Curry Fettuccine With Jerk Shrimp

How to Prep and Cook The Shrimp

1. In a medium bowl, peel and devein the raw shrimp and place the shells in a separate container. You can leave the tails on for this recipe or leave take them off. Your choice.
2. To the shrimp add lemon juice, and enough cool tap water to cover the shrimp (about 2 cups). Allow the shrimp to sit in the lemony mix for 30 seconds then pour off the water.
3. Rinse off the shrimp under running water at least 2 times, to remove the lemony mix from the shrimp.
4. Next, let the shrimp sit in the bowl for at least one minute to allow the excess moisture to drain to the bottom of the bowl. Drain any liquid sitting at the bottom of the bowl, then pat the shrimp dry with a clean paper towel. Discard paper towel when done.
5. Combine shrimp, 1 teaspoon oil, jerk seasoning, pimento seeds, black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning in a medium bowl or ziplock bag.
6. Discard all the shells.
7. Massage seasoning into shrimp to combine and coat each shrimp.
8. Allow seasoned shrimp to marinate for at least 15 minutes prior to cooking or cover and place in the fridge for up to 24 hours. You can use this time to prep your other ingredients.
9. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a cast-iron grill pan or large heavy-duty skillet on high heat for 2 minutes over medium-high heat.
10. Once the oil is heated, place the shrimp in a single layer in the grill pan and sear on both sides for 2-3, or until the shrimp is an opaque pinky color and bright red color on the tails. . You may need to do these in batches depending on the size of your pan. Do not overcrowd the pan – You want the shrimp to sear not steam up and generate liquid. Add more oil in between batches if needed.
11. Halfway through cooking the shrimp in my grill pan, I like to use my cooking utensil and gently press down on each shrimp in the pan to create some grill marks. This optional.
12. Once the shrimp is finished cooking, transfer them to a plate and set them aside.

How Cook The Fettuccine

1. Add 4 quarts (16 cups) of water and 2 tablespoons salt into a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Add fettuccine and reduce heat to medium.
3. Stir periodically to prevent the pasta from sticking.
4. Cook for 3-4 minutes less than the packaging instructions. Undercooking the pasta will allow you to enjoy al-dente pasta at the end of the cooking process. For example, according to my pasta packaging instruction, I should cook the pasta for 13-14. I cooked it for 10 minutes total. The pasta will finish cooking in the sauce and won’t be overcooked and mushy.
5. Reserve 1 cup pasta water (this is optional for this recipe)
6. Once the pasta is done, drain in a colander and run the cooked pasta under cool running water, and set it aside. This stops the cooking process.

How to Make The Creamy Curry Alfredo-Like Sauce

1. In a medium-large pot, heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium-low heat.
2. Once the oil is hot, add your fresh thyme, garlic, and herb de Provence.
3. Stir and saute for 30 seconds until the garlic is fragrant.
4. Add the curry powder and turmeric and stir to combine everything.
5. Continue stirring for 2 minutes to toast up the curry. The curry mix will darken as it heats up. This is normal.
6. Add heavy cream, and butter and stir to combine. Allow the butter to melt in the heavy cream.
7. Taste the sauce.
8. Add black pepper, salt, and the remaining all-purpose seasoning to taste.
9. Add 1/2 cup of pasta water to the sauce (you can add more if needed). The salty, starchy water not only adds flavor but helps glue the pasta and sauce together; it will also help thicken the sauce.
10. Allow the curry sauce to cook down and reduce until the sauce has thickened. About 10 minutes.
11. Taste the sauce one final time and adjust if needed.
12. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and coat the pasta completely with the creamy curry sauce.
13. Add the reserved pasta water a 1/4 cup at a time, and check sauce consistency and adjust. (I didn’t use the pasta water, as my pasta was creamy enough on its own.)
14. Allow the pasta to finish cooking for 3 minutes.
15. In the last minutes of cooking, add the grated Parmigiana Reggiano cheese and stir.
16. You can top with more, for a delicious and cheesy finish.
17. Garnish with parsley (optional)
18. Remove the pot from the heat source.
19. Serve hot with jerk shrimp and enjoy