Mac and Cheese… and Shrimps

Made with vacuum-sealed shrimps found at the frozen section of of the grocery. The shrimps came shelled, the heads cut off and, most importantly, the backs had been slit and the digestive system (the black thread) removed. Oh, it saved me so much work and the girls had a ball with the pasta.

How long to cook this mac and cheese with shrimps? Excluding the time to thaw the shrimps and shred the cheese — about 15 minutes.

The addition of chopped parsley at the end of cooking time is optional but parsley does add a wonderful note to most dishes. Brightens flavors, as Elise puts it. Contrary to what most people think, parsley isn’t just for ornament. If you can’t find fresh parsley, dried chopped parsley comes in small jars and available at the herb and spice section of most supermarkets. The contents of one little jar come a long way.

In the video below, Sam cooked mac and cheese without the shrimps. It should be helpful for people who eat neither meat nor seafood, for one reason or another.

Mac and Cheese... and Shrimps

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Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 2 to 3

Author: Connie Veneracion

Ingredients

• 150 grams dried pasta
• 200 to 300 grams shrimps shelled and deveined
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup cream
• 1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheese I used Gouda but any sharp cheese will be good
• 1 to 2 teaspoons chopped parsley

Instructions

• Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water. Drain.
• Melt the butter in a pan. Add the shrimps and cook just until they change color. Pour in the cream. Add the grated cheese. Cook, stirring, just until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts. Turn off the heat. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper, as needed.
• Add the cooked pasta to the sauce. Sprinkle the parsley. Toss a few times. Serve the mac and cheese with shrimps at once.