Creamy Shrimp Pasta is an ultra-comforting seafood dish that can be made in 30 minutes with al dente pasta, cheesy sauce, mushrooms, and succulent pink shrimp.
The shrimp are seasoned with red pepper flakes, paprika, and garlic, and each serving is topped with a sprinkling of freshly chopped basil or parsley.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- This prawn pasta is an incredibly easy seafood pasta dish, loaded with flavor and made in just 30 minutes!
- The creamy sauce in this recipe is comforting and rich - an ideal alternative to traditional Alfredo sauce.
- There are so many ways to vary this dish; you can be confident that the whole family will love it!
This creamy shrimp pasta can just as easily be enjoyed as a sophisticated dinner for guests as it can be a no-fuss midweek family meal!
🛒 Ingredients
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Note: The full list of this recipe ingredients with their amounts and options are listed in the recipe card below.
- fettuccine pasta or linguine pasta- cooked to al dente
- extra-virgin olive oil
- large shrimp- without shells and deveined
- fresh garlic
- dried basil
- paprika
- kosher salt
- red pepper flackes
- mushroom - we used crimini
- half and half
- parmesan cheese
- mozzarella cheese
🗒 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Cook and drain pasta. Set it aside.
- Cook the shrimp in an oiled skillet with garlic and seasoning until the shrimp is pink on both sides. Set aside.
- Cook the mushroom in the same skillet with oil until soft.
- Add half and half to the mushrooms, and add the shrimp back. Simmer and add half of the cheese. Once melted, add the rest of the cheese and simmer.
- Remove from heat. Add the pasta and stir on medium-low heat. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley or basil.
🔪 Equipment
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Large skillet
- Liquid measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
🤔 FAQs
These are the questions we are most frequently asked about making this creamy garlicky shrimp fettuccine pasta recipe.
Basil, mint, cilantro, rosemary, sage, thyme, and parsley are all herbs that pair well with prawns.
Both prawns and shrimp are decapods, meaning they have external skeletons and 10 legs. While shrimp and prawns are often considered the same, they’re different creatures entirely.
Shrimp pasta goes well with fresh green salads, roasted vegetables, and garlic bread.
Cayenne pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic or garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and dried herbs such as basil are all great options for seasoning shrimp.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- You only need to cook your fettuccine or linguine until it is al dente since it will continue to cook when combined in the skillet with the other ingredients.
- You can stop the pasta from clumping by running it under cold water or adding some olive oil to it while preparing the sauce, prawns, and mushrooms.
- Ensure your shrimp is adequately cleaned and deveined before seasoning and cooking. Feel free to use regular-sized shrimp, small shrimp, or even jumbo shrimp when making this dish. It’s also important not to overcook the shrimp since they will cook further once combined with the pasta, sauce, and mushrooms.
- If you’ve chosen to use pre-cooked or leftover cooked shrimp, only add them to the pasta and sauce towards the end of the recipe so that they don’t become tough and rubbery.
- If the sauce becomes too thick while simmering, add a few tablespoons of water (regular or reserved pasta water).
- To ensure an ultra-creamy sauce, don’t add all of the cheese into the sauce mixture at once. Melt half of the cheese first, followed by the remaining cheese.
📚 Variations
- Use gluten-free pasta for dietary needs.
- Other types of pasta, such as linguine, penne, rigatoni, or ziti, can be great alternatives since they’re easy to toss in the sauce.
- Salmon or prawns can be used instead of shrimp.
- Create a vegetarian dish by removing the shrimp and adding in extra vegetables such as mushrooms, zucchini, or eggplant.
- For an extra creamy sauce, use cream or coconut milk.
- Make a vegan dish by omitting the shrimp, cheese, and half and half. Nutritional yeast can be mixed to add a cheesy flavor; coconut milk can replace the half-and-half.
- Adjust the spice level of this dish by including some cayenne pepper and increasing the paprika and red pepper flakes.
- You can make your own half-and-half by combining ½ cup of milk with ½ cup of heavy cream.
🥫 Storage
Creamy Shrimp Pasta can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet, adding in some water, chicken stock, or milk should the stored pasta have soaked up a lot of sauce during storage.
You could also freeze this dish for up to 1 month, but I prefer to eat seafood soon after cooking.
📗 Related Recipes
Shrimp can make an ordinary meal into something worthy of presenting to dinner guests. Here are some other recipes to cook with shrimp:
- Pesto Shrimp - This dish contains zesty basil pesto, white wine, mushrooms, juicy shrimp, and tender pasta.
- Shrimp Stir Fry - Ditch the usual Asian flavors of traditional stir fry with garlic, lemon, oregano, hot pepper flakes, tomatoes, and arugula over your choice of pasta.
- Spicy Shrimp Creole with Italian Rustic Polenta - Plump and juicy shrimp are smothered in a rich tomato sauce, and served with rustic polenta!
🍽 Serve with
Serve this creamy prawn pasta alongside a refreshing cucumber salad, roasted asparagus, parmesan roasted broccoli, or garlic bread.
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
There’s something special about the combination of pasta and succulent shrimp. Combine that with a creamy Alfredo-like sauce, spices, and soft mushrooms, and you instantly have a winning dish that no one will be able to turn down - at least not in my experience!
I love family meals that deliver flavor with the added convenience of being made in one pan in just 30 minutes. This creamy shrimp pasta ticks all the boxes, which is why it’s a family favorite in my house!
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
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📝 Recipe Card
Creamy Shrimp Pasta is made with a homemade Alfredo sauce, parmesan and mozzarella cheese, tender fettuccine, mushrooms, red pepper flakes, paprika, juicy pink shrimp, and a sprinkle of freshly chopped herbs. It’s made in 30 minutes as an easy and comforting main meal.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
📖 Recipe
Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta With Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 8 oz. fettuccine pasta may substitute with linguine **
- ½ cup pasta water save when pasta is done
- 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound extra-large shrimp 26-30 without shells and deveined.
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 8 oz. crimini mushrooms may use white, thinly sliced
- 1 cup half and half
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
Cook the Pasta:
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions - it should be al dente. Save about ½ cup of the water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
Cook the shrimp:
- Heat a large skillet on medium-high then add 2 Tablespoons the olive oil and add the garlic and shrimp.
- Cook the shrimp first on one side of about 1 minute until pink.
- Turn the shrimp over. Sprinkle the top of the cooked side of the shrimp with the basil, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, and kosher salt. Stirring occasionally, cook for another 1-2 minutes until the shrimp is pink on both sides.
- Transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside. The shrimp may not be completely cooked at this point but they will finish in the sauce.
Cook the mushroom:
- Add the sliced mushrooms to the empty skillet. Add another Tablespoon of olive oil if the mushroom stick.
- Cook on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushroom release their juices and become soft. Sprinkle with a bit of salt halfway through the two minutes.
Cook the sauce:
- Add the half-and-half to the mushrooms in the skillet as well as the cooked shrimp. Bring to a low simmer.
- Add half of the cheese (both both parmesan and mozzarella)to the sauce. Bring to simmer again and cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts.
- At this point gradually start adding the remaining cheese while stirring. Do this slowly -- do NOT add all the cheese at once. You want the sauce to get creamy.
- Remove from heat and taste. Add more salt if you think it needs it.
- Add the cooked and drained pasta to the skillet with the shrimp, mushrooms, and cream sauce. Reheat on medium-low heat while stirring.
- If the cream sauce seems too thick and you want it thinner -- add some of the reserved pasta water to the sauce. Do this in small increments while the sauce is simmering on medium-low heat until you reach the desired consistency.
- Taste the sauce. Season with a bit more kosher salt and red pepper flakes if desired. Sprinkle with a bit of fresh chopped parsley or chopped basil.
Notes
- You only need to cook your fettuccine or linguine until it is al dente since it will continue to cook when combined in the skillet with the other ingredients.
- You can stop the pasta from clumping by running it under cold water or adding some olive oil to it while preparing the sauce, prawns, and mushrooms.
- Ensure your shrimp is adequately cleaned and deveined before seasoning and cooking. Feel free to use regular-sized shrimp, small shrimp, or even jumbo shrimp when making this dish. It’s also important not to overcook the shrimp since they will cook further once combined with the pasta, sauce, and mushrooms.
- If you’ve chosen to use pre-cooked or leftover cooked shrimp, only add them to the pasta and sauce towards the end of the recipe so that they don’t become tough and rubbery.
- If the sauce becomes too thick while simmering, add a few tablespoons of water (regular or reserved pasta water).
- To ensure an ultra-creamy sauce, don’t add all of the cheese into the sauce mixture at once. Melt half of the cheese first, followed by the remaining cheese.
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