Creamy Shrimp Alfredo Pasta is a classic restaurant meal that is super easy to make. Made with cream, parmesan cheese, shrimp, and butter, you can have this delicious shrimp dish on the table in under 30 minutes!
When you want a decadent rich restaurant meal but don’t feel like leaving the house, shrimp Alfredo pasta is a great option. Other restaurant-style recipe favorites include Bang Bang Shrimp, Baked Ziti, and Jack Daniel’s Chicken and Shrimp!
This creamy shrimp alfredo is a tried and true recipe that you will want to share with all of your friends and family. If you’re a fan of good quality jarred Alfredo sauce then you will go crazy over this creamy, rich homemade Alfredo sauce.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Shrimp
- Fettucine noodles
- Fresh garlic
- Heavy cream
- Butter
- Parmesan cheese
- Paprika
- Salt & Pepper
How To Make Creamy Shrimp Alfredo Pasta
Start by bringing a large pot of water up to a boil and salting it generously. Season the shrimp with salt, pepper, and paprika, then cook it for 1-2 minutes on each side in a hot skillet coated with oil. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and set it aside. Add the butter, fresh garlic, and red crushed pepper. Cook for 10 seconds. Add the heavy cream and parmesan cheese, and season with salt and pepper. While the sauce thickens, cook the fettuccine in the boiling salted water according to packaging instructions. Toss the cooked pasta in the thickened sauce, add the shrimp, garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and enjoy!
Tips For The Perfect Pasta
- I highly suggest using real butter and fresh parmesan cheese for this recipe. It makes all the difference! You can also add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes for a little spice if desired.
- Make sure that your shrimp is peeled and deveined before cooking.
- Not a fan of fettuccine? Use any pasta that stands up well to a creamy sauce. Bucatini, spaghetti, and penne pasta are all great substitutions.
How Do You Know When The Pasta Is Done?
There’s really only one way to know if pasta is done, and that’s to taste it! Cooked pasta should be al dente, meaning firm to the bite, or literally “to the tooth” in Italian.
If you overcook your pasta, it won’t hold up to a thick sauce like alfredo, so be sure to only cook it as long as directed by the package instructions.
Can You Add White Wine To Alfredo Sauce?
Absolutely. In fact, I highly recommend adding some to elevate this garlic shrimp alfredo. Make sure to add it after you add in the butter. Let the wine reduce by half, and then pour in the heavy cream.
Can I Use Chicken Instead Of Shrimp?
Chicken pairs perfectly with fettuccine alfredo. I recommend using chicken breast meat. Season it just like you would season the shrimp and cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces if you like.
What Should I Serve This With?
Since shrimp alfredo pasta is so filling, it pairs best with a simple side salad or a vegetable like steamed broccoli or Roasted Parmesan Brussel Sprouts. You can also serve this shrimp pasta dish with Cheese Garlic Biscuits for an authentic meal.
How Long Does Shrimp Alfredo Last?
This pasta dish is best when served fresh, but if you have leftovers, they will last for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Keep in mind that reheated shrimp may be a little tougher in texture than freshly cooked shrimp.
I’m certain that you will love this homemade shrimp alfredo recipe even better than the restaurant version!
More Delicious Recipes You’ll Enjoy:
Creamy Shrimp Alfredo Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp oil
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 tsp red crushed pepper optional
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/2 lb fettuccine pasta
- fresh parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
- Season the shrimp with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Heat a large skillet with high sides over medium-high heat and add some oil.
- Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side.
- Remove the shrimp from the skillet and set aside.
- Add butter, garlic, and red crushed pepper to the skillet and cook until fragrant.
- Add the heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
- While the sauce is thickening, add the fettuccine noodles to the pot of boiling water and cook according to the instructions on the package.
- When the pasta is cooked al dente, strain it from the water.
- Season the thickened alfredo sauce with salt & pepper.
- Stir in the cooked fettuccine and shrimp, add more parmesan cheese, garnish with fresh parsley if desired and enjoy!
Took a chance on this recipe for my daughter’s birthday dinner. I was pleasantly surprised that it tasted so yummy. I used hot paprika by mistake, but it gave it a little bite coupled with the red pepper flakes. Can’t believe I have been buying jars of Alfredo sauce until now. Never again! This recipe will be my go-to for special dinners. Thank Julie 🙂
I’m honored you used this recipe for such an important dinner! So glad you guys enjoyed it 🙂
Made this recipe last night with shrimp and scallops is was absolutely delicious. Definitely making this one again. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it Carol 🙂
I cook a lunch for my girlfriend every Friday. This was a big hit. Served it with some sweet carrots.
So glad you guys enjoyed it 🙂
Excellent! I’ve been looking for a really good Alfredo recipe and this one is a keeper!
Thank you 😊 followed step by step and came out perfect. I used bow tie pasta.
Great!
Very good. We had our doubts when we didn’t see any flour in the recipe. We will make this again. It is so hard to read the recipe. New to this thing. Thanks
I’m starting to take an interest in cooking because let’s be honest eating out gets repetitive and boring. I made this for my dad and my sister and they loved it! My dad gave me the thumbs up to remake so you already known how much of a hit this was. Thank you so much it came out delicious!
Just made this for the family and the vote was “It’s a KEEPER”! So simple but OH SO GOOD! I added a little basil to the sauce and YUM! Thanks so much for sharing this!
So glad you and the family enjoyed it, Diane! Thanks for the comment 🙂
I was always hesitant to make this recipe and thought could not come close to what it tasted like in a restaurant, Then I tried your recipe for the first time and turned out great. Thank you It was a simple dish to make !!!
Hey Julie! I’m so grateful for your recipes, I saw this the new post yesterday on the way home from work. Made it for the family last night.. In all honest, now that I’ve been using your recipes and putting in the effort cooking, I’m not in the doghouse with the wife anymore!!! Thanks Julie you’re the best. Much appreciated.. Keep up the great work, a lot of us need you and your recipes!!