We thought you might need a little something special to cook your honey (even if you are your own honey). You can make this extra luxurious Shrimp Alfredo at home easily and it feels just as swanky as going out to eat.
The only difference is that it’s way less expensive and way more special since you did it yourself. With this creamy shrimp alfredo pasta, you will earn some extra points.
The following article from Apronese will help you show off your skills to your loved one.
What Is in Shrimp Alfredo?
We call this shrimp alfredo pasta an “Amerifredo” or an American-style alfredo sauce. Authentic Roman alfredo sauce does not contain heavy cream or garlic, and it gets its creaminess and flavor from butter and good Parmesan.
Nevertheless, if you’re familiar with the sort of “alfredo” you get in American restaurants or from American grocery stores, then this recipe will be familiar to you.
The dish is incredibly simple and features a decadent Parmesan cream sauce, tender shrimp, and fettuccine noodles. The creamy alfredo sauce is made from butter, garlic, heavy cream, and Parmesan, and it takes only a few minutes to prepare.
Adding some fettuccine and juicy shrimp to the skillet literally takes three minutes, and your fancy-pants pasta is ready! There’s no reason why you can’t do this one, it’s so easy!
Can Heavy Cream be Substituted?
We don’t recommend replacing the heavy cream, as the low moisture content of the heavy cream allows the Parmesan to melt in smoothly without clumping, as would milk.
If you don’t have heavy cream, you can use milk and cream cheese instead. Cream cheese helps the Parmesan melt smoothly and produces a thick sauce similar to heavy cream. To get an idea of what the sauce should be like, you can refer to our Sun Dried Tomato Pasta.
What Type of Parmesan to Use
As we all know, freshly shredded Parmesan is superior to grated Parmesan that is available in a can, both in flavor and melting capability. However, we would like to point out that if you only have grated Parmesan on hand, use it.
To make sure that the recipe would be tasty no matter what, we tested it with grated Parmesan. And if you find the good kind, you’ll enjoy it even more.
Serving Suggestions for Shrimp Alfredo Pasta
Because this pasta is so rich and creamy, I highly recommend serving it with a simple side salad to help lighten things up. The salad should be dressed with a light vinaigrette to balance the heavy cream and not overpower the pasta.
You can also add some homemade garlic bread to your alfredo sauce to complement the garlic flavor. Garlic bread is always a good idea! To complete the meal, a nice glass of Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc would be perfect!
Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Recipe
This shrimp Alfredo pasta is quick and easy to prepare, but feels luxurious and special when served. This is the perfect dish for a special occasion!
Author: Beth
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined ($4.99)
- 1/2 lb. fettuccine ($0.67)
- 2 Tbsp butter, divided ($0.20)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced ($0.32)
- 1 cup heavy cream ($1.00)
- 3/4 cup Parmesan* ($1.08)
- 1/8 tsp salt (or to taste) ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper (or to taste) ($0.02)
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional) ($0.10)
Instructions
- It is important to thaw the shrimp before you begin; if the shrimp are frozen, thaw and peel before you begin. The tails can be removed or left on, if you wish.
- In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Once the water has come to a boil, add the fettuccine and simmer until tender (7-10 minutes). Reserve 1/2 cups of starchy water before draining the pasta in a colander.
- The shrimp and alfredo sauce can be prepared while the fettuccine is boiling. Peel the shrimp and pat dry with a paper towel. Add salt and pepper to the shrimp, and season them with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- I would like to add one tablespoon of butter to a large skillet over medium heat and swirl to coat the surface of the skillet with butter as soon as it is hot. Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, or just until opaque and pink (don’t overcook the shrimp). After cooking the shrimp, transfer it to a clean bowl and serve.
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a skillet along with a small amount of garlic mince and sauté until the garlic begins to turn fragrant but not to brown. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the garlic is very fragrant but not brown.
- When the heavy cream has been added to the skillet, whisk it to dissolve any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. When the cream has simmered for a couple of minutes, turn off the heat.
- Once the parmesan has melted, add it to the hot cream and whisk until it is combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a medium skillet, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the cooked and drained pasta, as well as the shrimp back to the skillet with the sauce (along with any liquid from the bowl of shrimp). Mix everything until well coated in sauce. If the sauce becomes too thick or too dry, add some of the reserved pasta water to loosen it up.
- The pasta should be tasted, and if needed, more salt and pepper should be added as needed. Sprinkle fresh parsley on top and serve.
*As long as the Parmesan is grated or shredded, this recipe will work.
Nutritional
Serving: 1 serving ・ Calories: 592 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 44 g ・ Protein: 24 g ・ Fat: 36 g ・ Sodium: 852 mg ・ Fiber: 2 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer.
Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Recipe – Step by Step Photos
Prepare 1/2 pounds of medium (36/40) shrimp by thawing and peeling them. Remove the tails, if desired. Leaving the tails on makes them more visually appealing, but harder to eat since you have to remove them with each bite.
You will need to boil a pot of water for the fettuccine. Once the water starts boiling, add 1/2 pounds of fettuccine and continue boiling for 7-10 minutes or until they are tender (7-10 minutes).
Don’t drain the fettuccine until you have reserved 1/2 cups of the starchy pasta water.
The shrimp and alfredo sauce should be prepared in the same time as the pasta. Lay the shrimp on a cutting board and pat them dry with a paper towel, and then season them with a pinch of salt and pepper while they are cooking.
Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet. After it has melted completely, swirl the butter around to coat the surface of the skillet. Once the shrimp has been added to the skillet, add the shrimp in a single layer.
The shrimp should be cooked for about 1 minute on each side, or until they are opaque and pink. Make sure that the shrimp is not overcooked. Remove the shrimp into a clean bowl and serve immediately.
Using the same skillet, place another tablespoon of butter and four cloves of minced garlic in the skillet. Heat the skillet on medium low, adding one tablespoon each of butter and garlic.
Sauté the garlic cloves for about one minute, until they are very fragrant but not browned.
It is recommended to add 1 cup of heavy cream to the skillet and whisk it to dissolve the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet.
Continue to heat over medium-low until the cream reaches a simmer and the bottom of the skillet is clean.
Adding 3/4 cups of grated Parmesan to the simmering cream will help it thicken as the Parmesan will melt in the cream. Season the sauce with 1/8 tsp salt and freshly grated pepper just before serving.
As soon as the pasta is cooked and drained, add the cooked and drained fettuccine and the cooked shrimp to the skillet along with the sauce.
Do not forget to add any liquid that has accumulated in the bowl of shrimp because that will add an additional degree of shrimp flavor to the sauce.
The pasta and shrimp should be mixed together with the sauce until they are completely covered by the sauce. If the sauce becomes too thick or dry, you may wish to add some of the pasta water and toss until it is mixed with the sauce. We recommend you taste the pasta and add more salt or pepper if you wish.
In order to give the dish a bit more color, garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately.
A dish that As long as the Parmesan is grated or shredded, this recipe will work. is sure everyone will love from the first try. Please share this recipe with more people.
