Ingredients:

  • 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions:

  1. Prep the shrimp. Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Note: Wet shrimp steam instead of sear, which ruins the texture.
  2. Sear the protein. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook for 1–2 minutes per side until opaque and pink. Remove shrimp from the pan and set aside.
  3. Sauté aromatics. Reduce heat to medium. Melt butter in the same skillet, scraping up the browned bits. Stir in minced garlic and red pepper flakes; sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant but not brown.
  4. Soften tomatoes. Add sun dried tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes until softened and releasing their oil.
  5. Simmer cream. Pour in heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened and coating the back of a spoon.
  6. Melt cheese. Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth.
  7. Combine everything. Return the seared shrimp to the pan, tossing gently to coat.
  8. Final touch. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and fresh basil. Note: Adding basil at the end keeps the color vibrant and the flavor fresh.