Shrimp and Angel Hair Pasta with Champagne Sauce: Romance in a Bowl for Around $15

This delicious dish combines plump Shrimp with Angel Hair Pasta and a creamy champagne sauce. It is date night fare and costs around $15 for four servings.

In 1989, as a college student, I discovered this recipe in a fashion magazine. I wanted to impress a friend who was coming to dinner and this dish was just perfect. Over the years, I have made this dish many times, usually for close friends or dates I wanted to impress. It pairs perfectly with champagne, which makes the night feel so special.

The original writer (I've looked for the original on this recipe and I just can't find it to give credit) suggested serving the dish with champagne and chocolate for dessert. This is brilliant, as they pair perfectly.

If you think you can't afford this dish, remember that you can find a bottle of champagne that is good in this dish at Aldi for around $5 and at Trader Joes for slightly more. Any dry Brut style champagne will work --stay awared from extra dry or other sweet sparkling wines. Because you can use modestly priced shrimp and simple pasta, this dish can easily be made for around $12.

I warn you in advance—this dish screams romance. It is easy to make and involves sparkling wine and decadent flavors. If you throw in the chocolate for dessert, you will have the best date night dish for anyone who loves shrimp and sparkling wine.

The Perfect Ingredients

Ingredients for Shrimp with Champagne Sauce on Angel air Pasta

Before we begin cooking, let’s collect our ingredients. Quality matters, as it profoundly impacts the dish's flavor.

• Angel Hair Pasta: 8 oz, cooked al dente (Aldi, $1)

• Butter: 2 Tablespoons

• Olive Oil: 1 Tablespoon

• Shrimp: 1 lb., peeled and deveined (Aldi, $6 or Walmart, $6)

• Champagne: 1 1/2 cup champagne or sparkling wine, the drier, the better (Aldi, $2.50)

• Mushrooms: 8 oz, sliced (use cremini or button mushrooms) (Aldi, $2)

• Shallots: 2, finely chopped (Walmart, $0.50)

• Plum Tomatoes: 2, diced  (Aldi, $0.50)

• Heavy Cream: 1 cup, divided (Aldi, $1.35)

• Salt and Pepper: to taste

• Fresh Herb of choice--3 T chopped Fresh Parsley or Dill (Aldi, $0.50)

• freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional): to garnish (Sam's Club, $1.00)

These ingredients will help create a dish bursting with flavor and texture.

Preparing the Ingredients

Preparation is vital before cooking begins.

If using frozen shrimp, thaw them. I like to brine my shrimp in 1 quart of water and one tablespoon salt for at least 30 minutes. This makes the shrimp plump and juicy. (Have you ever wondered why shrimp often tastes so much better in Chinese restaurants? Because brining shrimp is an essential part of the cuisine.) I like to use raw, peeled, and deveined shrimp in this dish. You can thaw your shrimp in the brining solution, but thoroughly devein and clean your shrimp.

Finely chop the shallots and slice the mushrooms into 1/4 inch slices. Slice the roma tomatoes in half, discard the seeds and inner pulp and slice the remaining tomatoes in 1/4-inch dice. Having everything ready before you start cooking will streamline the process, allowing the meal to come together effortlessly.

Cooking the Dish

Step 1: Put on Pasta Water

Put at least 4 quarts of water in a large pot. Add 1 T of kosher salt and bring to boil.

Step 2: Sautéing the Aromatics

In a large skillet, heat 2 T of butter and 1 T olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, sauté until tender and add shallots and cook until translucent and remove to a bowl and set aside. Its fine to leave some chopped shallots in the pan, in fact, its preferable.

Step 3: Cooking the Shrimp

Put the Champagne in a saucepan with a teaspoon of salt and heat. When the champagne is simmering, add the shrimp and cook until cooked through. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Step 4: Creating the Sauce

Add tomatoes and shallots and cook until the sauce is reduced by half. Stir in 3/4 cup of cream and heat for 2 minutes. Add shrimp and mushrooms.

Step 5: Cook Pasta

Add angel hair pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente, according to the package directions of the pasta you are using. Drain and toss with 1/4 c. of cream and 3 T of chopped parsley.

Step 6: Serve

Serve the pasta immediately on plates with shrimp and sauce. If desired (and not weighed down by no cheese with seafood rule), sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan.

Perfect Pairings

I always have a glass of champagne while I prepare this dish. Make sure you have a second bottle to serve with the finished dish. It goes perfectly.

This sauce goes perfectly with orange and chocolate, so serve it with orange sections and chocolate truffles for dessert. If you have a bottle of Grand Marnier, marinate the orange sections in that before serving with the chocolate truffles or any chocolate you like.

Tips for Success

• Use Medium to Large Shrimp: Use larger shrimp and devein them after removing their shells. Never buy cooked shrimp. Buy shrimp raw. I find they taste better if I peel and devein them myself.

• Don’t Overcook: Be careful not to overcook the shrimp. They should change color but should not "curl."

• Taste as You Go: Adjust seasoning as you cook. Add more salt, pepper, or cream to suit your preference.

• Presentation Matters: Serve in warm plates or bowls, garnished with extra parsley and parmesan cheese for a polished look.

• No garlic: Strong flavors like garlic ruin this dish (in my opinion). The champagne sauce is subtle and lovely, so you will never notice if you dump a lot of garlic in it. I'm a huge garlic fan, but not this time. It's date night, friends. Leave the garlic for another night.

• To Cheese or Not to Cheese: If you like cheese with seafood, I think it enhances this dish.