This shrimp alfredo recipe is packed with tender shrimp in a rich, creamy and cheesy Parmesan sauce. This restaurant quality Shrimp Alfredo Pasta is impressive, easy to make and one of our favorite shrimp pasta recipes!
Fettuccine Alfredo with Shrimp
Fettuccine Alfredo is one of the most delicious and easy pasta recipes. Creamy homemade Alfredo Sauce made with garlic and Parmesan cheese is topped with tender buttery shrimp elevating a simple pasta dish into a decadent meal perfect for serving on weeknights or on special occasions.
Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo Ingredients
- Shrimp – Fresh or frozen and thawed out. I use large shrimp, peeled, deveined and with the tails off.
- Butter – To make Alfredo sauce, I prefer using unsalted butter so I have better control of the salt level. If you only have salted butter at home use it.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic is best however, you can use granulated garlic as well. Substitute the fresh garlic with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Heavy Cream – You can use Half and Half or whole milk if you prefer but, heavy creams makes the creamiest, richest, most decadent Alfredo sauce.
- Grated Nutmeg – All you need is a pinch! Nutmeg adds wonderful flavor to any cream based sauce. Freshly grated nutmeg is best but I must admit, I always reach for the “grated in a jar” one just for convenience. If you don’t have nutmeg at home, skip it!
- Parmesan Cheese – Nothing compares to freshly grated Parmesan cheese however, if you are short on time or would like to make this Alfredo recipe a bit more budget friendly, you can get pre-shredded Parmesan or grated Parmesan cheese (no judgment here! I have done it several times). Keep in mind that grated Parmesan (the one sold in a plastic container with a green lid) tends to make the sauce a bit grainy.
- Parsley or Basil – Fresh parsley or basil makes this creamy shrimp pasta pop! It adds freshness to this rich and creamy dish.
- Pasta – When it comes to pasta Alfredo, fettuccine seems to be the most classic noodle to use. However, you can use linguine or any short shape pasta like penne, fusilli or farfalle.
How to Make Shrimp Alfredo
- COOK THE PASTA: Bring salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. Cook the pasta until al dente and then drain, reserving some of the cooking water.
- COOK THE SHRIMP: While the pasta is cooking, season the shrimp with salt and pepper to taste. Melt some of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the shrimp for about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and set aside.
- MAKE THE ALFREDO SAUCE: In the same skillet, melt the remaining butter and cook the garlic until it becomes aromatic. Whisk in the heavy cream and the nutmeg and simmer for a few minutes. The sauce will thicken a bit. Turn the heat to low and add the Parmesan cheese stirring constantly until the cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper to taste and return the shrimp to the skillet.
- TOSS THE SHRIMP ALFREDO WITH THE PASTA: Toss in the pasta until the pasta is well coated. Top with the fresh parsley or basil and some extra Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve immediately!
The Best Creamy Shrimp Pasta from Scratch
Traditional Alfredo sauce is made with a handful of simple ingredients. Butter, cream, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, ground black pepper and garlic.
Reserving the cooking pasta water is a must. The starchy pasta water creates an emulsion that helps make the creamy sauce smooth, velvety and absolutely perfect.
Another way to make fettuccine Alfredo, is by making the sauce with a roux made from butter and flour. Although, this is not the classic method, the sauce is a bit more stable and easier to reheat.
How Do You Know If The Shrimp Is Cooked?
First, let’s keep in mind that shrimp cooks very quickly. When shrimp is raw it has a grayish-white color and it looks a bit translucent. As it cooks, the shrimp turns opaque and has a whitish-pink color. The shrimp also curls up a bit resembling the letter “C”. At this point the shrimp is tender and perfectly cooked.
Overcooked, chewy and rubber shrimp curls up into an O shape.
What Can I Add to Store Bought Alfredo Sauce?
If you have homemade Alfredo sauce (or premade store bought sauce) you can toss it with any pasta shape and add diced ham, bite size pieces of cooked chicken or turkey. Vegetables like asparagus, chopped into small pieces and broccoli florets are also great additions.
Why Did My Alfredo Sauce Break?
Cheese sauces like this Alfredo sauce usually break (that’s when the butter or oil in the sauce separates from the rest of the ingredients breaking the emulsion) because it was heated too much or too quickly. If you keep the sauce warm for an extended period of time, the sauce can break as well.
Changes in temperature, for example chilling the sauce in the refrigerator and then heating it up can result in a oily mess when the emulsion breaks. Microwaving Alfredo sauce is not a good idea. If you need to reheat the sauce, do it on the stove top, slowly over low heat.
Can You Cook With Frozen Shrimp?
In theory, yes you can boil frozen shrimp in a pot of hot water. To make Shrimp Alfredo, I prefer to defrost the shrimp before I cook it. An easy and super quick way to defrost shrimp is to place the shrimp in a colander under cold running water.
Should I Defrost Shrimp Before Cooking?
Yes, to make fettuccini Alfredo I thaw out the shrimp in the refrigerator before cooking them. If you are short on time, you can defrost the shrimp by placing the shrimp in a colander under cold running water.
How To Store and Reheat Shrimp Alfredo
Shrimp Alfredo pasta is best served immediately after it is cooked. The sauce tends to separate when reheated and shrimp can easily overcook. If the sauce is already tossed with the noodles, the pasta can get very dry.
If you need to reheat the sauce, place it in a saucepan and warm it up slowly over low heat. Pasta Alfredo (already mixed with the noodles) can also be reheated in a 325 degrees oven in a baking dish, covered. You may need to add a tablespoon (or more) of water to the baking dish to add some moisture.
Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
Fettuccine Alfredo with Shrimp Recipe Tips
- Shrimp cooks very quickly. It only takes about 2 minutes of cooking time per side.
- If your Alfredo sauce looks a bit thin, don’t worry. When tossing the pasta with the sauce, the pasta will release some of its starch, making the sauce a bit thicker.
- If your shrimp pasta Alfredo is too thick, add some cooking pasta water and toss to combine.
- Alfredo Pasta is best served immediately after it is ready. The sauce can be reheated on the stove top but must be heated slowly. otherwise it separates.
- Make seafood Alfredo pasta by using other seafood like scallops or crawfish.
- Other proteins, like chicken or sausage can be used to make this dish.
- Learn more about buying shrimp, shrimp types and sizes in this post by Jessica Gavin.
What goes with Shrimp Alfredo?
A nice light salad of greens with a light vinaigrette like this Greek Salad Dressing is always a great side dish to serve with any creamy pasta dish. Garlic bread or breadsticks are also very popular when serving pasta.
You can Serve This Creamy Alfredo Pasta with Shrimp with some of these side dishes as well:
Take a Look at These Other Easy Shrimp Recipes:
- Cajun Shrimp Pasta
- Shrimp Ceviche
- Grilled Shrimp Skewers
- Shrimp Pad Thai
- Tom Yum Soup (Thai Hot and Sour Soup)
- Mojo Shrimp Kabobs
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Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fettuccine or any pasta of your choice
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined, tails on or off
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups heavy cream
- A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for garnish – optional
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley or chopped basil.
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions.
- Rinse and pat dry the shrimp. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook for about 1-2 minutes per side or until the shrimp turns pink. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and add the remaining butter to the skillet. When the butter is melted, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute scraping the bottom of the skillet to release any brown bits. You want the garlic to become aromatic but not to brown .
- Whisk in the heavy cream and add the nutmeg. Simmer for 4-5 minutes or until just thickened.
- Turn the heat to low and whisk in the Parmesan cheese, stirring continuously, until the cheese has melted. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
- Drain the pasta reserving about 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid.
- Add the shrimp and the pasta to the skillet and toss well. You want to toss the pasta for 1 to 2 minutes so it has time to absorb the sauce. If the pasta gets a bit dry, add some of the reserved cooking pasta liquid.
- Sprinkle with parsley or basil and serve immediately topped with some extra Parmesan cheese (optional).
Video
Chef’s Tips
- Shrimp cooks very quickly. It only takes about 2 minutes of cooking time per side.
- If your Alfredo sauce looks a bit thin, don’t worry. When tossing the pasta with the sauce, the pasta will release some of its starch, making the sauce a bit thicker.
- If your shrimp pasta Alfredo is too thick, add some cooking pasta water and toss to combine.
Stacie Brown says
I love this recipe. I used chicken that i cooked in my instant pot then shredded it and shrimp. I also use thin spaghetti made from chickpeas. It was amazing.
Kathy says
Thank you! Sounds like you did a great job.
Reesa Lewandowski says
This was so easy and delicious! Even my picky kids ate it! Thank you!
Kathy says
Thank you for your feedback Reesa! I really appreciate it!
julie says
I made this recipe last night my son is a alfredo fanatic and he said it was delicious!!! I will make it again. Thanks
Kathy says
Thank you! Glad you liked it.
Karly says
I could eat this ever day! Thanks for sharing!
Aisha says
Súper creamy indeed! Making this again on Saturday for my husband’ birthday.