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Creamy Parmesan Basil & Piquillo Seafood Pasta

One of the best sauces you'll taste! Restaurant quality you can make at home. The sauce is so flavorful, creamy and rich. It perfectly coats the seafood and pasta. A truly special dish.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Mediterranean
Keyword Creamy Seafood Pasta, Parmesan Sauce, Restaurant Quality
Servings 8 people
Author The Tiny Fairy

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. Caserecce pasta
  • water, to boil the pasta
  • 3 finger pinch Kosher salt for pasta water
  • Olive oil, divided for pasta water & saute vegetables
  • 2 lbs. Langostinos
  • 8 ounces lump crab meat
  • 1 Tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika, divided for seafood and sauce
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 3 Tablespoons butter, unsalted & room temperature
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 1 7.6 ounce jar of Spanish piquillo peppers, thinly sliced
  • 5-6 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Italian Seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Kosher salt to taste (remember cheese is salty, start with 1/2 teaspoon and re-taste)
  • fresh cracked black pepper to taste
  • ½ cup white wine
  • ½ cup chicken stock, unsalted
  • 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
  • 2 Tablespoons Basil Stir-In-Paste
  • 1½ cups Parmesan cheese, fresh grated
  • 1 container Basil leaves, chiffonade cut (thin ribbons)
  • 1 Tablespoon parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. PASTA

    Fill a stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add a little olive oil, a generous three pinch of Kosher salt and the pasta. Stir and cook according to package instructions.

  2. SEAFOOD

    Season the langostinos with Old Bay seasoning, ¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika and lemon juice. Toss to coat. Heat a wide skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Once melted, sear the seafood for 2 minutes on each side (may need to do this in batches depending on the side of your skillet). Remove from the pan and set aside until sauce is done.

  3. CREAMY PARMESAN SAUCE

    In the same skillet, add some olive oil (a few times around the skillet) and sauté the onions, piquillo peppers, garlic, Italian Seasonings, remaining ¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika and red pepper flakes until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper and stir to combine.

    Add the wine and chicken stock and simmer until the liquid has reduced by about half. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the cream and basil Stir-In-Paste. Cook and stir until the cream begins to thicken. Add Parmesan cheese and stir continuously until it has melted into the sauce. Add the fresh basil and stir until wilted. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, if needed.

    Stirring continuously, add the langostinos back into the skillet and add the crab meat. Reheat through for a few minutes.

  4. ASSEMBLY

    Drain the pasta and return the pasta back to the pot. With the heat off, add the seafood and creamy sauce in with the pasta. Stir to coat the pasta.

    Plate onto your serving dish and garnish with extra basil, parsley and Parmesan cheese.