Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook it for 1 minute less than the package directions so it stays slightly firm and can finish in the sauce.

Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the starchy cooking water. Drain the pasta and set it aside.

While the pasta cooks, melt about one-third of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the prawns in a single layer and cook for 1 1/2 minutes, then turn and cook for another 1 minute, just until barely opaque. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with half of the remaining butter and the rest of the prawns.

Add the remaining butter to the same skillet. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 20 seconds, just until fragrant, lowering the heat if the garlic starts to brown.

Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer briskly for about 2 minutes, until the wine has mostly reduced.