Shrimp Alfredo Recipe

My shrimp Alfredo pasta is creamy, garlicky, rich homemade sauce tossed with Cajun-seasoned juicy shrimp and served over tender spaghetti. A delicious, comforting, and surprisingly easy dinner in just 30 minutes!

You know those go-to recipes that you turn to time and time again? Well, this creamy Shrimp Alfredo recipe is one of my personal faves. This simple dish comes together in record time yet is a complete showstopper on the dinner table.

It cooks up in a flash, perfect for when I’m short on time but still want to make my weeknight meals sing. However, it’s also luxurious enough for when I want to spoil my guests with a 5-star dining experience at home! If you’re looking for an elegant, easy, and flavorful pasta recipe, this shrimp Alfredo fits the bill!

What Is Alfredo Sauce?

This decadent white sauce made mainly of butter, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese is ideal over pasta, pizza, or even mashed potatoes. Some Alfredo sauce versions add garlic, parsley, nutmeg, or Italian herbs, depending on your likes. It’s a rich, velvety, cheesy sauce that takes pasta from good to out-of-this-world!

Recipe Ingredients

1. Shrimp – Jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, make the best seafood for a quick recipe for shrimp Alfredo.
2. Seasonings – Creole seasoning, garlic, thyme, and Italian seasoning recipe add depth of flavor and make this dish pop!
3. Butter – What can’t butter make better? It’s the perfect fat for any roux.
4. Dairy – The recipe calls for whipping cream, milk, cream cheese, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese to give pasta tangy, nutty, umami notes.
5. Pasta – Long pasta such as spaghetti, fettuccine (fettuccine Alfredo?), and angel hair pasta deliver that restaurant-worthy experience!

How to Make Shrimp Alfredo Pasta

Follow along with my easy instructions to learn how to make shrimp Alfredo pasta.

• Cook the pasta to al dente (follow the package instructions). Then drain and set aside. (Photo 1)
• Cook the Shrimp – Heat a skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil, then add the shrimp and let them set for 30 seconds before flipping. Add Creole seasonings, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook for 4-5 minutes, flipping until both sides cook evenly. Set aside. (Photo 2)
• Sauté Seasonings – Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and then add butter, garlic, thyme, and Italian seasoning. Sauté for 1-2 minutes or until garlic is soft and fragrant. (Photo 3)
• Sauce – Turn down the heat to medium-low. Whisk in cream and milk, then add cream cheese while continuing to whisk until thoroughly blended. (Photo 4)
• Add Cheese – Add grated parmesan cheese and continue to whisk until smooth. Reduce heat to a simmer, then season with salt and pepper to taste. (Photo 5)
• Toss – Continue to simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce starts to thicken. Turn the heat off, add the pasta, and toss with the shrimp. Serve immediately. Or let it cool, then store it in the fridge until ready to serve. (Photo 6)

Recipe Variations

1. Protein Swap: Substitute the shrimp with other seafood, such as scallops or crawfish. Or opt for some ham, sausage, or grilled chicken, depending on your tastes.
2. Veggie Add-Ins: Almost any vegetable ramps up this dish. Steamed broccoli, asparagus, and sautéd mushrooms with garlic provide extra nutrients and a burst of color!
3. Cheese Switch: No Parmesan on hand? Romano, fontina, and mozzarella make great substitutes!
4. Final Touch: Serve lemon wedges with your pasta so you can squeeze them on your shrimp Alfredo for more flavor.
5. Florentine: Make this a shrimp Alfredo florentine pasta with half a cup of sauteed spinach.

Tips and Tricks

1. If you’re using frozen shrimp, defrost them before cooking. Just place them in a colander and run cold water over them. Toss them and let them sit for a few minutes. They should completely defrost in 10 minutes.
2. To get your Alfredo sauce to stick to the pasta, reserve some pasta water after cooking. Then add the hot pasta right to your cream sauce with the reserved pasta water and cook for about a minute.
3. Dairy-based sauces can curdle if cooked at a high temperature for too long. Cooking on medium-low heat until just heated through is the safest option. Resist the temptation to boil the sauce. Dairy products with a higher fat content also prevent curdling since skim milk curdles more quickly than fattier options.

Make-Ahead Instructions

Shrimp Alfredo Pasta is most delectable hot from the skillet! However, if you want a head start, cook the sauce the day before and refrigerate it in an airtight container. Then gently reheat it in a skillet the next day before adding the shrimp and pasta.

Serving and Storage Instructions 

Serve this deliciousness as soon as it’s ready, hot off the stove.

Cream-based sauces freeze well for four months if you stir them up while heating. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, put it in a saucepan, and whisk it to emulsify your sauce.

Shrimp Alfredo pasta will last in the fridge for 4 days in an airtight container, making for some mighty tasty leftovers! The sauce may be a little thick. So I reheat it in the skillet until the sauce is smooth and creamy, adding a splash of milk if necessary. And, yes, you can nuke it in the microwave for a few minutes until it’s hot.

FAQs

What to Serve with the Pasta

Pasta and garlic bread were meant to go together! I love serving Shrimp Alfredo pasta with savory homemade garlic bread or garlic knots recipe. And a side of strawberry spinach salad salad recipe or sauteed spinach balances the flavors and adds color and texture to the table.

More Lightning-Fast Pasta Recipes to Try

1. Jerk Chicken Pasta
2. Seafood Pasta
3. Taco Pasta
4. Creamy Mushroom Pasta
5. Easy Taco Spaghetti

Conclusion

Shake up your weeknight dinner rotation with this lively and luscious Shrimp Alfredo Pasta! In the mood for more tasty pasta dishes that the whole family will love? Sign up for my newsletter to receive new ideas each week!

Watch How to Make It

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This blog post was originally published in December 2019 and has been updated with additional tips and new photos.