Shrimp Alfredo – Spend With Pennies

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If you’re looking for an easy weeknight dinner that comes together quickly, this is a dinner winner!

This shrimp Alfredo recipe has fettuccine noodles tossed in a homemade Alfredo sauce with tender, buttery garlic shrimp and it’s on the table in about 30 minutes.

plated Shrimp Alfredo with pan full in the back

You can make it from scratch in about 30 minutes.
The sauce is rich and made from scratch with just a few ingredients.
Perfectly seasoned shrimp cooks quickly and has great flavor.
This recipe is versatile; add asparagus, broccoli, or other veggies.
Skip the hefty bill—it’s restaurant quality made at home.

Ingredients to make Shrimp Alfredo labeled: heavy cream, shrimp, salt & pepper, fettuccini, garlic, lemon zest, parmesan, and butter.

What You’ll Need To Make Shrimp Alfredo

Shrimp: Use medium (41-50) or large (31-40) whole shrimp for this recipe. Buying peeled and deveined with the tail off saves time. You can choose tail on or off—tail off is easier to eat, but I love the presentation of tail on. If using precooked shrimp, add in Step 6 and cook until just warmed through.

Cream: Heavy cream is used in this recipe for the signature flavor and texture of an alfredo sauce—and it thickens beautifully.

Butter: I use salted butter; if using unsalted, you may need to add extra salt to the sauce.

Cheese: Cheese adds a lot of flavor to this recipe. I use fresh Parmesan and grate it myself for the smoothest sauce. You can use pre-shredded cheese—the sauce will still be delicious but not quite as smooth.

Pasta: A classic Alfredo sauce pairs well with fettuccine, but other shapes like linguine or spaghetti are great options, too.

Ingredient Swaps and Variations

For a new flavor, change the seasoning on the shrimp to Cajun or Greek seasoning.
Fresh shrimp can be replaced with canned, drained crab or small canned shrimp.
Swap the shrimp for chicken (adjust cooking time as needed).
Add steamed broccoli, cooked spinach, or roasted asparagus for a pop of freshness.

adding parmesan to pan to make sauce for Shrimp Alfredo

adding shrimp to sauce to make Shrimp Alfredo

How to Make Shrimp Alfredo

Cook fettuccine to al dente, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
Saute the shrimp in a large skillet and remove it from the pan.
Make the Alfredo sauce (recipe below). Remove from heat.
Stir in shrimp. Toss with fettuccine and garnish with parsley.

Storing Shrimp Alfredo

If you plan on storing leftovers, I’d suggest keeping the sauce separate. Reheat alfredo sauce over low heat on the stove while whisking. It will separate slightly, but continue whisking, and the sauce will come back together and be just as good as new.

If you’ve mixed the pasta and sauce and have leftovers, they’ll keep up to 3 days. Add a bit of milk and reheat in the microwave on 50% power, stirring occasionally. The sauce may separate a bit.

Shrimp Alfredo can be made ahead and frozen for up to one month without the pasta. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as directed.

What to Serve With Shrimp Alfredo…

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Shrimp Alfredo

This shrimp Alfredo recipe makes tender and sweet shrimp coated in a creamy sauce and served over hearty fettucini noodles.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook al dente (just until cooked). Drain, reserving ½ cup pasta water. Set aside.
While pasta is boiling, heat 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
Toss shrimp with garlic, lemon zest, salt & pepper. Add to the heated pan and cook just until shrimp turns pink, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, bring remaining 4 tablespoons butter and cream to a simmer. Let simmer about 5-7 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Stir in parmesan cheese and a pinch of nutmeg.
Remove from the heat and stir in the shrimp with any juices. Toss with cooked fettuccine adding additional pasta water if needed.
Garnish with fresh parsley and additional parmesan.

How much is a pinch? It’s just a very teeny tiny bit; pinch a little bit from the spice jar (less than 1/8 teaspoon) and add it to the sauce. Be sure not to add to much!
Do not rinse (or oil) the pasta; the starches on the pasta help the sauce stick to it.
Be sure not to boil or simmer the cheese as it can separate at a high heat.
Remove the sauce from the stove before adding the shrimp and shrimp juices. This will help keep it from overcooking.
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Pasta, Seafood

Cuisine American

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