Argentinean Red Shrimp

I was at Trader Joe's the other day, looking to restock the freezer with protein, and I came across a bag of "Argentinean Red Shrimp." They were the same price (give or take some pennies) as the regular boring raw shrimp, so I thought I'd give them a try. It was the best seafood decision I have ever made. These shrimp are the poor man's (or woman's) lobster. They have that perfect, rich, meaty, I think of it as a red flavor, that you find in lobster, but for a tiny fraction of that cost. The recipe I'm sharing with you today is really just a basic shrimp alfredo that I'm using to showcase this amazing shrimp, so you don't have the excuse of "well those sound good but what would I do with them?"

Shrimp Alfredo

2 tbsp butter
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp flour
2c milk (or 1c milk, 1c cream)
1 lb Argentinean red shrimp
3/4 cup grated parm
3-4 artichoke hearts, rough chopped
salt & pepper
1 lb penne
2-3 medium-sized basil leaves, shredded

Heat large pan of water, when water boils add pasta.

Meanwhile, make a roux (heat butter and garlic, add flour until dissolved). Slowly add cream and/or milk, mixing constantly to prevent lumps. Once all the milk is added and the sauce is heated through, add shrimp (peeled and deveined). When the shrimp starts to shrink up and look curly at the edges, add the parmesan, gradually until melted through the sauce. Add artichokes (I get them out of a jar, but frozen is just as good), and salt and pepper to taste.

Dran pasta, and mix with sauce in large bowl. Garnish with fresh basil. I had some green beans as a side dish to this, just to make sure I got my serving of veggies :)