This Shrimp Alfredo recipe is a restaurant-worthy dinner that’s surprisingly easy to make, and ready in just 30 minutes! Rich and creamy homemade alfredo sauce is tossed with tender fettuccine and perfectly juicy shrimp.
Prep Time10 minutesminutes
Cook Time20 minutesminutes
Total Time30 minutesminutes
Ingredients
12ozfettuccine pasta
2tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil
1poundshrimp, peeled, deveined with tails removed
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2cupsheavy cream
8tablespoonsunsalted butter
4clovesgarlic, minced
1 ¾cupgrated parmesan cheese
Ground black pepper, to taste
Parsley, optional garnish
Instructions
Cook the fettuccine pasta in well-salted water until al dente using the instructions on the box. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Once the pasta is cooked and drained, rinse it with cold water and set aside. (You do not need to rinse the pasta if it is done at the same time as the sauce, just add it directly to the pasta sauce after being drained!)
While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil.
Once the oil is hot, add shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Cook on one side until the shrimp become pink, about 2 minutes. Then flip them over and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until they are pink, opaque, and loosely curled. Remove the cooked shrimp from the skillet and set them aside. Return the skillet to the stovetop.
In the same hot skillet, add 8 tablespoons unsalted butter and stir until melted. Then add the garlic, sautéing for 30 seconds. Then add heavy cream and grated parmesan cheese.
Bring to a simmer over low-medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Taste and season the alfredo sauce with salt and pepper. Add the cooked fettuccine to the skillet and toss the pasta so that the alfredo sauce coats the pasta. Remove from heat.
Add the cooked shrimp and lightly toss with the pasta and alfredo sauce. (As your sauce cools, it will thicken. If you want to thin the alfredo sauce, add small increments of the reserved pasta water until the sauce thins to your desired consistency.)
Serve immediately with a sprinkle of parsley on top, if desired.
Notes
Storage: Alfredo sauce will separate and become oily once stored and reheated, this dish is best served fresh! However, you can store any leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
Al Dente Pasta: Be sure to cook your fettuccine “al dente,” to have a firm pasta for this dish. Follow the instructions on the box for al dente, or cut off 3 - 4 minutes of the cooking time if it doesn’t tell you specifically how to cook it al dente. Over-cooking pasta will result in mushy noodles, which are not great, especially in a thick Parmesan sauce.
Tender Shrimp: Shrimp cooks very quickly. To make sure they’re cooked correctly, cook the shrimp only until they are pink and opaque (not see-through). Overcooking shrimp will make them rubbery, so take them off the heat as soon as they are done.
To Rinse or Not to Rinse. Rinsing cooked pasta in cold water will help keep it from sticking together while you are preparing the sauce. However, if your pasta is done at the same time as your sauce, don’t bother to rinse it. Just drain the noodles and put them directly into the alfredo sauce.
Perfect Alfredo Starts with the Ingredients. Speaking of the sauce, let’s be clear: grated parmesan cheese, unsalted butter, and heavy cream are the trifecta in alfredo making! Those are the base ingredients in making the perfect alfredo sauce! If you use jarred parmesan cheese (you know, the kind in the green can?) instead of freshly grated parmesan, it will make the sauce thicker. That’s okay - you can use a little pasta water to thin it to your desired consistency. But grated parmesan really does make the best sauce.
Black Pepper: Freshly cracked black pepper will really add a lot more flavor to your dish! It’s worth the extra step!
Seasoning Options: For a Southern twist to this recipe, season the shrimp with Old Bay or Cajun seafood seasoning. Yum.