We all want the BEST Creamy Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Recipe out there! Who doesn’t love Alfredo sauce smothered in fettuccine pasta with plump shrimp? I’m unlocking a Restaurant secret on making Alfredo sauce in minutes that tastes better than Olive Garden’s Shrimp Alfredo! This shrimp Alfredo recipe is surprisingly easy to make! See How to Make Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo in a shocking way! 

the BEST shrimp alfredo recipe
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There are so many delicious ways to use up Homemade Alfredo sauce! Make an Alfredo Pizza or ladle it over Baked salmon and of course make it a comforting classic dish by tossing Alfredo sauce with fettuccine pasta. Whether you make fettuccine Alfredo or not this white sauce is a staple in so many other dinner recipes!

Shrimp Alfredo Recipe

Our family loves Alfredo never mind shrimp Alfredo! Which is why the sauce matters the most in a shrimp Alfredo recipe, period. It’s crucial to have shrimp Alfredo pasta with a white sauce bursting in flavor, otherwise your Alfredo sauce can ruin the pasta or make fettuccine taste bland. We’ve probably all been there some Alfredo sauces just don’t cut it and jarred Alfredo is certainly far from homemade or that restaurant quality we all want to achieve! So, what makes this shrimp Alfredo pasta stand out?

Well, if you’ve ever had Olive Garden Shrimp Alfredo you may know how delicious Alfredo can be. I mean the pasta dish is phenomenal! However, do you really think the line chefs prepare each serving from scratch? Think again, a head chef actually makes a huge batch early in the morning to keep enough Alfredo sauce throughout the day to make chicken and shrimp Alfredo or fettuccine Alfredo depending on what you order.

creamy shrimp Alfredo pasta recipe

Chef’s Secrets in How to Make Shrimp Alfredo

Which leads me to the next thought. Making alfredo sauce for big crowds is easy! I’ve learned that from a catering chef that hosted wedding events! She actually uses a Knorr’s Alfredo Sauce Mix that she tweaks to her taste! I realized there’s an easier way to make Alfredo sauce not just the classical roux method that you melt the butter, add the flour, and etc…I know you can make shrimp alfredo recipe with jar sauce too but that defeats the purpose of homemade Alfredo sauce that you can please the whole family with.

So, where Am I going with this? Well, if you’ve bought a container of the dry Alfredo mix you’ll know those things are pricey! Besides, reading the ingredient list doesn’t really convince it’s healthy for you either. However, one day it struck that I can make my own Alfredo Sauce Mix and make it instantly although you could keep the dry ingredients stored until needed. Not only is this a HUGE short cut to dinner but the results are astonishing!! Don’t believe me? Wait until you try this Shrimp Alfredo!

plated shrimp Alfredo pasta dish with grated parmesan cheese and parsley

How To Make Shrimp Alfredo

Cooking Shrimp Alfredo should be easy! This recipe delivers just that, I mean you can have Alfredo pasta in as quick as 20-minutes if you wish! I love the make-ahead versatily of this–you can prepare the sauce pour it over fettuccine and keep it in a casserole until it’s ready to be baked and reheated. This can also be done days in advance if you wish.

But what’s remarkably interesting, is that you boil the shrimp in the pot the pasta will be cooking in! Which means your fettuccine pasta will be infused with a salted shrimp broth for extra flavor! How easy is that? No frying pans or extra seasonings it’s all in that Alfredo sauce we’ve discussed!

I truly cannot rave enough about this sauce! Pasta with Alfredo has never been easier! It’s the easiest Alfredo sauce  to make and what matters the most is that flavorful Restaurant taste you get! Loaded with dried and real garlic this creamy sauce is everything I wanted in a homemade Alfredo Sauce!

creamy garlic shrimp Alfredo recipe with boiled shrimp not pan fried

Need more Pasta Sauce Ideas?

Here are some sauces to try!

 FAQ:

Fresh Shrimp vs Frozen Shrimp?

Shrimp is a type of shellfish we see in different forms–shelled or peeled. To cook with frozen shrimp simply thaw in cold water and drain the water before using. Most shrimps still have the tails intact and can be pinched off.

Fresh shrimp should be used in recipes within 2 days of purchasing since seafood can go bad quickly. Leaving the skins on is ideal for baking or grilling, however, if you’re using in a sauce shelling them is a better idea. Using fresh shrimp comes with its benefits like using the peels for a delicious seafood broth packed with nutrition.

Frozen shrimp is typically deveined and ready to use and usually stripped of skins. However, not all shrimp are deveined. To devein shrimp make a slit along the back of the shrimp and remove the vein which is black in color. You don’t want to eat it since it’s the digestive tract. Either types of shrimp are suitable in making Shrimp Alfredo.

What Kind of Shrimp Should I Use?

I prefer large raw shrimp (31/40) for Alfredo. Keep in mind shrimp cooks down and curls when it turns pink so it won’t look as big once the shrimp is cooked.

You can use cooked and ready-to-use shrimp for Alfredo, However add the cooked shrimp towards the end so it doesn’t cook further down. Otherwise, you’ll have mini shrimps in your Alfredo sauce!

What is Shrimp Alfredo?

Have you ever ordered pasta with a white sauce? Well, it’s likely Alfredo sauce (Béchamel.) Shrimp Alfredo is a pasta dish typically served with fettuccine noodles and coated in a creamy garlic sauce known as Alfredo.

There are many different ways to prepare Alfredo sauce, however the most commonly know method is making a roux. To make a roux you would melt the butter first, then whisk in the flour and add the cream and parmesan cheese afterwards. Some Alfredo recipes skip the flour and just simmer down the cream.

However this Shrimp Alfredo recipe is astonishing! It’s prepared similarly to a dry mix where you would whisk together the parmesan cheese, cornstarch and spices and add it to boiling cream. This instantly thickens the sauce!

It’s also such a convenient way to plan dinner ahead or even host big events without making everything from scratch on the big day! I find it super easy to make since a dry mix comes together in a matter of minutes whereas a classic white sauce (béchamel) sauce is done like a roux, flour, and butter–but not this!  Simple ingredients and lots of flavor make this amazing! And it makes the perfect Alfredo sauce to plan for special events and functions!

  • Frugal- so much cheaper than buying a 1lb container of Knorr Alfredo Sauce Mix! And makes plenty of sauce!
  • Vegetarian- gluten-free, and vegan-friendly.
  • Easy Recipe– simple ingredients!
  • Make-ahead for meal prep throughout out the week or future meals.
  • Freezer friendly- got leftovers? Freeze then reheat by spreading over cooked pasta and bake covered until hot.
  • Versatile- use as a pizza sauce, pasta sauce, or ladle over fish and vegetables!

How to Make a Lighter Alfredo Sauce?

To make a lighter version of this classic dish use half and half instead of the cream. You can also make healthier Alfredo by using brown rice noodles instead of durum wheat semolina pasta.

Ingredients Needed?

Making a dry mix is as simple as stirring a handful of ingredients together!

  • Parmesan Cheese- the base to this sauce.
  • Heavy Cream- one quart.
  • Cornstarch- the thickener.
  • Garlic Salt- flavor.
  • Black Pepper- spice.
  • Onion Powder- adds flavor but not over powering.
  • Garlic Cloves- gives a garlic shrimp Alfredo flavor which dried garlic doesn’t deliver.
  • American Cheese- melts to a luscious sauce and gives creaminess.
  • Pasta- one pound of fettuccine.
  • Shrimp- I used 1lb of large 31/40 raw shrimp that I boiled in pasta water.

How To Make Alfredo Sauce:

  1. Combine: the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.
  2. Whisk: together.
  3. To Prepare: boil heavy cream in a medium-sized saucepan. Whisk in the dry mix and stir until thickened. Stir in additional crushed garlic and White American cheese for outstanding flavor! (Optional.)

Cook’s Tip: remove from heat as soon as the cheese melts and the sauce thickens. Avoid excessive boiling as the sauce can separate. 

How To Make Creamy Shrimp Pasta – Step by Step

how to make shrimp Alfredo step-by-step
  1. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 tsp salt and one pound of large frozen shrimp. Boil for 3 minutes. Thawed shrimp should be boiled 2 minutes. (The timing remains the same for shell-on fresh shrimp. See the cooking times for different-sized shrimp below.**)

2. Remove the cooked shrimp and add in the fettuccine pasta (I break the pasta in half.)

How to cook pasta for Shrimp Alfredo

3. Cook pasta (durum wheat semolina) for 11-12 minutes or until al dente.

how to boil fettuccine pasta for Shrimp Alfredo

4. Drain pasta in a colander, and run under cold water. Coat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil to prevent from sticking and set aside.

how to drain fettuccine noodles

5. To Make Alfredo Sauce: Whisk together the parmesan cheese, cornstarch, garlic salt, pepper, and onion powder. Set aside.

how to make an instant homemade alfredo sauce mix from garlic salt, onion powder, cornstarch, pepper, and parmesan cheese

6. Bring 1 quart of heavy to a boil. Whisk in the prepared dry ingredients and stir until sauce thickens. Add the crushed garlic and American cheese** (optional but turns out super creamy.) Stir in the cooked shrimp and remove from heat.

how to make the best alfredo sauce using a quick homemade alfredo sauce mix that s comparable to Olive Garden!

7. Toss the pasta and Alfredo sauce together. Serve immediately or transfer into a casserole dish and bake in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes to fluff pasta up. Delicious!

plated shrimp Alfredo pasta dish with grated parmesan cheese and parsley

Shrimp Cooking Times: Boil shrimp in the recommended times given.

  • Small Shrimp (51/60)- 30 seconds raw or 1 minute if frozen.
  • Medium Shrimp (41-50)- 1 min raw or 1.5 minutes if frozen.
  • Large Shrimp (31/35)- 2 min raw or 3 min if frozen.
  • Jumbo Shrimp (21/25)- 3 min raw or 4 min frozen.
  • Extra Jumbo 16/20)- 4 min raw or 5 min frozen.

How to Freeze Alfredo Sauce?

You can freeze leftover Alfredo sauce that you have prepared if you use this Alfredo Sauce recipe! This recipe makes enough sauce for 1 lb of pasta however, if you wish to use less simply prepare and freeze or make a halved portion of this mix and serve with 8 oz of cooked pasta instead.

  1. Cool completely. This helps minimize the vapor from condensation and can help with frost build up.
  2. Freeze for up-to 3 months or deep freeze for up to 6 months.

To reheat, thaw and bring to a simmer or microwave until hot. You could also spread cold over any type of cooked pasta and bake until heated thoroughly.

Gluten-Free?

I love this Alfredo sauce! Not only is it super easy and tasty but it calls for no flour! Cornstarch is used to thicken the sauce, which makes it gluten-free if pairing with a brown rice pasta!

What Pasta is Best?

I like to use Tress egg noodles from a European market as they tend to be more tender and thin than fettuccine pasta. However, any type of pasta like fettuccine, linguine, or even spaghetti can be used.

How To Make-Ahead?

If you wish to make-ahead simply whisk the dry ingredients together. Place into an airtight container or sandwich bag. Keep refrigerated if using fresh finely grated parmesan cheese.

To Prepare- heat heavy cream in a medium-sized sauce pan until simmering. Whisk in the dry mix and stir until thickened. Stir in the American cheese until melted and remove from heat. Serve coated in 1 lb of pasta.

Leftovers- refrigerate or freeze leftover prepared Alfredo sauce.

Add-ins or Variations:

This Shrimp Alfredo is simple and easy to make! Here are some other ways to flavor your sauce:

  • Bacon: garnish with crumbled bacon!
  • Broth: use it instead of water when cooking the pasta.
  • Cayenne: add some additional heat by adding cayenne pepper or red chili pepper flakes.
  • Sausage- slice your favorite kielbasa or sausage!
  • Vegetables- veggies like broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, or bell peppers would make great add-ins!
  • Chicken- sautéed chicken or leftover grilled chicken slices for extra protein!
  • Mushrooms- white button or baby portobellos.
  • Freshly grated nutmeg
  • White pepper
  • Shrimp-quick-cooking protein (cooks in minutes!)

How to Serve Alfredo Sauce?

We love garlic Alfredo! Even our children eat it without any problems!

  • Add in your favorite toppings to make a complete pasta dish!
  • Ladle it over fish!
  • Pour some in into a pan of sautéed Brussels sprouts!
  • Spread it over a pizza crust!
  • Dip with Garlic knots or Breadsticks!

Can I use Different Pasta?

Fettuccine pasta is the most common kind of dried pasta paired with Alfredo sauce. However, cook any pound of dried or freshly made pasta for this sauce.

How Much does a Pound of Pasta Serve?

One pound of dried pasta serves 8-12 servings. Adult servings is about 2 cups of cooked pasta and children servings can be as little as 1/2 cup -1 cup of cooked pasta depending on the child. Creamy sauces and additional toppings can also be very filling so you may even be able to stretch out the servings even more.

How to Make Alfredo Sauce for 50 People:

Hosting a big event? This easy and fail-proof Alfredo sauce recipe is the perfect way to feed a big crowd!  Simply quadruple this Alfredo sauce recipe. Make the dry mix in advance and add the wet ingredients before the big event! Just remember to quadruple all the ingredients and it will make a gallon of homemade Alfredo sauce that you can serve at weddings, bouquets, and so much more! Serve the quadrupled sauce with 4 pounds of fettuccine pasta.

Rule of thumb add 1 lb of chicken, shrimp, or favorite toppings for every 1 lb pasta. To make a presentable pasta dish always sprinkle with dried parsley and freshly grated parmesan cheese (Olive Garden does that.)

Tools Needed:

Here are some helpful tools to make Alfredo Sauce on the stovetop:

BEST Tips For Making Alfredo Sauce:

  1. Don’t reheat excessively! Since Alfredo sauce usually calls for butter or heavy cream it’s prone to separate.
  2. Garnish your fettuccine Alfredo dish with fresh finely grated parmesan cheese it makes the difference!
  3. No need to make a roux! Once you make this dry mix, it can easily become a favorite sauce (because its so EASY and tasty!)
  4. Stir in pasteurized white American cheese for an ultra creamy Alfredo sauce! A Chef uses it in her Alfredo Sauce in Weddings and Engagement events (no one will notice but it makes it super creamy!)

How To Make Creamy Shrimp Alfredo:

20-Minute Creamy Shrimp Alfredo

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
We all want the BEST Creamy Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Recipe out there! Who doesn't love Alfredo sauce smothered in fettuccine pasta with plump shrimp? I'm unlocking a Restaurant secret on making Alfredo sauce in minutes that tastes better than Olive Garden's Shrimp Alfredo! This shrimp Alfredo recipe is surprisingly easy to make! See How to Make Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo in a shocking way! 

Equipment

  • Stock Pot
  • colander

Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb shrimp (frozen or thawed)
  • 16 oz fettuccine pasta
  • 5 cloves garlic (crushed)

Alfredo Sauce:

  • 1 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
  • 3 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 quart heavy cream
  • 4 oz American cheese** (optional but makes alfredo ultra creamy!)

Instructions

Instructions:

  • Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and frozen shrimp. Boil for 3 minutes (cook 1 min less if using raw shrimp.) Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  • Add 1 lb of dried fettuccine pasta to the boiling water. Cook until tender (11-12 minutes.)
  • Drain pasta and run under cold water. Coat with 2 tbsp of oil and set aside.
  • To Make Alfredo Sauce: Combine the dry ingredients (parmesan cheese, cornstarch, and spices.) Set aside. In a medium saucepan bring the heavy cream to a boil; whisk in the dry ingredients and stir until thickened. Stir in the crushed garlic and American cheese until cheese melts.
  • Stir in the cooked shrimp and remove sauce from heat. Coat pasta with Alfredo sauce and serve garnished with freshly grated parmesan cheese and dried parsley.

Notes

Serves- 8-12 servings. Serve immediately or transfer into a casserole dish and bake in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes to fluff pasta up. Delicious!
**American cheese- makes Alfredo super creamy and stays creamy longer. To omit use cream cheese or skip. A private chef makes Alfredo sauce with it and you won’t even tell! 
To Make-Ahead: Make sauce in advance and store separately from cooked pasta. Pour over cooked noodles and bake for 35-55min or until hot. Serve.
Shrimp Cooking Times: Boil shrimp in the recommended times given.
  • Small Shrimp (51/60)- 30 seconds raw or 1 minute if frozen.
  • Medium Shrimp (41-50)- 1 min raw or 1.5 minutes if frozen.
  • Large Shrimp (31/35)- 2 min raw or 3 min if frozen.
  • Jumbo Shrimp (21/25)- 3 min raw or 4 min frozen.
  • Extra Jumbo 16/20)- 4 min raw or 5 min frozen.

Nutrition per serving

Serving: 1servingCalories: 529kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 19gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 218mgSodium: 1006mgPotassium: 203mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1314IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 316mgIron: 2mg

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