Shrimp & Mushroom Fettuccine

This weekend Josh and I went to a local eatery and got us some boiled crawfish.  We also got a side of mushrooms and my favorite garlic.  Yum!  After we devoured our very expensive crawfish we had a few mushrooms and a head of garlic left.  I decided that we could not throw even the smallest bit of that yummy goodness away.  So I came home and pulled out some frozen shrimp and made some fettuccine with it.

Shrimp & Mushroom Fettuccine
- shrimp peeled and deveined (not sure how many I had, but not a lot unfortunately)
- a handful of mushrooms that were boiled with crawfish (this made the dish)
- a entire head of garlic also boiled with crawfish (this really made the dish)
- a cup of heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 stick of butter
- Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- one package of vermicelli pasta cooked a la dente.


This is the yummy goodness (well one of them) that inspired my dish.

I took it out and mashed it in a mincing thing-a-majig.  It was cooked so it was easy to mash.  I then melted the butter in the pan and threw in the raw shrimp, mushrooms, and garlic.  While it was sauteing, I boiled the pasta.

Do Not over cook your pasta, no one likes it mushy.  After the shrimp were fully cooked I poured in the whipping cream.  I brought it to a boil and then simmered it until my pasta was done.

I added salt and pepper and Parmesan cheese, just a sprinkle and a splash.  I then poured the sauce over the pasta and mixed it all together.  Once on a plate I sprinkled with more Parmesan.

I served this with sliced french bread with real butter and corn on the cob.  They loved it all!


The kids gave it a VERY enthusiastic two thumbs up.  The had seconds.

Margot gave it 10 fingers up!  (two thumbs up are not easy to do at 18 months)  She also had seconds.

Shrimp Pasta

I promise you this is yummy!!!  I always get asked for this recipe and the good news is, it is kid friendly too....and not just my kids, because yes, my kids....they eat anything.  But other peoples kids love it too!

Shrimp Pasta
3lbs peeled and de-veined shrimp (or I use what I have)
1 lb tri-color spiral noodles (a package and 1/3 of another)
16 oz Velveeta
1 cup margarine (I use salted butter)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp parsley flakes
1 tsp BBQ sauce (I use whatever I have)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp thyme
1 Tbsp. salt & pepper (I just sprinkle some)

Melt the margarine and mix in all the herbs, Worcestershire, lemon juice, BBQ sauce & salt and pepper.
Pour it over the shrimp in a 9X13 casserole dish.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  While the shrimp are cooking, cook your pasta as directed and melt your cheese with a little milk - I do this on a stovetop.  Pour the pasta and cheese into the casserole with the shrimp and butter sauce and mix well.  Bake it an additional 10 minutes at 350.


This pasta is super easy and I promise you family will enjoy it!  It's by far Meredith's favorite meal.  I have often made it with diced chicken breast when I don't have shrimp on hand and she ask for it, but she loves her some shrimp!  I always have left overs of this, but they are gone before we wake up because Josh takes them all to work before anyone else can claim them.


From the peanut gallery....
Josh - gives this two thumbs up!
Meredith and Margot - two thumbs way up!!!
Noah - gives the green & white noodles two thumbs, but the orange ones only one thumb up!

Shrimp Scampi of sorts

I happened to have some frozen peeled, boiled shrimp on hand.  Shrimp that my 5 year old begged for.  So that's where the cooked shrimp came from, but you can easily do this with uncooked shrimp, you just cook them in the butter sauce.

Shrimp Scampi
1 lb of peeled shrimp (totally guessing on this.  I had about 3/4 of a zip-lock full)
1 1/2 sticks of butter
2 T lemon juice (I'm guessing I just poured)
1 T of minced garlic
1 pack fresh sliced mushrooms
parsley
Vermicelli pasta

Cook your pasta, and good lord don't make it mushy!  While your pasta is cooking melt your butter on the stove top   Throw in mushrooms and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes.  Throw in your shrimp.  I threw in boiled shrimp.  If it was raw shrimp, I would have thrown this in before my mushrooms and cooked my shrimp thoroughly first.    Pour in some lemon juice.  Simmer about 10 minutes or until it's time to eat.  Throw in about a tablespoon of parsley and mix it.  I then dumped the shrimp and shrooms into the pot of cooked and drained vermicelli and mixed well.  Sprinkle Parmesan on top and serve it to the hungry hooligans.

I served this with fresh sliced cucumbers and caramelized carrots....I'll post that recipe soon!

Meredith (5) gave this a very enthusiastic 2 thumbs up!  She requested a big bowl of seconds.
Noah (3) gave it two thumbs up and cleaned his plate....he loves butter!
Margot (1) wanted to feed herself, mostly carrots, mushrooms and a few noodles made it to her mouth, but she ate it.
Josh - gave it 2 thumbs up as well.  He thought it was good.  Not excellent, but good and better than olive garden.  He's a tough critic