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Creamy Shrimp Pasta with Mushrooms in a homemade alfredo sauce. The creamy pasta sauce is made with Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese, garlic, basil, crushed red pepper flakes, paprika.
One of the bests ways to cook and eat shrimp is in a luscious creamy sauce with pasta! Some of my favorites are creamy mozzarella shrimp pasta and spicy shrimp pasta with tomato cream sauce.
And, don't forget mushrooms - they go amazingly well with shrimp, as in this pesto shrimp mushroom pasta!
How to make creamy shrimp pasta
1) First, saute shrimp in olive oil, garlic, basil, and paprika.
2) Then, remove the shrimp from the skillet and in the same pan saute some mushrooms.
3) Add cooked shrimp to the skillet with mushrooms.
4) Next, make creamy shrimp pasta sauce. To the skillet with cooked shrimp and the mushrooms, add half-and-half, cheeses, more spices while the sauce simmers. Simmer the sauce, stirring, until the sauce thickens.
5) Add cooked and drained pasta to the skillet with shrimp, mushrooms, and the cream sauce. Reheat on medium heat. Stir well.
How to thicken or to thin out the cream sauce?
- To make the cream sauce thicker, add more cheese, while liquids are hot.
- To make the cream sauce thinner, add reserved warm pasta water (from cooking pasta).
Gluten-Free Friendly Recipe
I've also made this creamy shrimp pasta with gluten-free pasta (I used brown rice fettuccine) - and it was wonderfully delicious! The gluten-free pasta had the perfect texture for this kind of sauce.
Other creamy shrimp pasta recipes:
Creamy Shrimp Pasta with Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 8 oz fettuccine pasta (for gluten free version, use gluten free brown rice pasta)
- ½ cup cooked pasta water (optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb shrimp (10 big shrimp or 20 small shrimp without shells, deveined)
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 8 oz mushrooms thinly sliced
- 1 cup half and half
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- ½ cup Mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
Cook pasta
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain. Reserve some of the pasta water.
How to cook shrimp
- Heat a large skillet until hot - add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and immediately add garlic and shrimp.
- Cook on one side for about 1 minute until pink, on medium-high heat.
- Flip the shrimp to the other side. Sprinkle the top of the cooked side of shrimp with dry basil, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, occasionally stirring, until shrimp is pink on both sides.
- Remove the shrimp from the skillet. If shrimp is a little undercooked - it's OK because you will continue cooking it in the sauce.
How to cook mushrooms
- To the same, now empty, skillet, add sliced mushrooms. Add more olive oil if necessary.
- Cook on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, occasionally stirring, until mushrooms become soft and release juices. Sprinkle with a small amount of salt midway through cooking.
How to make creamy sauce
- To the skillet with mushrooms, add cooked shrimp. Immediately add 1 cup half-and-half. Bring to boil.
- Add half the cheese (½ cup). Bring to boil, and immediately reduce to medium-simmer. Cook, constantly stirring, until the cheese melts.
- Gradually start adding the remaining cheese (½ cup), while stirring. Do not add all of the remaining ½ cup of cheese at once. Add just enough for the sauce to get creamy without getting too thick. You might not use all of the remaining cheese.
- Remove from heat. Taste, and add more salt if needed.
- Add cooked and drained pasta from step 1 to the skillet with shrimp and mushrooms and cream sauce. Reheat on medium heat. Stir well.
- If the cream sauce is too thick and you want it thinner - add some pasta water in small amounts to the cream sauce (while the sauce is simmering on low-medium heat) until you reach desired consistency.
- Season with more salt and add more crushed red pepper flakes and basil, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I used rice noodles instead of regular pasta. Very good change. Love the flavor of this recipe. Easy & delicious.
Monica, I am glad you gave this recipe a try and enjoyed it!
Very easy and so tasty! I had frozen cooked shrimp, so I thawed them and tossed into the sauce when I added the pasta. I added the spices when I was making the sauce. Thanks for the easy, but special, weeknight dinner.
I am so glad you enjoyed this simple yet delicious recipe! Thank you for sharing such a wonderful comment and the 5-star review! 🙂
Super recept !! I love it !!!! , Will make it again !!!! And not so mutch work .
Thank you for the recepi !
Anita, you are very welcome! I am glad you gave this recipe a try! Thank you for the 5-star review! 🙂
Soooo easy! Was a hit with friends night. There were no left overs and absolutely no sauce was left. I served this with a salad, baguette and white wine. Everyone requested the recipe. Will happily add this to my go to recipe mix.
Jodi, thank you so much for such a positive comment! Glad the recipe was enjoyed! 🙂
Can you use canned mushrooms?
It's best to use fresh mushrooms.
The flavor is outstanding. I made it one week and made it again the following week. I have recommended this to my friends. A true fabulous dish.
Patty, your comment truly made my day! I am so glad this recipe was a success for you - and thank you for taking the time to share such a positive comment! 🙂
Would it work to make this ahead, refrigerate, and then carefully warm it the next day or so?
I made it one morning and reheated it that evening. It was perfect. I kept some of the pasta water as the instructions stated and each time I reheated it I added a little of the pasta water. Perfection,
Patty, thank you so much for the feedback - so very helpful!
Yes, you could do that if you reheat it really gently. But, the cream sauce notoriously doesn't reheat well - especially if reheated at too high of a temperature for too long - in the microwave oven, for example. It turns into grease and loses its texture. I would reheat this really gently, on the stovetop, and add a small amount of heavy cream, half-and-half, or milk to thin it out!
Really great i really liked it i will make again
I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
I made this for my Mom's birthday dinner tonight and it turned out amazing. It was a big hit with everyone even my 2 year old. I used small penne pasta. I didn't add the red pepper flakes but I added a bit more basil and paprika into the sauce just before it was done. Thank you for the sharing this recipe I will be making this again for sure!
Sarah, your comment made my day! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Julia,
Excellent Recepie! The red crushed peppers gave the pasta a nice kick of bursting flavor. I did added a bit of garlic salt to the mushrooms for more flavor. Other than that alternative, I really enjoy cooking your food and looking foward looking over other Recepies you prepared!
Victor, I am so pleased to hear this recipe was a success! Glad you find my recipes helpful and thank you for such a positive comment!
Julia,
what if I added a bit of white wine? Would that mess with the sauce?
Thanks, will be preparing this for guests tomorrow !!!!
Hope
Yes, you can add about 1/2 cup of dry white wine. Add it once you cooked the mushrooms and the skillet is still hot to deglaze the skillet and evaporate some of the wine. Then, add shrimp and proceed with the recipe. Enjoy!
Ahhhh i thought it was 1/2 & 1/2 milk (semi skimmed)no matter it worked well.
No, it's half-and-half (half heavy cream, half milk). But, I am glad it worked! 🙂
Bad recipe, cheese gets sticky and makes no sause, the recipe doesn't mention cream or anything.
The recipe uses half-and-half, which is half heavy cream, half milk.
Cream is in the 1/2 & 1/2 apparently but I used semi skimmed, it was 9k but not creamy
OMG! I only had 35% cream and jalapeño brick cheese with the parm. Threw in some fresh tomatoes Because I have an abundance. It was so yummy. Was hoping for leftovers …
Sarah, so glad you liked it! Love the idea of using jalapeno cheese and fresh tomatoes! Thank you for the 5-star review! 🙂
This is sooooo tasty, will be making it again
Derek, I am happy to hear that! Thank you for the 5-star review! 🙂