Quick, easy, and hearty, this Shrimp Alfredo recipe comes together with simple ingredients. It's perfect as fast weeknight dinner or for entertaining guests!
12ouncesshrimpthawed and peeled (tails optional) (338g)
4clovesgarlicminced
1cupheavy cream(240ml)
¾cupgrated parmesan cheese(60g)
¼teaspoonground black pepper
1tablespoonchopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until tender, about 9 minutes.
While the pasta cooks, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook until opaque and pink, about 3 minutes. Remove shrimp from the skillet to a bowl and set aside. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and garlic. Saute until the garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 1 minute.
Add the cream to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the parmesan until melted. Stir in ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
Drain the pasta, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta water, and cover to keep the pasta warm.
Add the drained pasta and cooked shrimp to the skillet and toss until coated. If the sauce is too thick, add a small amount of reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce up. Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.
Notes
I don’t recommend swapping out the heavy cream as milk or half and half will make the sauce more watery. You want the sauce to be creamy and luscious, so it coats the pasta and shrimp. The sauce also won’t be as rich if you switch out the heavy cream.
Shrimp cooks very quickly, so keep an eye on the skillet! Once the shrimp goes from translucent to opaque, the shrimp is ready.
If your Alfredo sauce is thin, you can add more parmesan cheese. However, add it after tossing the pasta and shrimp in the sauce. The starch from the pasta will help thicken the sauce as you toss everything together.
Make sure you use a large enough pot and enough water when you cook the pasta. This ensures you give the noodles enough room, so they don’t stick together. Having enough water in the pot will also give starch from the pasta a chance to dilute, so it does not coat the pasta, making the texture gluey. Stirring the pasta will also help.
Don’t let the fettuccine alfredo with shrimp sit out for too long before serving it. The Alfredo sauce will start drying up as the dish cools, leading to the pasta clumping together.
Make sure you reserve some of the pasta water. The starchy liquid will make the sauce silky and smooth.