Have some shrimp or prawns and need a delicious way to use them? Fire up your pellet grill and make an easy Shrimp with Vodka Cream Sauce!
Traeger Shrimp with Vodka Cream Sauce
It is Spot Prawn season in the Pacific Northwest, and that means that we’ve been cooking up anything and everything we can with one of the tastiest kinds of shellfish that exist.
If you aren’t on the West Coast, you can use any kind of shrimp in this dish. Just make sure to use uncooked shrimp for the best results.
Likewise, this can also be made on the stovetop. We cooked it out on our pellet grill, but that isn’t necessary to have a successful, delicious end result.
Shrimp and Vodka Sauce shopping list
Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here’s the list of items you’ll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- olive oil
- butter
- garlic
- vodka
- seafood stock
- crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- shrimp or prawns
- heavy cream
- salt and pepper
- Parmigiano Reggiano
- spaghetti or bucatini
How to make Traeger Vodka Sauce with Prawns
This is just the overview so you can see what you’re actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
Preheat
We’re cooking this on relatively high heat, so shoot for somewhere between 375-400°. Put your pan on the grill while it preheats, and you’ll save time!
Make the sauce
Add the oil and butter to the pan, close the lid for a minute to let it melt, and then toss in the garlic. Close the lid again and let it cook in the oil for 3-4 minutes.
Add in the vodka, stock, and tomatoes. Stir, and let simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cook your noodles while the sauce simmers. Try and time it so they are done when the sauce is done, but it is okay to lightly oil them and cover to keep them warm too.
Add the shrimp
Toss the prawns/shrimp into the simmering sauce. Let cook for 5-7 minutes.
Remove from heat
Take the pan off the grill and stir in the heavy cream. Taste, and add salt and pepper according to the needs of the sauce. (How much you need depends entirely on what brand of tomatoes you use and how much sodium is in them.)
Enjoy
Serve heaps of this sauce over your hot pasta and sprinkle parmesan on top.
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Grilled Prawns with Vodka Sauce FAQ
Since we’re talking shrimp or prawns, the best quality will be the day you cook it. But, leftovers happen. The microwave works great for reheating this recipe. Just don’t overcook the shrimp or they’ll get rubbery!
The BEST kind of shrimp or prawns for this dish are spot prawns. But they are also one of the hardest to find, and most expensive too. If you don’t live on the West Coast, you’ve probably never heard of these little nuggets, but if you know, you know. Barring that, any kind of high-quality shrimp or prawns that are UNCOOKED will work well in this recipe!
Spinach would be a great addition to this dish. Some diced zucchini would also work well. I think roasted red bell peppers could be fabulous too. Experiment, and report back!
More of my favorite pasta recipes!
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Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 6 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and sliced
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 1 cup seafood stock
- 2 – 32 ounce cans crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 2 pounds shirmp or prawns, shelled and deveined
- 1 cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano
- 2 pounds spaghetti or bucatini
Instructions
- Preheat your pellet grill to 375-400°. Place a grill-safe 10×13 inch high-sided baking dish into the grill to preheat with the grill.
- Carefully add the olive oil and butter to the pan. Let it melt, and add the garlic. Stir to coat with oil. Close the lid and let cook for about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the vodka, seafood stock, and tomatoes to the pan. Shut the lid and let the sauce come to a simmer.
- Stir the sauce and let it simmer for another 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Make sure to have the lid open as little as possible and keep the stir sessions short.
- While the sauce is simmering, cook your noodles in well-salted water, al dente.
- Add the shrimp or prawns to the simmering sauce. Let them cook in the sauce for 5-7 minutes.
- Carefully remove the pan from the grill. Stir in the heavy cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. (How much salt the sauce will need depends entirely on what brand of crushed tomatoes you used. Some come pre-salted, and some do not.)
- Serve the shrimp and pasta over the hot pasta and top with the shredded parmesan.
Notes
- The sauce will be quite thin. If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can simmer the sauce down more on the grill. Just make sure to stir occasionally to prevent any scorching on the bottom of the pan.
- If you use whole San Marzano tomatoes like I used down in the Recommended Products section, give them a few pulses in the food processor before adding to the pan.
- We made our own seafood stock from the prawn shells. You can use pre-made stock if you’d like, or you can also substitute chicken stock in a pinch.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 676Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 289mgSodium: 1389mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 5gSugar: 10gProtein: 41g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate.
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