Dinner can be ready in less than 30 minutes with this easy and decadent Shrimp Alfredo Pasta recipe. Why order when you can make it at home?
Serve with fresh garlic bread for an amazing weeknight dinner.
How To Make Shrimp Alfredo
- Cook the fettuccine.
- Saute the shrimp with garlic, remove from pan and set aside.
- Make the sauce using cream, butter, Parmesan cheese, and seasoning.
- Add the pasta and shrimp back to the pan to coat before serving.
Shrimp Alfredo is a fantastic quick and easy weeknight dinner, but it’s also special enough for guests! What could be better than delicious shrimp and fettuccine pasta smothered in a garlicky cream sauce?
Why This Recipe Works
- Sauteeing the shrimp with garlic adds a punch of flavor to the dish.
- Using Freshly grated parmesan cheese ensures it melts easily into the sauce.
- Finishing the pasta in the sauce allows the sauce to coat the fettuccine and soak up the flavor.
Step By Step Instructions
Cook the pasta in salted water until just under done.
Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Saute the shrimp for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are pink and opaque.
Add the garlic and cook another minute. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside. Using the same pan, heat the cream over low-medium heat.
Add the remaining butter and whisk gently until melted.
Mix in the cheese. Season with freshly grated black pepper.
Drain the pasta, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Add pasta to the pan with the cooked shrimp, gently toss to coat in the Alfredo sauce (adding some of the pasta water if needed to loosen).
Top with more grated cheese and chopped parsley. Serve hot.
Ingredient Notes
- Shrimp – I use large or jumbo shrimp, but you can use any size shrimp you have. Just be sure they are raw, cleaned and defrosted if they’re frozen. Read on for instructions on how to defrost shrimp.
- Pasta: I used Fettuccine, but you can use whatever pasta you prefer.
- Cream: High-fat cream is the best because it thickens as it cooks without the need for thickening agents like flour or cornstarch. Whipping cream is a good global choice.  In America, use heavy cream. In the United Kingdom, double cream works better, and if you’re in Australia, thickened cream is the best choice.
- Garlic:Â Use fresh garlic for the best possible flavor, in a pinch garlic powder or store bought minced can be used as a substitution.
- Butter: I use salted butter, but that’s a personal choice. Unsalted works just as well.
- Grated Cheese: Use hard Italian cheese that will melt easily into the sauce. Freshly grated Pecorino Romano, Parmesan, Grana Padano, or Asiago are all good choices.
- Parsley: I recommend fresh flat-leaf or Italian parsley.
Make ahead and Freezing Instructions
The best way to make it ahead is to make the sauce, chill in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Then to reheat, cook the pasta, and add it to the sauce before serving.
The sauce can also be frozen in an airtight, freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
Erren’s Top Tips
- When cooking pasta, add enough salt to the water to season the pasta. Even the best sauce can’t fix bland pasta.Â
- There’s nothing worse than mushy pasta. For this recipe — it should still have a good bite. I recommend tasting your pasta for doneness about three minutes before the time on the box. You want a good firmness in the center. It will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Some Parmesan cheese is salty, so be sure to taste before seasoning with salt.
- Don’t use oil in your pasta water– it will cause the sauce to just slip off the pasta instead of coating it.
- Be sure to serve immediately as Alfredo sauce will dry out as it cools causing the dish to start to clump together.
If you need to substitute heavy cream in Alfredo sauce you can use sour cream, Greek yogurt, non-dairy substitutes, or cream cheese. All alternatives can be mixed with milk or stock to achieve the best consistency.
Use cheese with lots of flavor that will melt easily into the sauce like Parmesan cheese, Pecorino Romano, Asiago, or Grana Padano.
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Let’s Make
Shrimp Alfredo
A quick and easy Italian pasta dish made up of garlicky shrimp and fettuccine pasta smothered in an indulgent cream sauce.
Prep10 minutes
Cook15 minutes
Total25 minutes
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Instructions
-
Cook the pasta in salted water until just underdone.
-
Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
-
Saute the shrimp for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are pink and opaque.
-
Add the garlic and cook another minute. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
-
Using the same pan, heat the cream over low-medium heat.
-
Add the remaining butter and whisk gently until melted. Mix in the cheese. Season with freshly grated black pepper.
-
Drain the pasta, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Add it to the pan with the cooked shrimp, gently toss to coat in the Alfredo sauce (adding some of the pasta water if needed to loosen).
-
Top with more grated cheese and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Tips + Notes
- Shrimp cook super fast! Depending on size and temperature of your pan, they can cook in seconds so keep an eye on them! As soon as they turn from translucent gray to opaque pink, they’re done!
- There’s nothing worse than mushy pasta. For this recipe — it should still have a good bite. I recommend tasting your pasta for doneness about three minutes before the time on the box. You want a good firmness in the center. It will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Some Parmesan cheese is salty, so be sure to taste before seasoning with salt.
- Be sure to serve immediately as Alfredo sauce will dry out as it cools causing the dish to start to clump together.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 1286 (64%)| Carbohydrates: 85g (28%)| Protein: 49g (98%)| Fat: 84g (129%)| Saturated Fat: 50g (313%)| Cholesterol: 632mg (211%)| Sodium: 1501mg (65%)| Potassium: 474mg (14%)| Fiber: 4g (17%)| Sugar: 2g (2%)| Vitamin A: 2841IU (57%)| Vitamin C: 6mg (7%)| Calcium: 515mg (52%)| Iron: 5mg (28%)
Nutritional Data Disclaimer
Update Notes:Â This post was originally published in August of 2020, but was republished with ingredient notes, make ahead instructions and other updated information in July of 2021.
