Fettuccine with carrots and prawns (Fettuccini alle carote e scampi)

This dish reminds me of cacio e pepe, but with prawns. This is a dish from the Medici family, and hence core to the cuisine of Florence.

This is a simple sauce, but it requires careful preparation. The sauce is delicate, creamy and like silk, it envelopes the pasta and the prawns. The pepper adds a pop, and the shrimp and pasta texture complement each other. I have used fettuccini, but you can also make this with thick spaghetti.

Lorenza's Pasta is a collection of elegant pasta dishes by Lorenza. She earned her reputation on a PBS TV show, and this book won the James Beard Award. This lovely cookbook has unique recipes that step away from the normal. The sauces are excellent, and the dishes are favourites at home.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon pepper, more as needed

Salt, to taste

1 lb large shrimp

1 cup cream

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more to garnish

10 oz. fettuccini pasta

1 carrot, finely diced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

8 cups water

Heat the water for the pasta with the salt, olive oil and carrots. When it is at a vigorous boil, add the pasta and stir. Cook for as long as suggested by the instructions on the box, minus one minute for al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, add the butter to a large pot and add the bay leaf and pepper. Cook for 10 seconds. Add the shrimp and salt, and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the shrimp are frozen, they will release water and cook until the water is almost completely evaporated.

Add the cream and cheese and bring to a very gentle simmer. Please do not boil the sauce; it will split. Stir continually to melt the cheese into a thick sauce.

Add one ladle of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and carrots and add them to the sauce. Toss well and cook for one minute. Turn into a large bowl and garnish with additional cheese. Serve immediately.

Note: This sauce does not keep well. The dish MUST be eaten immediately, or it turns into a goopy mess.