Shrimp Pasta With Creamy Garlic Vodka Sauce

*There are so many variations that can be done with this. I have done shrimp and chicken or just shrimp. I have made the sauce exactly like this- as a Vodka Garlic Cream Sauce, and I have added a bunch of extra basil leaves and some olive oil to make it more of a Vodka Creamy Pesto Sauce. Both are amazing and it’s all about mood so cook what you feel in the mood for.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Before the sauce can be made the garlic has to be cooked. I do this by placing 5 or 6 peeled cloves into a piece of tin foil with about 1/4 tsp of olive oil. Fold it all up and put it in a toaster oven until the garlic is soft.
  2. While this is cooking you can get a large pot ready and begin to heat up the water to cook your pasta. You'll have to pay attention to this while you're multitasking, but when your water comes to a boil, cook your pasta. It should be perfectly cooked right about the time your sauce is finished.
  3. Get out another frying pan and 2 or 3 tbsp. of butter and begin to saute' the shrimp. I also add a few little splashes of vodka in with the shrimp as well and let that cook down. If your shrimp is fresh you will need to cook it thoroughly until the color changes to pink, and if it is precooked, this is only a warming process. I also toss in any veggies that will go in the pasta and just lightly stir them around in the butter with the shrimp. I try not to overcook them so once your shrimp is hot you can put a lid over it, turn the heat down to warm and set it aside.
  4. Once the garlic is soft put it in a blender with the whole quart of heavy whipping cream and a few basil leaves.
  5. Blend on med-high for 2 minutes.
  6. While the cream is blending, put about 4 tbsp. butter in a med to large saucepan and turn the temp to medium-high. This will vary a bit depending upon whether you are using an electric or a gas stove so just make sure you don't burn the butter. I usually add a little bit of Italian seasonings and some garlic salt to the butter and whisk it in as the butter is melting.
  7. When the butter starts to bubble, add the vodka and whisk it all together until the mixture gets hot again.
  8. Dump the cream into the saucepan of butter and whisk it together. Continue stirring until this just about comes to a boil but don't let it or else it will rise and you will have a giant mess. Ask me how I know :)
  9. Taste your sauce and see if it needs more seasoning or more salt.
  10. As it cools down it will thicken up a little but if it seems more on the watery side you can mix a little bit of flour and milk together in a small bowl. Make sure there are no lumps in your mixture and then add it into your sauce, turn the heat back up for a minute and whisk it really good until it is well blended and there are no lumps.