Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook penne according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- Pat shrimp completely dry — this is the key to a good blackened crust. Toss with 2–3 tablespoons of Kinder's Cali Blackened Rub until evenly coated.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it just starts to smoke. Add shrimp in a single layer — do not crowd the pan. Work in batches if needed.
- Cook shrimp 2–3 minutes per side until the rub is deeply charred and the shrimp are opaque and just cooked through. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté 30 seconds until fragrant — don't let it burn.
- Pour in chicken broth and heavy cream. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
- Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth. Add sun-dried tomatoes and fresh spinach, stirring until spinach wilts, about 1 minute.
- Add cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Add pasta water 2 tablespoons at a time if the sauce needs loosening. Stir in remaining tablespoon of butter for extra richness.
- Return blackened shrimp to the skillet, nestling them into the pasta. Toss gently and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Notes
- Dry the shrimp thoroughly — Pat completely dry with paper towels before the rub goes on. Wet shrimp hit the pan and steam. You want a sear, not a cloud.
- Work in batches — One layer, no crowding. Two batches gets you the crust. One overcrowded pan gets you gray, rubbery shrimp.
- Use the pasta water — Reserve at least half a cup before you drain. The starch binds the sauce to the penne and loosens it without diluting the flavor.
- Let the pan cool before the sauce — Blackening needs a ripping hot pan. The cream sauce doesn't. Drop to medium and let it settle before adding the butter — or the cream will break.
- Swap the protein — Chicken tenders cut into strips take the same rub and the same technique. Add a minute or two to the cook time.
- Make-ahead option — Cook the pasta and build the sauce base in advance. Blacken the shrimp and finish the dish right before serving — shrimp don't hold.
- Wide, shallow pasta bowls. Extra Parmesan grated directly over the top. A pinch of red pepper flakes if you want more heat.
- Garlic bread pan-toasted in butter is the right call — it handles the cream sauce that collects at the bottom of the bowl. Toast it in the skillet after the shrimp come out while the pan is still hot.
- A crisp green salad with lemon vinaigrette cuts through the richness and resets the palate between bites. That's all this dish needs.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The sauce thickens as it sits — reheat in a skillet over medium-low with a splash of cream or chicken broth to loosen it back up.
- Do not microwave the shrimp. They turn rubbery fast. Warm the pasta and sauce first, then add the shrimp at the very end just to heat through.