drained pasta and the reserved pasta water to the sauce and toss well. Grate in a generous amount of Parmesan and stir until melted into the sauce. Return the shrimp to the pan, add the fresh parsley, and toss everything together over low heat. Finish with a generous grind of black pepper.
Plate the pasta, spoon the remaining sauce over the top, and garnish with more Parmesan and black pepper. Serve immediately
Notes
The reserved pasta water is the secret to a silky, well-coated sauce — never skip it. And keep a close eye on the shrimp: the moment they turn pink and curl into a loose C-shape, they are done. Even thirty seconds too long will make them rubbery, so remove them from the pan without hesitation and return them only at the very end to warm through.