Ingredients:

  • 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 10 oz fettuccine or linguine pasta
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 cup reserved starchy pasta water

Instructions:

  1. Pat the shrimp bone-dry with paper towels. Season thoroughly with smoked paprika, salt, and cracked black pepper.
  2. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side until they turn opaque and pink with a slight golden crust. Remove from the pan immediately and set aside.
  3. Boil the pasta in heavily salted water until 1 minute before the package's al dente instruction. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining the pasta.
  4. In the same skillet used for the shrimp, melt the butter and sauté the minced garlic until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up any browned bits (fond).
  5. Stir in the half-and-half and Parmesan cheese, whisking until the cheese is melted. Add the spinach and allow it to wilt into the sauce.
  6. Add the pasta and shrimp back into the skillet. Gradually add the reserved pasta water while tossing everything together to emulsify the sauce into a silky coating. Finish with lemon juice and fresh parsley.