Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Shells and Cheese with Shrimp and Peas
Creamy shells and cheese get a sweet, tender addition from shrimp and green peas. White cheddar gives the sauce a rich savory flavor, while garlic and a little chili powder keep each forkful interesting among the soft pasta shells.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 13 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner
- Primary protein
- Seafood
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 31–60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Drain over the peas
Put the frozen peas in the colander and drain the cooked pasta directly over them.
2. Whisk before pouring
Whisk the milk, broth and flour together before adding the seasonings and pouring the mixture into the skillet.
3. Melt the cheese through
Stir the pasta, peas and cheddar into the thickened shrimp sauce until the cheese melts and everything is heated.
Get to know the ingredients
Shrimp
Use peeled and deveined shrimp, cooking them with half the garlic until they turn pink.
Garlic
Divide the minced garlic between the shrimp cooking stage and the milk mixture that forms the sauce.
White cheddar
Shredded white cheddar melts into the skillet after the pasta and peas join the thickened sauce.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 11 steps completeMake room for Shells and Cheese with Shrimp and Peas
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
Stand then stir
Take the skillet off the heat and let it stand three minutes, then stir before serving.
A little more help as you go
Start pasta first
Cook the pasta according to its box while you begin the shrimp and sauce in the skillet.
Thicken before combining
Let the milk mixture thicken in the shrimp pan before adding the pasta, peas and cheddar.
A few questions you might have
Do I boil the peas separately?
Place them in a colander and drain the hot cooked pasta over them, as the directions specify.
When does the cheese go in?
Add cheddar with the pasta and peas after the milk mixture has thickened around the shrimp.
How long does the sauce thicken?
Cook the milk mixture in the shrimp pan for two to three minutes, until it thickens.
Why is the garlic divided?
Half cooks with the shrimp, while the remaining garlic is whisked into the milk and broth mixture.
Should I serve it immediately off the heat?
Let it stand for three minutes after removing the skillet from the heat, then stir and serve.
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: diethood.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.