Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta With Mushrooms

A skillet filled with creamy shrimp pasta recipe with fettuccine noodles.

4.95 from 20 votes

Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta With Mushrooms

Creamy Shrimp Pasta is a comforting meal, consisting of sauteed mushrooms, homemade Alfredo sauce, al dente fettuccine pasta, and large succulent shrimp. Make this dish in 30 minutes as a tasty midweek dinner!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 547kcal

Author: Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

Equipment

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

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.

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.

Nutrition