Fettucini with Chipotle Cream Sauce and Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

There’s a Mexican restaurant in our neighborhood called Fiesta Mexicana that Katrina and I like to go to whenever we are craving good food and cheap margaritas.  No seriously… the half-pitchers of margaritas and sangria average $15, and hold enough drink for six to eight full glasses, enough to make two adults feel pretty good.  To top it all off, they give you free after dinner shots with the check.  Anyways, recently they added a supplemental menu of specials to the regular menu.  One of these is a creamy chipotle pasta topped with bacon wrapped shrimp, with some tomatoes and a rainbow of bell peppers mixed in.  Katrina hates bell peppers, so without ever seeing or trying the dish we decided to make our own version at home.  Read on to see how you can make your own Fettucini with Chipotle Cream Sauce and Bacon Wrapped Shrimp.



Their new specials menu has a ton of very tasty “gourmet” Mexican dishes that really stand out from the typical selection of Mexican fare.  On our last visit we tried their version of spinach artichoke dip and were blown away, so it’s no surprise that we were inspired to make this dish.  This meal couldn’t have been executed more perfectly.  The cream sauce had a great consistency and sharp flavor from the Irish cheddar we used, and just the right amount of heat from ground chipotle.  The mushrooms and peas were added to bring some richness and texture to the dish.  I personally like the way peas taste in cream sauces.  Something we did a little differently with this sauce was to use egg yolk instead of a standard roux as the thickening agent.  The only downside is that we hadn’t anticipated the leftover egg whites, so it all went in the trash.  The bacon wrapped shrimp were super delicious, and cooked to perfection (by me).  We got a good deal on some medium-sized shell-on shrimp.  We unanimously decided to make these shrimp more often since they don’t require a ton of prep work, and cook fairly quickly in a hot pan with some butter and seasoning.  Be sure to try out our signature Ancho Chili Lemonade with this meal!

Fettucini with Chipotle Cream Sauce and Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

Chipotle Cream Sauce

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ingredients (makes 4-6 portions):

  • 1-1/2 c. milk
  • 1-1/2 c. heavy cream
  • 1 c. aged parmesan, shredded (or other hard, sharp cheese such as Irish Cheddar or Asiago)
  • 3 tbs. butter
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 1/4 tsp. chipotle powder (add more to taste)
  • 1 c. frozen peas
  • 1 c. mushrooms, sliced
  • (4) cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 tbs. olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • fettucini, prepared al dente

directions:

  1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and then add milk and cream.  Bring to a light boil, when small bubbles just begin to form, and then turn off heat.  Stir in shredded cheese until melted and thoroughly combined.
  2. Separate egg yolks into a small mixing bowl.  Ladle in a small amount of the hot cream mixture and whisk to temper the eggs.  Add to the pot of sauce and continue to whisk to prevent the yolks from cooking into a solid mass.  Stir in chipotle powder and then cover pot to retain heat.
  3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and fry briefly, and then add mushrooms.  Cook until soft and then add frozen peas.  Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper, and stir until peas are hot and cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Stir vegetable mix into prepared cream sauce.  Serve over bed of fettucini, and top with bacon wrapped shrimp.


Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

ingredients:

  • 2 dozen shell-on shrimp, peeled
  • 6 slices center cut bacon, cut in fourths
  • 1 tsp. seafood seasoning
  • 2 tbs. butter
  • pinch of salt and pepper

directions:

  1. Wrap shrimp with bacon.  Use a wooden toothpick to skewer bacon onto the body of the shrimp horizontally, starting where the legs were and pushing through to the other side.  The body of the shrimp should be wrapped in bacon, and the shrimp should be able to rest on its side for cooking.
  2. Add shrimp to non-stick skillet and place over medium to medium-high heat.  Add butter to pan and sprinkle everything with seafood seasoning, salt and pepper.  Cook on one side until bacon and shrimp start to cook, and then flip over.  Lift skillet and shake to distribute the butter and bacon fat evenly while cooking.  Turn over shrimp to cook both sides.
  3. When the shrimp is cooked (the shrimp will start developing bright red hues and the bacon will start to get crispy) remove from heat and set on a paper towel to cool.  When shrimp has cooled enough to handle, remove toothpicks and arrange over pasta.


I just can’t get over how amazing this meal was.  It’s definitely one of the most memorable meals we’ve made, and one that I’m proud to share with you!  Thanks for reading!  Don’t forget to try that Ancho Chili Lemonade I told you about.  We spiked ours with Tequila!

Fettucini with Chipotle Cream Sauce and Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

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