Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Easy Shrimp Alfredo
Shrimp Alfredo makes a generous twirl of fettuccine, with tender shrimp tucked into the creamy Parmesan sauce. Garlic gives the sauce a savory edge alongside the shrimp.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 10 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Seafood
- Cuisine
- Italian American · Italian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Prepare shrimp before starting sauce
Thaw and peel the shrimp first so they're ready to cook after the cheeses have joined the sauce.
2. Help cream cheese melt in
Once butter melts and the skillet warms, use a spoon to work cream cheese into the sauce.
3. Reduce gently before Parmesan
Let the smooth cream cheese sauce bubble gently, stirring occasionally, before adding Parmesan and then shrimp.
Get to know the ingredients
Thawed peeled shrimp
The listed raw shrimp should be thawed and peeled, with tails kept or removed as you prefer.
Softened cream cheese pieces
Soften cream cheese and cut it into smaller pieces before heating with butter, cream, broth and garlic.
Freshly grated Parmesan
Grate the Parmesan before stirring it into the reduced sauce, letting it cook briefly before adding shrimp.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 7 steps completeMake room for Easy Shrimp Alfredo
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Season and toss with fettuccine
Once the shrimp are cooked, season as needed, toss with drained al dente pasta and serve immediately.
A little more help as you go
Pasta water can loosen sauce
You can use a little hot pasta water if the Alfredo becomes thicker than you'd like.
Forgotten cream cheese can be softened
You can use short microwave intervals to soften cream cheese if it wasn't taken from the fridge earlier.
A few questions you might have
Do I sear shrimp in another pan?
They go directly into the prepared Alfredo sauce after the Parmesan stage, stirring occasionally as they cook.
Can I thaw shrimp under water?
The directions put frozen shrimp in a colander under cool running water until thawed before cooking.
Does garlic cook separately before cream?
It starts in the skillet with butter, cream cheese, cream and broth, rather than getting a separate sauteing stage.
When should I boil the fettuccine?
Start the salted pasta pot after preparing shrimp, cooking fettuccine al dente while making the skillet sauce.
Does the sauce boil rapidly to reduce?
The directions call for gentle bubbling once cream cheese is incorporated, with occasional stirring during that reduction.
Any more cooking tips?
You can microwave the cream cheese for 20-30 second intervals if you forget to take it out of the fridge in time for it to soften up. If at any point the sauce gets too thick for your tastes, thin it out with a bit of the hot pasta water. This pasta is also on page 49 of the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials cookbook.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: saltandlavender.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
