Shrimp Alfredo (and a week of Eating Down the Fridge)

Well, yesterday was day 7 of the Eating Down the Fridge challenge. And although the fridge and freezer are looking cold and bare, and you can hear an echo in my pantry, I'm not stopping here. I have enjoyed this challenge immensely and will be exercising this theory on a regular basis. Something I realized while participating in Eating Down the Fridge is that while I am not a wasteful person to begin with, I can do better, much better.

The week went a little like this:

Day 1-Soba Noodles stir fried with red peppers, fried tofu, nappa cabbage and cilantro in a simple soy, garlic and ginger sauce
Day 2-Vietnamese Summer Rolls
Day 3-Beef Fajitas
Day 4-Coconut Shrimp
Day 5-Chinese Chicken Salad
Day 6-Lettuce Wraps

Yesterday's, Day 7, was Shrimp Alfredo. Not a bad week of eating if you ask me. I didn't miss shopping at all and it really forced me to get creative and be mindful of what I was eating. Overall Eating Down the Fridge was an excellent experience. I don't know what tonight's dinner will be but that's all part of the fun of it and I can really get used to this not running out to the store everyday thing.

P.S. Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians!

Shrimp Alfredo Recipe:
12 shrimp, shelled, deveined, cleaned and cooked (grilled, steamed or sauteed)
1/2 lb spaghetti or linguini
1 cup cream
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Heat cream, garlic and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Lower the heat to a low simmer and stir in the parmesan cheese. Stir the sauce until the cheese has melted into the cream mixture. Once the cheese has melted, season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. At this point I like to let the sauce cool slightly and place it in a blender pulsing a few times to make the sauce a little smoother. The blender step is not necessary but I prefer the consistency. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Once the pasta is al dente, return the alfredo sauce and cooked shrimp to the saucepan. Reheat the sauce and shrimp, add the pasta and stir everything together. If the sauce is a little thick, simply thin it out with a little of the pasta water or cream. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Serves 2.