How to Make Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo without Breaking the Bank

Buttery shrimp are the only thing that could improve a delicious, from-scratch Fettucine Alfredo. If you source your ingredients wisely, this creamy, mouth-watering pasta dish will cost roughly $14 for four generous servings.

Fettucine Alfredo is a beloved dish, and adding sauteed shrimp makes it protein-rich and irresistible. Good-quality frozen shrimp from Aldi, Wild Fork, or Walmart can be used to serve something decadent on a budget. Quality dairy ingredients—parmesan cheese and heavy cream—are reasonably priced at Aldi, Sam's Club, Sprouts, or Walmart.

Shrimp Fettucine Alfredo is decadent, but you can make it in under 30 minutes for under $15.

You can't talk in the pantry section of a US supermarket without seeing endless jars of premade Alfredo sauce. These ready-made variations on the classic dish are so disappointing you may have gotten the idea that you don't like Alfredo. Real Alfredo is a mixture of grated parmesan cheese and cream that tastes nothing like the jarred sauce. It is among the best seafood pasta dishes ever invented, with al dente noodles, crispy sauteed shrimp, and freshly ground pepper.

Shrimp

For this dish, try to find affordable 20-30 size RAW shrimp (20-30 per pound), with the shells on. Larger shrimp are nice but are often very expensive. This size is a nice compromise of costs and quality. Aldi has an option called "Jumbo" for around $6.50 for a 12 oz. bag. Walmart sells a "Colossal" raw shrimp for around $6 for a 12 oz. bag. They have a wonderful 12 oz bag of raw, peeled shrimp for around $7 if you want to upgrade to wild-caught shrimp. Wild Fork Foods is my favorite: a jumbo 16 oz bag for $7 and a large 16 oz. bag around $6.50. My Asian grocery frequently has shrimp or prawns for a similar price. Look for sales--I found /Jumbo Gulf (wild caught) shrimp a couple of months ago for $7/pound at our Detwiler's (IYKYK), and I stocked up.

Whatever shrimp you choose, buy raw, whole shrimp. My experience with cooked shrimp is that they are often flavorless, mushy, or overcooked—or all three. Buy raw shrimp, season them, and cook them yourself. For this dish, I would peel them, but start with shell-on raw shrimp for the best results.

Cheese

Cooking show gurus will preach the importance of Parmigiano Reggiano in Italian cooking. Buying this highest-quality Parmesan cheese is wonderful if you have the

money. One good option is to pay roughly $20 at Sam's Club for a 2-pound block. It's a good buy at $11/pound, but you must buy two. If funds are more limited, Aldi sells a very good 8-oz. wedge for around $4. This is more than good enough for this dish. Trader Joe's also sells good quality Parmesan around this price point. Historically, I have made the trek to TJs just for the Parmesan cheese, but the parking lot congestion at my local store has pushed me to bulk cheese or Aldi. An unopened block of cheese can last upwards of 6 months in the refrigerator. Once you begin cutting the block, it will last two months or so. I would go for the Sam's Club block if you can use 2 pounds of parmesan cheese in two months. If not, snag a wedge every few weeks at Aldi or TJs.

Whatever parmesan cheese you choose, you will need 1 1/2 cup grated. One cup is a little more than 3 ounces of cheese, so this recipe calls for 4.5 oz. Do not be tempted to buy the grated or shredded little tubs. Pre-grated cheese does not melt properly because it's coated to keep it from sticking together in the tub. Get a block of cheese and grate it--it takes 30 seconds to grate a few ounces of cheese with a block grater, and it makes the dish. If you go for the Parmigiano Reggiano purchase at Sam's, 4.5 ounces will cost you $3.10. If you opt for the Aldi house brand cheese, the cost will be around $2.0. It just depends on how you like to buy.

Other Ingredients

I usually buy my heavy cream at Aldi for around $5.50 per quart. Walmart has a quart at an almost identical price. Sam's Club has a two-quart for around $8.75 if you use a lot of cream. That is a nice savings, but only if you use the cream. Remember that cream has a longer shelf life than whole milk. Heavy cream will last

at least a month once opened because of its high-fat content and ultra pasteurization. You can save a little with the larger size at Sam's Club, but it is only a bargain if you easily use 8 cups of cream monthly. If not, opt for the smaller size at Aldi or Walmart.

This recipe benefits from whole fresh parsley and lemon. I always buy these at Aldi, but several other outlets have great prices. Aldi has a very good parsley for under $1. Walmart sells flat-leaf parley for right at $1. Sprouts has it every day for around $1.50. Considering that you can use it on numerous dishes and dry it for later use if you find you aren't going to use it, it's a steal.

I'm sure you didn't miss the fact that without the shrimp, two servings of Fettucine Alfredo would cost around 4. That is just wildly inexpensive. If you hate cream, you can make a pasta water version even more cheaply with lower calories, but that is another post.

The Process

Step One: Bring 3.5 quarts of water to a boil and salt liberally. It should taste like sea water. Add about 1 T. of kosher salt, less of table salt.

Step Two: Sauté the fresh sage in 2 T butter until crisp, then remove it to a plate. In about a minute, the sage will "sizzle" and become crispy instead of soft. Turn the sage over with tongs, cook for a few seconds more, and then remove it to a plate.

Step Two: In the same butter, sauté the shrimp on the first side for 1-2 minutes, then flip with tongs and sauté for another minute. Remove the shrimp to a plate.

Step Three: Add the lemon juice and scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the cream and warm until thick. Add the butter, one tablespoon at a time.

Step Four: Finish cooking the fettuccine to al dente. Drain and place in the hot cream mixture. Add the grated Parmesan and stir. Taste and correct salt and pepper. Add the Shrimp and stir. Serve immediately with crispy sage leaves.

Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo