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If you want a delicious homemade Shrimp Alfredo recipe, we’ve got you covered! The shrimp are perfectly cooked and pair so well with creamy Alfredo sauce. It’s a winning meal that is great any night of the week.
The Best Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Recipe
Shrimp is one of my favorite varieties of seafood. It cooks fast and easily, is versatile, and tastes great! Combining shrimp with pasta is a great combination. If you are a firm believer that seafood and cheese don’t play well together, this recipe is going to change your mind. You can even make Crab Alfredo (it’s SO delicious, too). The creamy alfredo sauce has just the right amount of cheese flavor from the fresh parmesan but doesn’t overpower the tender shrimp. My kiddos are Chicken Alfredo lovers and this has become one of their favorite dinners.
Give other shrimp pasta recipes a shot and try Cajun Shrimp Pasta and Creamy Shrimp Pasta for your next meal!
Why You’ll Love This Shrimp Alfredo
- Budget-friendly: shrimp is a very affordable seafood and many of the other ingredients are pantry staples, preventing you from spending extra money on this tasty dinner!
- Ready in 30 minutes: From start to finish, this shrimp alfredo recipe takes only 25 minutes.
- Easy to Make: You don’t have to be a seasoned chef to make this shrimp pasta.
Recipe Ingredients
All you need is 7 simple ingredients plus salt and pepper! It’s perfect for a tight budget.
- Fettuccine: Any store-bought fettuccine is great. You can also use any other variety of pasta such as rotini or penne if you prefer.
- Shrimp: I use frozen pre-cooked shrimp because it’s very budget-friendly. I also go with tail on, deveined but you can choose tail off as well.
- Butter: The butter is used to cook the shrimp and also make a roux for the alfredo sauce. Feel free to use salted or unsalted.
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic adds great flavor to the shrimp and the sauce. It’s a key ingredient for Alfredo.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works great in this recipe. It is used as a thickener for the sauce.
- Chicken stock: This adds flavor to alfredo sauce. Veggie stock or broth can also be used.
- Milk: The addition of milk makes it nice and creamy! I use 2% but any milk works wonderfully!
- Parmesan: I skip prepackaged and shred straight off the block for this one. It has better flavor, and texture, and melts so easily.
- Seasonings: Simple sprinkles of salt and pepper are all you need. Add fresh parsley and extra pepper for a garnish.
How to Make Shrimp Alfredo
Here are the super easy instructions on how to make this shrimp alfredo recipe with from-scratch alfredo sauce!
- Thaw shrimp. Use the package instructions to thaw the shrimp.
- Boil water. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons of salt.
- Cook pasta. Add fettuccine and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente. Drain all except 1 cup of pasta water. Place the cooked noodles back in the pot and set aside. The starchy water can be used to prevent the pasta from sticking together.
- Season and cook shrimp. Add the shrimp in a single layer to the skillet and sprinkle with ½ tsp salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until browned. Set it aside.
- Saute garlic. Heat a medium skillet to medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add 1 teaspoon of garlic and cook until fragrant or about 1 minute.
- Cook the remaining garlic. In a separate large skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and add 2 tablespoons of garlic. Cook for one minute.
- Make a roux. Stir in the flour and cook for an additional minute.
- Add stock and milk. Gradually whisk in the chicken stock and then the milk until smooth.
- Simmer. Allow it to simmer at medium-low heat for about a minute or until it starts to thicken and get a creamy consistency.
- Add cheese. Whisk in parmesan cheese until melted.
- Taste test. Sprinkle salt and pepper and then taste to see if additional seasoning is needed.
- Add pasta and shrimp. Toss the pasta and shrimp in the alfredo sauce.
- Garnish and serve. Enjoy and garnish with freshly chopped parsley and cracked black pepper.
Serving Suggestions
Simply veggie sides complement this dish so well. Make shrimp alfredo with Oven Roasted Asparagus or steamed broccoli.
Enjoying bread with cheesy pasta sauce is a must! Try Outback Steakhouse Bread, Olive Garden Breadsticks, or Cheesy Garlic Bread when you make this recipe.
Tips for Success
- Pat the shrimp dry. After the frozen shrimp thaw, it is important to remove excess moisture to ensure they get color while cooking.
- Salt the pasta water. If you want to ensure that this shrimp alfredo has maximum flavor, generously salt the boiling water so the pasta isn’t bland.
- Add spices for a little heat. A sprinkle of red pepper flakes adds a touch of heat that I love! Try it the next time you make this shrimp pasta recipe.
How To Store Shrimp Alfredo
- Refrigerate: Place leftover shrimp alfredo in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: This pasta is best reheated in a saucepan over low heat. The microwave will cause the sauce to separate.
- Freeze: Store leftovers in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating!
More Shrimp Recipes to Try
Shrimp Alfredo
If you want a delicious homemade Shrimp Alfredo recipe, we’ve got you covered! The shrimp are perfectly cooked and pair so well with creamy Alfredo sauce. It’s a winning meal that is great any night of the week.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 pound fettuccine noodles dried
- 1 12 oz frozen shrimp pre-cooked, peeled, tail-on, deveined
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups milk 2%
- 1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese block, not pre-shredded
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- fresh parsley optional for garnish
- black pepper optional for garnish
Instructions
- Thaw the shrimp according to package directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil
- Once boiling, add 2 teaspoons of salt
- Add the fettuccine and cook until al-dente, 8-10 minutes. Keep 1 cup of the starchy cooking water and then drain. Do not overcook.
- Put the noodles back into the pan and cover with a lid until the sauce is ready. (Add the starchy water and stir the noodles if they become sticky before adding to the pasta in the end)
- While the noodles cook, melt 1 Tablespoon of butter in a medium-size skillet.
- Once melted, add 1 teaspoon of garlic and cook for one minute or until fragrant.
- Add the thawed shrimp to the pan. Make sure that the shrimp are in a single layer, and each is contacting the surface of the skillet.
- Sprinkle a ½ teaspoon of salt over the shrimp and lightly dust with pepper.
- Cook each side for 2-3 minutes, or until they are slightly golden brown. (They are already cooked, so you don’t need to worry about undercooking.)
- Once cooked, remove heat and set aside.
- In a large skillet, add 2 Tablespoons of butter and melt.
- Once melted, add 2 Tablespoons of minced garlic and cook for one minute or until fragrant.
- Sprinkle the flour onto the garlic and stir together for another minute.
- Slowly add the chicken broth to the skillet and use a whisk to blend the mixture. Continue whisking until the sauce is smooth. You can use a spatula to try and eliminate larger lumps.
- Allow to simmer for a minute or until it starts to thicken.
- Add the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and whisk until melted.
- Taste to see if additional salt or pepper is needed.
- Remove ½ of the sauce and set aside. (You may not need all of it.)
- Add the pasta and shrimp to the skillet and toss together using a pair of tongs.
- Serve immediately and garnish with freshly chopped parsley and cracked pepper.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Nutrition
Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 879mg | Potassium: 181mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 379IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 302mg | Iron: 1mg
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