Grilled Argentinian Shrimp with Fettuccine Alfredo

Aside from spaghetti and meat sauce, fettuccine Alfredo might be the most well-known pasta dish known to man. For good reason, who doesn’t love a nice bowl of homemade pasta with a rich and creamy sauce? Who’s that? No one you say? You would be correct. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone that doesn’t like this classic, and for this recipe, I’ve added an element of fire that makes this classic even better.

What Are Argentinian Red Shrimp?

I talk about this at length in my recipe for Grilled Argentinian Red Shrimp with Butter Sauce. Despite my blog being pretty meat-centric, the Argentinian Red Shrimp recipe has actually been one of the most popular on this site, so I encourage you to check it out. These shrimp are also the star of my spicy low country boil, which is my take on a southern classic. In short, I’ll just say that these shrimp taste more like little lobsters than they do a traditional shrimp. They are generally purchased as frozen shrimp, I get mine online because they are a bit of a challenge to find. Finally, these shrimp cook about twice as fast as other shrimp, so be aware of that when you put them on the grill.

What Is the Best Seasoning for Shrimp?

That’s a tough question to answer because it all comes down to personal preference. I am, of course, partial to my BBQ rub in this recipe because I think it brings a smoky, savory yet mild heat that compliments these sweet shrimp very well. I use this rub on all kinds of things from pork shoulder to bacon and love it on seafood, especially Argentinian Red Shrimp. The recipe below will make more than enough for the shrimp, it’s meant to be stored in an airtight container. I use this type of glass jar, and use the sauce on other things. Feel free to cut it in half or even down to a quarter of what I have here if you don’t think you’ll use it on absolutely everything — like I do.

Is Grilled Shrimp Better Than Sautéed Shrimp?

Again, that’s a personal preference. For me, everything is better on the grill, but I’m biased. After all, my blog is called Grillseeker, not Stovetop Seeker. I believe there’s just something magical that happens to just about any food with it’s kissed by a flame, but that’s a whole other blog. That said, if you don’t have access to a grill you can do these Argentinian Red Shrimp in a large skillet or grill pan on your range top.

Tips for Grilling Shrimp

1. Shrimp cook very fast in general, Argentinian Red Shrimp cook even faster so don’t put them on the grill and walk away.
2. Use a reliable instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the shrimp while on the skewer. Shrimp are done at 145 degrees F so take them off the heat at about 142 degrees F and allow carryover cooking to bring them to a perfect 145 degrees F.
3. It’s not uncommon for some shrimp to get done sooner than others so move the skewer around over your flame to ensure even cooking.
4. Use 2 skewers per row of shrimp, this prevents the shrimp from spinning on a single skewer when you try and flip them.

Odds and Ends

• I prefer homemade pasta, so I make my own. I encourage you to make your own as well but I’m also a realist and know that not everyone is going to do so. If you’re not making your own grab the fresh pasta in the cooler section of your grocery store, it’s much better than the dried stuff.
• I don’t put the recipe here for the pasta because frankly, I didn’t create a pasta recipe. I follow some really great Italian food bloggers and use some of their recipes.
• I prefer homemade alfredo sauce as well, and I’ll include the recipe for that because it’s my own. Again, I’m a realist and understand not everyone will make their own sauce, so feel free to use your favorite off the shelf sauce. The shrimp, after all, are the star of the show.

Grilled Argentinian Shrimp with Fettuccine Alfredo

Serves: 4 | Prep Time: 30 min | Cooking Time: 15 min

Ingredients
Shrimp:
2 lbs Argentinian Red Shrimp
1 cup baby bella mushrooms
10-15 asparagus spears (ends trimmed)
2 oz. freshly grated pecorino cheese (optional)

Alfredo Sauce:
1/2 stick butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 ounces cream cheese
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup milk (whole or 2% works fine)
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped and divided
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Rub:
2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup smoked paprika
1/2 cup ancho chili powder
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
1/2 cup sea salt
2 tbsp fresh ground pepper
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp dried parsley
2 tsp ground mustard
2 tsp onion powder

Grilled Argentinian Shrimp with Fettuccine Alfredo

For the rub:

Step 1: Whisk together all ingredients and set aside.

Pasta:

Step 1: Prepare following instructions on the label or make your own. I highly encourage making your own, but as I mentioned I’m not a pasta expert so I’m not going to offer pasta advice on my blog… yet.

For the sauce:

Step 1: Melt butter in medium sauce pan over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook 2-3 minutes.

Step 2: Add cream cheese and whisk together with butter and garlic till melted.

Step 3: Add heavy cream, milk, salt, pepper, and oregano and which till it comes to a low boil.

Step 4: Add parmesan cheese and whisk till it melts, then whisk in ½ of your finely chopped fresh parsley.

Step 5: Keep warm til ready.

Grilled Shrimp:

Step 1: Light grill and set up for medium high direct heat. Place grill pan over half of the coals or burner if you’re using a gas grill.

Step 2: While the grill is preheating, place shrimp on skewers and set on cutting board with asparagus and mushrooms.

Step 3: Mist the shrimp, mushrooms and asparagus with a light coat of olive oil. I use this olive oil mister because it’s simply the best I’ve used, doesn’t clog and it’s a real workhorse.

Step 4: Season shrimp with a generous amount of rub. Season asparagus and mushrooms lightly with salt.

Step 5: Place mushrooms in a grill pan and flip occasionally.

Step 6: While mushrooms are cooking, place shrimp on the grill grate (not in the grill pan) directly over high heat, flipping every 30 seconds until the internal temperature of the shrimp is 142°F as indicated with a reliable instant-read thermometer. Set aside and allow carryover cooking to bring shrimp up to 145° F as they rest.

Step 7: Place asparagus in grilling pan with mushrooms, grill for 2 minutes. You want the asparagus to stay crunchy so don’t overcook it here.

Step 8: Plate pasta with sauce, top with asparagus, shrimp, mushrooms, fresh pecorino cheese and remaining chopped parsley.

Grilled Argentinian Shrimp with Fettuccine Alfredo