Valentine's Day

Tagliatelle with Shrimp and Champagne Butter Sauce

by:
January 27, 2011
4.5
4 Ratings
Tagliatelle with Shrimp and Champagne Butter Sauce
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

I know what you're thinking: this sounds too fancy for a weeknight meal. That's the beauty of it. It's a quick and easy recipe disguised as something elegant and complicated. Which also makes it an excellent dinner party choice.

The recipe is inspired by a recent meal I had at Cordelia restaurant in Old Jaffo in Tel Aviv. I had ricotta and spinach-stuffed tortelloni with shrimp and Champagne butter sauce (essentially a Champagne beurre blanc). This is my attempt at a weeknight version of that seductive dish. The sauce is subtle in flavor and buttery, while the shallots absorb the Champagne flavor and lend some bite to the dish.

I had a little extra time so made my own fresh pasta, but any store bought fresh pasta, or even good dried pasta will work fine. And while the vino you cook with should always be something you'd drink, you can use any inexpensive sparkling white wine here. It uses a lot, so don't go all out on this one. If you want an even more indulgent dish, a splash of cream at the end would be lovely as well. - kmartinelli —kmartinelli

Test Kitchen Notes

Simple classic elegance is how I would sum up this dish, not to mention down-right deliciousness. With just a few ingredients and minimal prep work, it comes together beautifully for a taste experience that is refined, yet full of flavor. I did not strain the sauce and loved the added texture and flavor of the shallots. The recipe is very easy to cut in half, making it perfect for two people. This is definitely a dish that I will make for company or for a romantic dinner, with an extra bottle of Champagne, of course! —SwoonMySpoon

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Champagne Butter Sauce
  • 1/4 cup minced shallots
  • 2 cups Champagne or other sparkling wine
  • 2/3 cup cold butter, cut into 2-inch cubes
  • Salt and pepper
  • Tagliatelle and Shrimp
  • 1 pound fresh tagliatelle, linguine, or spaghetti
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 large shallot, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 pound shrimp
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup Champagne or other sparkling white wine
  • Chopped parsley, for garnish
Directions
  1. Make the Champagne butter sauce: combine the shallots and Champagne in a pan over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a glaze. Whisk in cold butter cubes a few at a time until sauce is thickened slightly. (For a cleaner sauce you may want to strain the shallots out, but I like the sweet astringency they lend to the dish.)
  2. Cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente. Drain and return to the pot. Pour the Champagne butter sauce over the pasta and toss to combine. Set aside.
  3. Cook the shrimp: heat the butter in the same pan you made the Champagne butter sauce in (this adds flavor and cuts down on dishes!). Add the shallots and garlic and cook until just softened. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through (this will only take a few minutes). Season with salt and pepper and deglaze the pan with the Champagne. Stir once and transfer the entire contents to the pasta pot. Toss to combine.
  4. Serve the tagliatelle with shrimp and Champagne butter sauce in large shallow bowls. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
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kmartinelli
A native New Yorker, I recently moved to Be'er Sheva, Israel with my husband while he completes medical school. I am a freelance food and travel writer and photographer who is always hungry and reads cookbooks in bed.

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9 Reviews

yiase
yiase July 13, 2014
making for a party this weekend! Would it be possible to make the butter sauce in advance and warm before serving?
 
aichkaybee
aichkaybee February 21, 2011
I just made this tonight, and now I see that you're featured in the Food52 blog... how fortuitous! I don't love shrimp, so I used super-thin veal cutlets dredged in flour instead and used that to make the pan sauce in step 3. It was wonderful! Thanks for a delicious, easy recipe (and a good reason to bust out the champagne on a Monday).
 
kmartinelli
kmartinelli February 22, 2011
The veal sounds like a delicious accompaniment! I am so glad you tried it, and even more glad that it worked out so well! Thank you so much for sharing! I can't think of a better way to start the week ;-)
 
kmartinelli
kmartinelli February 13, 2011
Thanks Chezzy Belle for the great tasting notes! I'm glad it turned out well :-)
 
bugsy1
bugsy1 February 11, 2011
Are the shrimp peeled before you cook them? Thanks
 
kmartinelli
kmartinelli February 11, 2011
Hi Bugsy, really either way works. This time I used whole, unpeeled defrosted frozen shrimp, but I am sure that peeled shrimp would be great as well. It depends on if you want to do the work before or during the dinner! Thanks for the question!
 
drbabs
drbabs January 28, 2011
I agree!
 
hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour January 27, 2011
This sounds incredible, and does seem pretty quick and easy. Great recipe, kmartinelli!
 
kmartinelli
kmartinelli January 28, 2011
Thanks!