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Created by Chef Remy
Plump Gulf shrimp and smoky tasso ham swimming in a silky cream sauce kissed by the holy trinity, all wrapped around ribbons of linguine that beg for another twirl of your fork.
Tasso is Louisiana's secret weapon. It's not ham in the way most folks think of ham. It's cured, smoked, and spiced with enough cayenne and garlic to wake up anything it touches. When you render that fat in a hot pan and let it perfume your cream sauce, you're building flavor that no amount of dried herbs can match.
This dish came together one Tuesday night at Lagniappe when we had beautiful Gulf shrimp and needed something that would showcase them without hiding their sweetness. The answer was tasso. Its smokiness plays against the shrimp's brininess, and the cream brings them together like old friends at a dance hall. The holy trinity (onion, celery, bell pepper) adds that backbone every Louisiana dish needs.
The technique here is all about timing and temperature. You cook the shrimp just until they curl and turn pink, then get them out of that pan before they turn rubbery. The sauce comes together fast once you've built your foundation. And that pasta water with its starchy goodness? That's what makes your sauce cling to every strand instead of sliding to the bottom of the bowl.
Quantity
1 pound
peeled and deveined
Quantity
6 ounces
cut into small dice
Quantity
1 pound
Quantity
4 tablespoons
divided
Quantity
2 tablespoons
Quantity
1 medium
diced
Quantity
2
diced
Quantity
1 medium
diced
Quantity
4 cloves
minced
Quantity
1/2 cup
Quantity
1 1/2 cups
Quantity
1/2 cup
Quantity
2 teaspoons
divided
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon, plus more to taste
Quantity
1/2 cup
freshly grated
Quantity
4
sliced thin, white and green parts separated
Quantity
3 tablespoons
chopped
Quantity
to taste
Quantity
to taste
freshly cracked
Quantity
1 cup
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| large Gulf shrimp (21-25 count)peeled and deveined | 1 pound |
| tasso hamcut into small dice | 6 ounces |
| linguine | 1 pound |
| unsalted butterdivided | 4 tablespoons |
| olive oil | 2 tablespoons |
| yellow oniondiced | 1 medium |
| celery stalksdiced | 2 |
| green bell pepperdiced | 1 medium |
| garlicminced | 4 cloves |
| dry white wine | 1/2 cup |
| heavy cream | 1 1/2 cups |
| chicken stock | 1/2 cup |
| Cajun seasoningdivided | 2 teaspoons |
| cayenne pepper | 1/4 teaspoon, plus more to taste |
| Parmesan cheesefreshly grated | 1/2 cup |
| green onionssliced thin, white and green parts separated | 4 |
| fresh parsleychopped | 3 tablespoons |
| kosher salt | to taste |
| black pepperfreshly cracked | to taste |
| reserved pasta water | 1 cup |
Pat your shrimp dry with paper towels and toss them with one teaspoon of Cajun seasoning. Let them sit at room temperature while you prep everything else. This does two things: it seasons the protein directly (the bayou way) and brings the shrimp closer to room temperature so they cook evenly.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it generously. It should taste like the Gulf of Mexico. Don't add the pasta yet. You want it finishing right when your sauce is ready, and timing is everything here.
Heat a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add one tablespoon of butter and the olive oil. When the butter foams and subsides, add the diced tasso. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the edges crisp and the fat renders out, about four to five minutes. Your kitchen should smell like a Louisiana smokehouse. Remove the tasso to a plate but leave every drop of that precious fat in the pan.
Working in batches if needed to avoid crowding, add the seasoned shrimp to the hot tasso fat in a single layer. Let them cook undisturbed for about ninety seconds until the bottoms turn pink and develop golden spots. Flip and cook another sixty seconds. They should be just barely cooked through, still slightly translucent in the very center. Transfer to the plate with the tasso. They'll finish in the sauce.
Drop your linguine into the boiling water now. Reduce skillet heat to medium and add two tablespoons of butter. Once melted, add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and the white parts of the green onions. Season with a pinch of salt and the remaining teaspoon of Cajun seasoning. Cook, stirring often, until the onions turn translucent and sweet, about five to six minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, another thirty seconds. Don't let it brown.
Pour in the white wine, scraping up all those beautiful brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Those are pure flavor. Let the wine reduce by half, about two minutes. Add the heavy cream and chicken stock, bring to a gentle simmer, and let it reduce and thicken for about five minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon.
Before draining your pasta, scoop out a full cup of that starchy cooking water. Drain the linguine when it still has the slightest resistance to the tooth. It will finish cooking in the sauce. Add the pasta directly to the skillet, along with the tasso, shrimp, cayenne, and half the Parmesan. Toss everything together over low heat, adding pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce clings to every strand. Remove from heat, add the remaining tablespoon of cold butter, and toss until it melts and the sauce turns glossy.
Taste the pasta now. Adjust salt if needed. Add more cayenne if you want it to wake you up a little more. Divide among warm bowls and top with the remaining Parmesan, the green onion tops, and fresh parsley. Serve immediately. This dish does not wait.
1 serving (about 550g)
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