If you’re looking for a fancilious holiday dinner idea, I highly recommend this easy meal. I promise you can do it! The hardest thing is peeling & deveining the shrimp. I sautéed the shrimp with a homemade tomato sauce, but you could certainly use store bought. To make it extra special I topped it with lightly browned Italian chickpea crumbs and lemon zest. Amazing flavors and so festive!
Ingredients
- 1 lb linguine prepared according to package directions (minus 1 minute)
- 4 TBS water
- 1 tsp saffron threads
- 1 1/3 cups heavy cream
- 2 TBS grated Parmesan
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 egg yolks
- Sea salt & cracked pepper, to taste
- 12 large prawns, deveined with tails left on
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 1 cup Italian bread crumbs or chickpea crumbs mixed with 1 TBS lemon zest
Instructions
- Prepare pasta according to package directions. If the package says to cook 10-12 minutes, subtract 1 minute (cooking for 9 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid and drain.
- While the pasta is cooking, bring 4 TBS of filtered water to boil in a small dish in the microwave. Place saffron in the water. Let steep for several minutes.
- Add the cream to the saffron & water. Cook over medium heat until it is at a simmer. Add the Parmesan & lemon zest. Lower heat & simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Heat 1 TBS of olive oil in a sauté pan on medium heat. Add the prawns & cook on both sides. Add marinara & cook until it bubbles a little. Toss the shrimp and sauce together. Turn heat to a low simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove cream from heat. While whisking, add the eggs yolks. Return the saucepan to the stove & turn heat to low simmer. Simmer for 1-2 minutes, until mixture begins to thicken.
- Add the drained pasta to cream mixture and toss. Use cooking water to thin, if needed. The pasta is going to soak up the sauce.
- Heat the bread or chickpea crumbs & lemon zest in a sauté pan, until lightly browned.
- Place portions of the creamy linguine in pasta bowl. Place 3 of the prawns on the side of the pasta. Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of prepared bread crumbs on top. Garnish with Italian parsley.
