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 in a homemade alfredo sauce. The creamy pasta sauce is made with Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese, garlic, basil, crushed red pepper flakes, paprika.
- 8 oz fettuccine pasta (for gluten free version, use gluten free brown rice pasta)
- 1/2 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
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 8 oz mushrooms thinly sliced
- 1 cup half and half
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese shredded
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Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain. Reserve some of the pasta water.
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Heat a large skillet until hot - add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and immediately add garlic and shrimp.
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Cook on one side for about 1 minute until pink, on medium-high heat.
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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.
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Remove the shrimp from the skillet. If shrimp is a little undercooked - it's OK because you will continue cooking it in the sauce.
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To the same, now empty, skillet, add sliced mushrooms. Add more olive oil if necessary.
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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.
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To the skillet with mushrooms, add cooked shrimp. Immediately add 1 cup half-and-half. Bring to boil.
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Add half the cheese (1/2 cup). Bring to boil, and immediately reduce to medium-simmer. Cook, constantly stirring, until the cheese melts.
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Gradually start adding the remaining cheese (1/2 cup), while stirring. Do not add all of the remaining 1/2 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.
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Remove from heat. Taste, and add more salt if needed.
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Add cooked and drained pasta from step 1 to the skillet with shrimp and mushrooms and cream sauce. Reheat on medium heat. Stir well.
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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.
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Season with more salt and add more crushed red pepper flakes and basil, if desired.
What is half-and-half?
Here is what to do to substitute for 1 cup of half-and-half: combine 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream.
Best sauce We have ever tasted hands down… Thank you for sharing
Very good. Would make it again. Only problem was that the sauce was too thick. I added pasta water but it did not thin down. Perhaps use only 1/2 the cheese?
Hell to the yeah, this recipe is bomb, girl. Add some white pepper and Italian seasoning and it’s fire! HELL YEAH
I made this tonight for Valentine’s Day dinner, it was fabulous! Very easy also. Thank you so much!
I didn’t try it yet but I’m sure it’s going to taste amazing!
I made this and it was AWESOME! Thank you I was wondering tho if it can be frozen
So I dont have red pepper flakes do you think cayenne red pepper will work for a replacement?
Hi.
I was a little confused about making the sauce… the recipe said 1 and a half cups of…. and doesn’t say what the ingredient is. The missing ingredient would be good lol.
My version was stickier than yours but very tasty. Thank you
It’s 1cup of Half & Half(liquid creamer)it’s a little thinner than heavy whipping cream. Then if too thick use the 1/2 cup pasta water
How can you make this recipe dairy free? What can you substitute for the half and half and mozzarella cheese?
I made tonight my son& daughter
Love it ^^ thank you
You are very welcome! Glad you liked the recipe! 🙂
Um what type of cheese do we add for the sauce? Doesnt say. Just says cheese but you have jt on the recipe for mozzarella or parmesian? Which one is it?
Made this for dinner and it was delicious! I replaced the shrimp with chicken and it worked out well. I would also add ad a few more veggies next time and I loved the mushrooms. Overall, definitely a recipe that my whole family loved.
So happy you tried this recipe and liked it! Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your feedback. 🙂