This creamy garlic shrimp pasta is a quick and easy 30-minute meal for a perfect weeknight dinner. SautΓ©ed shrimp in a deliciously creamy garlic sauce, with Parmesan and fresh parsley, tossed with your favorite pasta. Is your mouth watering yet?
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If you're looking to switch up your weeknight dinner rotation (and impress your family while you're at it), then this creamy garlic shrimp pasta is the meal for you! And since you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry already, whipping up this recipe will be a snap.
Anyone who knows me is well aware that pasta dishes are my go-to on a regular basis. I'm sure it has a lot to do with my Italian ancestry. Linguine with clams is one of my favorites, along with shrimp fettuccine alfredo, or Spanish sardines pasta, or penne with cream and smoked salmon, or maybe even a big heaping serving of baked ziti with a side of garlic knots.
They're all such satisfying comfort foods. But put together some shrimp with a creamy sauce and garlic...oh mannnnn.
π¦ What size shrimp should I use?
We usually buy large shrimp, which means that there are about 31-35 shrimp per pound. So for this recipe, since I used a half pound, we each got about 8 or 9 shrimps each. Use whatever size and as many as you like, though!
π€ Any particular pasta?
In our house, we enjoy creamy garlic shrimp served over pasta...any shape will do. But if pasta is not your thing, you can also enjoy it by itself or served over rice.
π§Ύ Ingredients
- Your favorite pasta shape
- Shrimp
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Dry white wine (or seafood or chicken stock)
- Heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley
See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and their measurements.
β¨ Ingredient notes
- Shrimp - Use whatever size and as many shrimp as you like. We usually use the large size, which means that you'll get about 8 to 9 shrimp per person, per half pound of shrimp. But if you like smaller shrimp or even colossal size, go for that!
- Dry white wine - This is certainly optional. If you prefer not to use wine in your recipe, just substitute with seafood stock or chicken stock instead.
- Heavy cream - Should I get heavy cream or whipping cream or heavy whipping cream? I get this question all the time. Answer: They're exactly the same. Different brands call it different things, that's all. If you don't have either handy, use half-and-half instead...the sauce just won't get quite as thick.
- Parmesan cheese - Buy the best you can find and afford. Real imported Italian Parmigiano Reggiano has a delightfully crumbly texture and sooooo much more flavor than any American brand I've ever tried. The extra cost is almost always worth it.
- Parsley - While you could use dried parsley, I recommend using fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley. It not only looks prettier, but tastes better too.
π₯ How to make creamy garlic shrimp pasta
Start a pot of boiling salted water on the stove and cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
Peel and devein shrimp and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
While the pasta is cooking, add butter and oil to a large pan and heat up over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add shrimp and sautΓ© for a few minutes until they've curled up and turned pink on all sides.
Next, add garlic and sautΓ© for 30 seconds to 1 minute (be careful not to burn it!). Then add the wine or stock and cook for 1 more minute.
While the wine/stock is cooking, use a wooden spoon to scrape up any cooked-on bits on the bottom of the pan (this is flavor, flavor, flavor!).
Add the heavy cream, Parmesan, and parsley, and stir. Turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the sauce is cooking, grab a spoon and taste it now and then, and add salt and pepper as needed. Since Parmesan tends to be salty, though, and if you used seafood or chicken stock, that may add even more salt...be careful. This is why you taste, and taste again. Oops, too salty? Add a little more heavy cream and let it simmer for an extra minute.
Finally, toss the cooked and drained pasta with the sauce. This will ensure that all the pasta is evenly coated with delicious flavor. Garnish with more Parmesan and fresh parsley, and enjoy with a slice of crusty homemade bread and a glass of pinot grigio.
Looking for more delicious dinner recipes? Check out a few of our favorites now!
- Easy Homemade Garlic Knots
- Spaghetti with Canned Clams and Fresh Tomato Sauce
- Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo
- Linguine with Clams (Linguine alle vongole)
- Spanish Sardines Pasta
- Penne with Cream and Smoked Salmon
- Baked Ziti with Ricotta and Italian Sausage
- Shrimp Scampi with Garlic and Lemon
- Seafood Newburg
- Shrimp Tacos with Avocado, Grapefruit, and Creamy Cilantro Sauce
- No-Knead Herb Infused Ciabatta Bread
- Italian Almond Cake
- St. Joseph Pastries
Did you make my Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta? Let us know in the comments below!
π Recipe
Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces of your favorite pasta shape
- Β½ pound large shrimp (about 18), peeled and deveined
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic (about 2 teaspoons), minced
- ΒΌ cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc (or substitute with seafood stock or chicken stock)
- Β½ cup heavy cream
- ΒΌ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
- Extra Parmesan and parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Start a pot of boiling salted water on the stove and cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
- Peel and devein shrimp and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
- While the pasta is cooking, add butter and oil to a large pan and heat up over medium heat.
- Once the pan is hot, add shrimp and sautΓ© for a few minutes until they've curled up and turned pink on all sides.
- Next, add garlic and sautΓ© for 30 seconds to 1 minute (be careful not to burn it!).
- Then add the wine or stock and cook for 1 more minute. While the wine/stock is cooking, use a wooden spoon to scrape up any cooked-on bits on the bottom of the pan (this is flavor, flavor, flavor!).
- Add the heavy cream, Parmesan, and parsley, and stir.
- Turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the sauce is cooking, grab a spoon and taste it now and then, and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Finally, toss the cooked and drained pasta with the sauce. This will ensure that all the pasta is evenly coated with delicious flavor. Garnish with more Parmesan and fresh parsley, and enjoy with a slice ofΒ crusty homemade breadΒ and a glass ofΒ pinot grigio.
Notes
- Tasting the sauce: While the sauce is cooking, grab a spoon and taste it now and then, and add salt and pepper as needed. Since Parmesan tends to be salty, though, and if you used seafood or chicken stock, that may add even more salt...be careful. This is why you taste, and taste again. Oops, too salty? Add a little more heavy cream and let it simmer for an extra minute.
- Suggestion: If you enjoy this, then you're gonna love our shrimp fettuccine alfredo!
Charlie M.
Just made it, it tasted amazing! So tasty and creamy!
maplewoodroad
Thanks so much! So glad you enjoyed it! π
maplewoodroad
Wow, thanks so much! We're so glad you enjoyed it! π