Crumbled Cheeses That Can Be Used With Seafood and Pasta

This easy Creamy Shrimp Pasta recipe features tender, juicy shrimp cooked in a delightfully rich pasta sauce made with butter, cream cheese, and blue cheese. Served with pasta and packed with flavor, this elegant main dish is utterly delicious and will have everyone asking for more!

A prime example of comfort food, Creamy Shrimp Pasta is perfect for special occasions or a dinner party. Because it's so easy to prepare and you can have it on the table in 30 minutes, it's also ideal for a casual weeknight dinner with the family.

Here's what you will need:

• Fresh shrimp – are the star of this show. I like to use extra-large fresh Gulf shrimp, but frozen shrimp work too! Your shrimp need to be peeled and deveined with the heads and tails removed.
• Lime juice and lemon juice– for the best citrusy flavor, always use freshly squeezed lime and lemon juice. Bottled juice is often bitter.
• Butter – forms the base of the creamy shrimp pasta sauce and combines with cream cheese and blue cheese to make this decadent sauce.
• Cream Cheese – an essential ingredient in the creamy pasta sauce.
• Blue cheese – with its sharp flavor profile and pungent aroma, blue cheese is an essential ingredient in this dish and the pasta sauce.
• Pasta – is the canvas of this recipe. It is bland, without the other ingredients, but once you add the delicious shrimp and creamy sauce, it is transformed into a masterpiece.
• Parmesan cheese – adds a salty, complex, and nutty flavor to this dish.
• Red Pepper Flakes – (not pictured) adds just a bit of heat and elevates the taste of the other ingredients.
• Parsley – Italian parsley not only adds a fresh taste to the dish, but its beautiful green color is also a nice contrast to the neutral colors of the sauce.

Here's how to make it:

1. Gather the ingredients and preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Spray a medium-size (2-1/2 to 3 quart) baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange the shrimp on the bottom. Top with lime juice and let the shrimp marinate for about five minutes.

3. Put butter in a medium-size (10-inch) non-stick skillet over low heat. When the butter has melted, add the cream cheese, blue cheese, and red pepper flakes.

4. Whisk constantly until the cheeses have melted. If your sauce looks curdled or lumpy, continue whisking until it is creamy and smooth.

5. Pour this sauce over the shrimp and bake for 14-16 minutes for medium to large shrimp and 16-18 minutes for extra-large.

6. While your shrimp are baking, prepare the pasta according to the directions on the package. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain.

7. When the shrimp have finished baking, pour the drained pasta over the shrimp. Add one tablespoon of butter, two tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese, lemon juice, parsley, and the reserved pasta water, and toss gently to combine everything.

8. Before serving, garnish with the rest of the parmesan cheese and additional chopped parsley.
9. Serve immediately.

Frequently asked questions:

Do shrimp and blue cheese go together?

It depends on who you ask. For example, some folks believe it's a food crime to combine seafood and cheese on the same plate.

Of course, this view is hotly debated, and I'm in the camp that believes that it can be done, and this delicious recipe is an excellent example that proves what a wonderful pairing it can be.

What kind of blue cheese is best in this dish?

There are many varieties of blue cheese, including Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Blue Stilton, and even American Blue Cheese. Any of these blue cheeses will work well in this recipe.

If you are in the Tallahassee area, try locally made Asher Blue from Sweet Grass Dairy in Thomasville.

How to tell when shrimp are cooked?

Shrimp cooks quickly and can go from done to overdone in a matter of seconds. Just as you might imagine, smaller ones cook much quicker than larger ones. While I have times listed, it's best to start testing your shrimp to see if they are done after about 12 minutes.

Shrimp that is cooked properly will be an opaque white and pink color. They will also be curled in a very loose "C" shape. If they are curled in a tight "C," they have cooked too long.

How to store and reheat leftovers?

This dish can be stored covered in your refrigerator for three to four days. I like to reheat it just a bit in the microwave but be careful, you don't want to overcook your shrimp, or they will be tough.

Sharon's tips:

Do not let your shrimp marinate in the lime juice for more than five to seven minutes. Any longer, and the lime juice will actually start cooking your shrimp.

When you first combine all of your ingredients, the mixture may look a bit soupy. Don't worry; the pasta will absorb much of the liquid, and after a few minutes, it will firm up.

I almost always have extra grated parmesan cheese on the table for the cheese lovers in my house.

Fresh shrimp is always best if you can get it, but frozen will work too. I usually have the folks at the seafood market remove the heads and tails and peel and devein them before I take it home.

I like to use extra-large shrimp in this recipe, but you can use any size you like or have on hand. Just keep in mind, smaller shrimp cook much more quickly than larger ones.

I have used both an expensive variety of blue cheese and the cheaper variety you can find already crumbled in the plastic containers located in the cheese section of your grocery store, and both work in this recipe. The expensive variety melts a little easier, but both are good.

I usually make this dish with either bowtie or mini farfalle pasta. However, feel free to use any pasta you like or have on hand. For example, a friend of mine likes to use shell pasta.

When cooking the pasta, cook it to the tender stage instead of al dente because it will not be cooked any further.

More seafood recipes:

We love seafood, and I cook it several times a week. If you like it as we do, you might also like these popular recipes: Shrimp Burgers, Pan Seared Grouper with Gremolata, Southern Fried Fish, Blackened Grouper, and Pecan Crusted Fish Fillets.

For more menu ideas, you can see all of my seafood recipes at this link.

★ If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and give it a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!

Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones; I hope you come back soon!

Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones; I hope you come back soon!

This recipe was adapted from a recipe for Buttery Blue Shrimp in A Thyme to Celebrate, a cookbook published in 2009 by the Junior League of Tallahassee.

Creamy Shrimp Pasta with Blue Cheese Recipe

Easy Creamy Shrimp Pasta features tender and juicy shrimp cooked in a delightfully rich pasta sauce made with butter, cream cheese, and blue cheese. Served over pasta and packed with flavor, this lovely main dish is both hearty and satisfying!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 436 kcal

• ▢

  medium-size (2-1/2 to 3 quart) oven-safe baking dish

• ▢

  10-inch non-stick skillet

• ▢ 2 lbs shrimp extra-large, raw, heads and tails removed, peeled, and deveined.
• ▢ ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• ▢ 9 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
• ▢ 8 ounces cream cheese cut into cubes
• ▢ 2 ounces blue cheese crumbled
• ▢ pinch red pepper flakes
• ▢ 12 ounces pasta bow tie or mini farfalle
• ▢ 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ▢ 4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese divided
• ▢ 4 tablespoons flat leaf Italian parsley chopped, and divided

• Gather the ingredients and preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

• Spray a medium-size (2-½ to 3 quart) baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange the shrimp on the bottom. Top with lime juice and let the shrimp marinate for about five minutes.

• Put butter in a medium-size (10-inch) non-stick skillet over low heat. When the butter has melted, add the cream cheese, blue cheese, and red pepper flakes.

• Whisk constantly until the cheeses have melted. If your sauce looks curdled or lumpy, continue whisking until it is creamy and smooth.

• Pour this sauce over the shrimp and bake for 14-16 minutes for medium to large shrimp and 16-18 minutes for extra-large.

• While your shrimp are baking, prepare the pasta according to the directions on the package. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water and drain.

• When the shrimp have finished baking, pour the drained pasta over the shrimp. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter, two tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese, lemon juice, parsley, and the reserved pasta water, and toss gently to combine everything.

• Before serving, garnish with the rest of the parmesan cheese and additional chopped parsley.

• Serve immediately.

Do not let your shrimp marinate in the lime juice for more than five to seven minutes. Any more time and the lime juice will actually start cooking it

When you first combine all of your ingredients, the mixture may look a bit soupy. Don't worry; the pasta will absorb much of the liquid, and after a few minutes, it will firm up.

I almost always serve extra grated parmesan cheese with this dish for the cheese lovers in my house.

Fresh shrimp is always best if you can get it, but frozen works too. I usually have the folks at the seafood market remove the heads and tails and peel and devein my shrimp before I take them home.

I like to use extra-large shrimp in this recipe, but you can use any size you like or have on hand. Just keep in mind, smaller shrimp cook much more quickly than larger ones.

I have used both an expensive variety of blue cheese and the cheaper variety you can find already crumbled in the plastic containers located in the cheese section of your grocery store, and both work in this recipe. The expensive variety melts a little easier, but both are good.

I usually make this dish with either bow tie or mini farfalle pasta. However, feel free to use any pasta you like or have on hand. A friend of mine likes to use shell pasta.

When cooking the pasta, cook it to the tender stage instead of al dente because it will not be cooked any further.

Calories: 436 kcal | Carbohydrates: 22 g | Protein: 30 g | Fat: 25 g | Saturated Fat: 14 g | Cholesterol: 350 mg | Sodium: 1085 mg | Potassium: 207 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 2 g | Vitamin A: 828 IU | Vitamin C: 7 mg | Calcium: 248 mg | Iron: 3 mg

Please leave a comment below and/or give this recipe a rating. On Instagram? Take a picture and tag @gritsandpinecones or #gritsandpinecones!

**This recipe was originally published on June 5, 2016. It was republished on July 27, 2021, with new photos, a "how-to" video, the addition of a FAQ section, and expanded tips. The recipe was also slightly modified.

Crumbled Cheeses That Can Be Used With Seafood and Pasta

Source: https://www.gritsandpinecones.com/shrimp-and-blue-cheese-pasta/

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