Shrimp Alfredo
Shrimp Alfredo is a dish we all know and love! This easy recipe features seasoned and sautéed shrimp served atop a bed of tender noodles tossed in a decadent homemade alfredo sauce. It’s an easy to make restaurant staple that’s perfect to serve as a weeknight dinner with family, or at a more upscale dinner party!
Shrimp Alfredo
When I see Shrimp Alfredo listed on the menu at a restaurant, you can believe that’s what I’m ordering. Extra alfredo sauce, please! With that being said, I can completely, truthfully say that I’ve never had a serving of Shrimp Alfredo that comes close to this homemade recipe before. Maybe it’s the perfectly tender, flavorful shrimp? Maybe it’s the decadent and creamy alfredo sauce?
Or, just maybe, it’s both of those perfect elements combined in every last bite. The shrimp are seasoned simply with a little garlic powder, salt, and pepper, so that they’re flavorful but not totally overpowered. The creamy alfredo sauce consists of butter, heavy cream, half and half, lemon zest and juice, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and a light sprinkle of nutmeg.
Yes, nutmeg! I promise you won’t taste any crazy fall flavors in this Shrimp Alfredo. The nutmeg adds the lightest element of warmth to the sauce that makes it even richer than it already is, and it’s pretty divine. Trust me, you’ve never had a store-bought jar of alfredo sauce that’s this rich, creamy, decadent, or delicious before.
How to Make Easy Shrimp Alfredo
From start to finish, this recipe will take you about 30 minutes or less. It’s a great quick and easy weeknight dinner!
- Sauté the shrimp. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle garlic powder, salt, and pepper over the shrimp. Sauté the seasoned shrimp in the melted butter for about 2 minutes per side. Once cooked, transfer the shrimp to a platter and keep warm.
- Boil the pasta. Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta to it and cook according to package directions. Once cooked, drain the pasta.
- Make the sauce. Melt more butter in the skillet. Whisk in the cream and half and half. Bring it to a simmer, then turn off the heat. Whisk in the lemon juice and zest. Add a cup and a half of the parmesan and keep stirring until smooth. Stir in the nutmeg.
- Enjoy! Stir the pasta and sauce together with the remaining shredded parmesan cheese. Fold in the shrimp, then garnish however you’d like and serve immediately.
Tips for the Best Shrimp Alfredo
- Don’t overcook your shrimp! Once they start turning opaque in color and start curling into C shapes, they’re done cooking. If you cook them for too long, they’ll be rubbery.
- You can use frozen shrimp if you’d like! Just make sure they’re completely thawed prior to cooking. To thaw, just let the frozen shrimp sit in the fridge for about 8 hours before you plan on cooking them.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice is a must. Do NOT use lemon juice from concentrate or one of those little plastic bottles of lemon juice that are filled with artificial flavors and preservatives. You’ll need the zest of a fresh lemon, so you may as well squeeze the juice from that very same lemon as well!
Storage
Once your shrimp alfredo has totally cooled to room temperature, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat either in the microwave or right back on the stove top.
I don’t recommend freezing this Shrimp Alfredo. The super creamy sauce won’t hold up well once frozen and thawed.
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Get the Recipe: Shrimp Alfredo Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds Large Shrimp, 16-20 count, peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 8 ounces fettuccine pasta
- 8 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup half and half
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- Fresh chopped parsley and basil, if desired
Equipment
- 1 skillet
- 1 stockpot
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle the seasoning mixture evenly over the shrimp and toss to coat.
- Add the shrimp to the pan and cook over medium heat until bright pink, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Flip the shrimp and continue cooking until no longer translucent (the shrimp will form the letter C when just about done cooking), approximately 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer the shrimp to a platter and keep warm.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat.
- Add the pasta to the water and cook according to the package directions for al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce.
- Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel and melt the butter in the pan over medium heat.
- Whisk in the cream and half and half.
- Heat the cream to just a simmer and turn off the heat.
- Whisk in the lemon juice and zest.
- Add 1 1/2 cups of cheese stirring until smooth.
- Stir in the nutmeg.
- Add the pasta to the sauce with the remaining cheese tossing to coat until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Fold in the shrimp and garnish with the fresh parsley, basil and more cheese, if desired.
- Serve immediately.