One of my favorite pasta dishes of all time is shrimp fettuccine alfredo. I love shrimp, I love pasta and I love rich creamy sauces. So, it’s fitting that this is one of my favorites.
The most important part of this recipe is really the sauce. Once you master the art of making a great alfredo sauce, you can do just about anything with it. You can very easily change the pasta, the protein, and add in whatever vegetables you want. But, while alfredo sauce can be very easy to make, it can also be very easy to mess up. The goal is to end up with a smooth and creamy, thick rich sauce.
Tips for making Shrimp fettuccine Alfredo:
1. Follow the instructions on making the sauce. I tend to be a “just throw ingredients in the pot” kind of person, but that doesn’t work well with alfredo sauce.
2. Splurge and get the big shrimp. I find that the smaller the shrimp are, the more “shrimpy” they taste. The larger shrimp have a better flavor and texture than the smaller shrimp. Oftentimes, I will buy big shrimp for the flavor and texture but cut them in ½ or in ⅓rds to make them go further.
3. Get creative and add in any vegetables that you would like. I usually add in either asparagus, broccoli, or mushrooms. Since the vegetables cook so quickly, I tend to just add them into the sauce at the very end, right before serving. The heat from the sauce cooks the veggies pretty quickly.
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Ingredients for making Shrimp fettuccine Alfredo:
Pasta:
- 8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 quarts water
Sauce:
- ½ cup salted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon garlic-minced (½ teaspoon for a milder taste)
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese-grated
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper-freshly ground
Shrimp:
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp (21-30 per pound)
- 1 teaspoon garlic-minced
- ½ teaspoon cajun seasoning-Old Bay
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to make Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo:
1.Make the pasta: In a medium to large-sized pot, boil 3 quarts of water with 2 teaspoons of salt. Once boiling, add fettuccine and boil for 11 minutes or until pasta is al dente.
2.While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt ½ cup butter over medium heat. Be careful not to burn the butter. Once butter is melted, pour in1 cup of heavy cream and stir well for 2-3 minutes. Once the mixture starts to simmer, add in 1 tablespoon of garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Use a whisk to combine all ingredients evenly. Add in ¾ cup of parmesan cheese and continue to whisk together. The cheese will start to get melty. It’s important that you continue to whisk the ingredients together so that the cheese does not separate from the cream. Turn heat to low, continue to slowly whisk until shrimp is cooked. The sauce will thicken as it reduces in temperature.
3.While the sauce is thickening, make the shrimp: In a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon of minced garlic and saute garlic for 1-2 minutes. Using thawed shrimp, pat them dry and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cajun seasoning on both sides. Once the butter has melted, add shrimp and cook for 1 minute on each side or until the shrimp turn bright pink. Leave the shrimp in the large saucepan as you will be adding the pasta and sauce to this same pan.
4.Combine all ingredients: (If your saucepan is not large enough to combine all ingredients, you can serve the pasta and add the sauce and shrimp on top separately.) Add pasta and sauce to the large saucepan with the shrimp. Using tongs, mix together and serve.
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Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo
Print Recipe Pin RecipeEquipment
- Large pot
Ingredients
Pasta
- 8 ounces fettuccine (uncooked)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 quarts water
Sauce
- ½ cup butter (salted)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced (use ½ teaspoon for a milder garlic taste))
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese (grated)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (freshly ground)
Shrimp
- 1 tablespoon butter (salted)
- 1 pound shrimp (21-30 per pound-peeled and deveined)
- 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoon cajun seasoning (old bay)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
Make the pasta:
- Make the pasta: In a medium to large sized pot, boil 3 quarts of water with 2 teaspoons of salt. Once boiling, add fettuccine and boil for 11 minutes or until pasta is al dente.
Make the sauce:
- While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt ½ cup butter over medium heat. Be careful not to burn the butter. Once butter is melted, pour in1 cup of heavy cream and stir well for 2-3 minutes. Once the mixture starts to simmer, add in 1 tablespoon of garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Use a whisk to combine all ingredients evenly. Add in ¾ cup of parmesan cheese and continue to whisk together. The cheese will start to get melty. It’s important that you continue to whisk the ingredients together so that the cheese does not separate from the cream. Turn heat to low, continue to slowly whisk until shrimp is cooked. The sauce will thicken as it reduces in temperature.
Make the shrimp:
- While the sauce is thickening, make the shrimp: In a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon of minced garlic and saute garlic for 1-2 minutes. Using thawed shrimp, pat them dry and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cajun seasoning on both sides. Once the butter has melted, add shrimp and cook for 1 minute on each side or until the shrimp turn bright pink. Leave the shrimp in the large saucepan as you will be adding the pasta and sauce to this same pan.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only.
