This Creamy Shrimp Pasta reminds me of my favorite dish at Olive Garden. The creamy Alfredo sauce generously coats the juicy shrimp and noodles. Your family will be humming with every bite and will request it for dinner again and again. One of our favorite shrimp recipes!
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If you cook the sauce while the pasta is on the stove, you can be done with the entire meal in under 30 minutes. It’s so simple and has a short list of ingredients, but tastes restaurant quality. This homemade creamy shrimp pasta is way better than going out because it’s not overly salty like dining out tends to be and you don’t get the big bill at the end of your meal #winning!!
Watch How to Make Creamy Shrimp Pasta Recipe:
This is one of the best reviewed recipes on our blog and for good reason (read the glowing reviews here). Creamy shrimp pasta is super easy and tasty! Many of you have told me that you love it more than Olive Garden’s Shrimp alfredo, which is an amazing compliment.
Want to Substitute the Wine?
No problem! Here is a great white wine substitute: squeeze some lemon juice into the sauce after adding the cream, adding the lemon juice to taste (about 1/2 medium lemon) then season to taste with salt, pepper and paprika. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice, not concentrate.
Make-Ahead tip: This pasta tastes just as good the next day! Add a splash of milk and reheat slowly over lower heat until very warm/hot but not simmering. As with any alfredo pasta, reheating over high heat will cause the cream to separate and liquify into butter.
Funny how that little bit of black pepper, parsley and parmesan cheese really fancies it up at the end, making it look and feel like fine dining. It’s the perfect time to whip out that hand cranked pepper mill to set the mood! 😉
Pasta Recipes to Explore:
These are the most popular pasta recipes on our blog – the top rated and best loved.
- Shrimp Scampi Pasta – Can you tell we love shrimp pasta recipes?
- Lasagna Casserole – All the classic flavors of Lasagna made easy!
- Slow Cooker Lasagna – This one has a make-ahead option
- Spaghetti and Meatballs – The juiciest meatballs we’ve tried!
- Chicken Tetrazzini – A must try, creamy chicken pasta bake
⬇ Print-Friendly Shrimp Pasta Recipe:
Creamy Shrimp Pasta Recipe (VIDEO)

Ingredients
- 3/4 lb fettuccini pasta
- 1 lb large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (21-25 ct)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion, (medium), finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/3 cup white wine, I used Chardonnay
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp Sea salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp paprika, or to taste
- 1 Tbsp Parsley, finely chopped, to garnish
Instructions
- Add 3/4 lb pasta to a pot of boiling water with 1 Tbsp salt and cook according to package instructions until al-dente. Drain without rinsing and set aside.
- While pasta is cooking, prepare the shrimp and sauce. Season shrimp with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and 1/4 tsp paprika. Place a large, non-stick pan over medium/high heat and add 1 Tbsp oil. Once oil is hot, add shrimp in a single layer and cook 2 min per side or just until cooked through and no longer translucent. Remove to a separate dish to prevent overcooking.
- In the same hot pan, add 2 Tbsp butter with finely chopped onion and sauté until soft and golden (3-5 mins), stirring often. Add minced garlic and sauté another minute until fragrant. Stir in 1/3 cup white wine and boil down until there is only 25% of the liquid left.
- Stir in 2 cups cream, bring to a light boil then simmer 2 min. Sprinkle sauce with 1/3 cup parmesan cheese and stir just until creamy and smooth. Let it come just to a simmer without boiling then turn off the heat and season sauce with more salt, pepper and paprika to taste.
- Stir in the drained pasta and cooked shrimp, tossing until noodles are well coated in sauce. Serve in warm pasta bowls with a generous sprinkle of finely chopped parsley, more parmesan cheese and some freshly cracked black pepper.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Tools We Used in this Recipe (Amazon affiliate links):
Boos Dark Cutting Board
Glass Mixing Bowls
Blue Staub Pan with Lid
5 1/2 Qt Dutch Oven Pot
Cook’s Knife
Love shrimp? Explore all of our top shrimp recipes here. I hope this easy shrimp pasta becomes a new favorite for you!
P.S. Because I’ve had loads of questions about omitting the wine – I think the wine really makes the flavor in this dish next-level delicious but if you prefer not to use it, the recipe still works, just replace it with chicken broth, season the sauce to taste and add a splash of lemon juice for extra flavor.
Hi there! I made this recipe tonight. I used coconut milk instead of cream. It was a hit! My 7 year old loved it! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!
This recipe was a hit with my daughter but the shrimp had a really fishy smell for me and my husband. This is the first time I used raw shrimp. But I just bought today (frozen) and it was already cleaned and deveined. My cooked shrimp never had such a strong smell. Is this how it’s really supposed to taste like or you prepare your shrimp a certain way before to get rid of the smell?
Thank you!
Hi Kristina, I’m so glad the recipe was a hit! It should not smell fishy, but it should have the regular shrimp “smell”. It could be the shrimp or the method used to defrost it.
Very easy and so delicious! Will be making this one again!
Thank you for the wonderful review!
Very easy meal that everyone loved. I will make this on a regular basis. I skipped the onions just because someone doesn’t care for them.
Thank you for sharing that with us!
Made this tonight. As with every one of your recipes it was outstanding. Another one added to my list.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review.
How would it work to use already prepared shrimp cocktail shrimp? Could they they just be heated other ingredients? I have them and want to use them.
Hi Debi, it’s easy to overcook pre-cooked shrimp; I worry it will turn out rubbery. If you happen to experiment, I’d love to know how you like it!
Natasha….I love to cook and I am a good cook if I may say so! I grew up in Europe, then Louisiana then San Diego. You know I can cook! I love all your recipes. I use them ALL the time! Thank you! I appreciate you! BTW…I am looking for a crab meat enchilada recipe with a creamy white sauce. I cant find one anywhere. Can you help me please?
Hi Lura, I’m happy to know that you’re enjoying my recipes! I don’t have a recipe for that yet but I’ll take that as a suggestion. Thanks for the idea!
Allergic to shrimp. Do you have a Chicken Alfredo pasta recipe?
Hi Liz, I imagine this will work fine with a chicken substitute. You can also try my Pesto Chicken Pasta recipe.
Is this like an alfredo recipe?
Hi Emma, yes it is a shrimp alfredo recipe. I hope you love it!
Another winner! This was delicious! I am making it again this week. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Natasha, this recipe was very easy and WOW delicious!! I never got a chance to take a pic…gone in seconds!! Lol.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Hi Natasha,
Just wanted to say thank you foe the great recipe! It was easy, quick, with minimal prep and the portions were perfect for two adults and two teenage boys. No leftovers and lots of thank you’s! Only think I changed was I added half whipping cream/half coconut milk and then at the very very end added in a whole bunch of spinach for greens.
Thanks again! Loving your recipes!
And I followed your advice about lemon as a substitute for the chardonnay. Thanks again!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Is there anyway to cut the 40 percent of salt from this receipt. So many of us are on a salt free diet because of health and are looking for better recipes.
Hi Vicki, most of the sodium is in the added salt and the parmesan cheese so I would probably cut down both of those first, although it will definitely affect the flavor. You might try squeezing fresh lemon juice over the finished dish for a little more depth of flavor if cutting salt.
So good just made this for dinner. Easy to follow recipe. Thanks so much for making dinner easy and yummy!
You’re welcome, Lorraine! I’m happy you enjoeyd that.
A wonderfully tasty & easy entree! Chardonnay hard to beat, but suspect any white wine would be great. Thanks, Natasha, for another terrific recipe!
I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe, Rick! Thank you for that wonderful review!
Creamy and smooth sauce!
Thank you!
Hi Natasha, I wanted to make this shrimp recipe for Christmas Eve but was hoping to cook it before my family comes over. Can I prepare the whole recipe including shrimp, put it in the refrigerator then simmer it on low heat when ready to eat or will it not taste as good? Thank you for your feedback.
Hi Renee, that should work. We always try to eat fresh seafood, but you definitely can reheat it. It is safe to reheat shrimp/ seafood; you don’t want to re-cook it, so warm over medium/low heat until the desired temperature is reached. As with any creamy pasta, the cream can separate and become buttery if you overheat it.
This is the BEST shrimp pasta dish! My family LOVED it! I used a decent Chardonnay – not sure if that made the difference. So so good! Will def make this again.
That is wonderful! Thank you for sharing that with us, Michelle. I appreciate it!
This recipe is amazing! Made it tonight and it quickly became a favorite dish
Love it! Thanks for sharing that with us, Melanie. I hope that you’ll love every recipe that you’ll try!
Love this recipe, but can I make it ahead of time? And keep the sauce and pasta separate until serving time.
Hi Diana, we always try to eat fresh seafood, but you definitely can reheat it. It is safe to reheat shrimp/ seafood; you don’t want to re-cook it, so warm over medium/low heat until the desired temperature is reached. As with any creamy pasta, the cream can separate and become buttery if you overheat it.
I have made this recipe over a dozen times and it’s simply amazing. Better than any restaurant dishes. Thanks so much. Great flavor and plenty of sauce for leftovers.
Hello Dave, so great to hear from you, and thanks for sharing that with us. I’m glad this recipe has become one of your favorites!