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.
Natasha,
YOU are by far my favorite go to for the best recipes! This surpassed my expectations! Hubby and Granddaughter loved it! I wish I could eat pasta every day…. It when I get to….this is the one!
My husband said…”if we had went out for this meal it would have been over $50 a platel!
Thank you!
Aaw, thank you for sharing that. We are truly blessed to see this message.
I made this for dinner tonight. Your directions were perfect. I followed the recipe to a T and it turned out magnificent!! Everyone loved it and my husband wants me this again. Thank you and Merry Christmas!
I’m so glad it worked out, Sue! Thank you so much for sharing that with me! Merry Christmas!
Thank you so much for your recipes. I have enjoyed a few that I have tried immensely. I trust your taste and follow readily.
I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you!
So amazing! I add bacon pieces and spinach. Cook the bacon first, then cook your onions, garlic, and shrimp in about 2 Tbsp of the bacon grease, instead of butter. Add chopped pieces of spinach to cream, while it simmers. It turns out so creamy and flavorful! Such an amazing recipe! Thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Linz! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe is soooo tasty! Creamy and delightfully satisfying. Thank you!
You’re welcome, thanks for the good review!
Excellent! So flavorful. Easy to follow instructions. I felt like I was eating from my favorite Italian restaurant. My husband loved it. I dislike it when people say how they changed the recipe but I have to admit, I added a little fresh spinach. Makes quite a bit so there is plenty of leftovers. I will definitely make this again. Thank you.
So glad it was enjoyed, Dawn! Thank you for the wonderful review.
I made the shrimp pasta tonight, used linguine instead of fettuccine. Sooo good, will make for company next weekend. I love Natasha’s recipes, they never fail.
Thank you 😊
That’s great, Lydia! So glad you loved this recipe.
Could I substitute angel hair for this recipe? I want a lighter pasta than fettuccini.
Hello Noelle, I have not tested that to advise Feel free to experiment and let us know how that goes!
Hi, would it still taste good if I leave out the wine? I don’t have any on hand but I would like to attend this recipe today. Thank you so much and I am a big fan
Hello Crystle. you can omit the white wine and 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.
The sauce is truly amazing.
I made this with homemade pasta that was too thick, cooked the sauce too hot/long so the shrimp overcooked and the cheese separated, but nobody cared. Rave reviews all around! Thank you for saving me on a hassled night!
That’s wonderful, Steve! So glad this recipe was enjoyed.
Hi Natasha! I cannot use the wine as I am Muslim so can I use lemon juice or do you have another choice for me.
Thank you
Hi, please see the section in the post titled “Want to Substitute the Wine?” I hope you love the recipe!
Hi!
Why are you using Whipping cream instead of heavy cream? I thought whipping cream was more for desserts?
Thanks!
Hi Griselda. They can be used interchangeably. The higher the fat content, the thicker the cream, and the easier it is to whip into stable peaks. That is what makes heavy whipping cream best for dessert. Also, the higher the fat content, the less chance for curdling and separation when heated to make the sauce. You can use a lighter cream if you’d like as well, just be careful to not overheat the sauce as it will separate.
This is a WONDERFUL recipe. Its become a staple at my home. The white wine I use in the recipe is what Helen Rennie calls ‘two-buck-Chuck.’
Thanks for the recipe. I make this a few times a month along with YouTube’s Eva & Harper of ‘Pasta Grammar’ cooked cherry tomatoes & pasta. Forgive me for not remembering the name of the dish.
This recipe takes so little time to make that it’s great for weeknights & weekends! ☺️👍🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Thank you for your good comments and feedback!
My go to recipe! So easy and so forgiving. Smoked paprika makes it so much better! 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Marina!
I planned to make this recipe, but just realized I don’t have an onion. Do you think it would still be okay without it?
Hi Lyuda! I think it will still be fine, it may affect the taste a little, if you have onion powder to use in its place, that would help. 🙂
Hi – Do you know if the sauce thickens because of the pasta? I was wanting to us spaghetti squash in lieu of the pasta to make this a gluten free dinner.
Hi Charlene, I guess the starch from the pasta could help thicken the sauce but this should work just fine with spaghetti squash. The cream in the sauce helps it get thick.
Really interested in trying this recipe ! But Do you cut off the tails off the shrimp ?
Hi Heather! The shrimp is peeled and deveined so their tails are removed. 🙂
I don’t use alcohol in my cooking. What do you recommend to substitute the white wine with?
You can use more broth in its place.
I made this exactly to a t and my family loved it. Is there a way I can make the sauce and freeze the sauce for later.
That’s wonderful Joy! So glad they loved it. I have not tested freezing to advise what the outcome would be once thawed. IF you try it out, please let us know how it works. 🙂
Natasha, Natasha, Natasha, we have had this recipe 5 times and it just gets better and better. I now have to make a double batch for leftovers which is a 1st come 1st served. My husband “demands” this once a week and your meatloaf. You are a star
That’s wonderful, Leah! So glad to hear that.