Our favorite peel-and-eat seafood gets new life with one kitchen-friendly formula: shrimp + starch + sauce = delicious dinner.

Cacio e Pepe with Sauteed Shrimp

With the addition of succulent shellfish, cacio e pepe transforms into a beachside-inspired dinner that you’ll want to make again and again. The good news? The ingredient list is fairly basic and only requires you to seek out fresh shrimp. (Regular lemon can be substituted for the Meyer lemon.)

You can complete the dish with a side of garlic bread and a simple green salad.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces uncooked linguini
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 pound peeled and deveined raw medium shrimp
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 3 ounces Grana Padano cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)
  • 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper, plus more for garnish
  • 1 ounce pecorino Romano cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest plus 2 Tbsp. fresh juice

Directions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding 2 tablespoons of the salt to the water. Drain and reserve 1 1/2 cups cooking water.

  2. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add shrimp, and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are pink, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, and cook, stirring often, 1 minute. Remove shrimp mixture, reserving drippings in skillet.

  3. Add 1 cup of the reserved cooking water and remaining 2 tablespoons butter to skillet, and bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to low; stir in Grana Padano and cracked black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until cheese melts and sauce thickens, about 1 minute.

  4. Add cooked pasta and shrimp mixture, and toss to coat, adding remaining 1/2 cup pasta water as needed for desired consis­tency. Remove from heat; add pecorino, zest, and juice, and stir until combined. Divide evenly among 6 bowls. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and garnish with cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.