Creamy shrimp fettuccine alfredo is an Italian-inspired recipe with everything you could ever need from a rich, seafood pasta dish.
Our recipe is cooked the Italian way, bursting with cream, parmesan cheese, garlic, butter, to make a mouthwatering classic alfredo sauce. The fettuccine and the shrimp complement the sauce delightfully, and it's a recipe that you can cook up in no time at all.
Making your own homemade pasta is hands down the best way to boost up this recipe, so we give directions for preparing fettuccine noodles as well. Top your wine glass off with a dry white wine when it's dinner time, and you'll be in heaven.
Wipe down a workspace in your kitchen and sprinkle over a layer of flour.
Pour out your 2 cups of all-purpose flour into a large mound.
Use your fingers to make a pit in the middle of the mound.
Crack all of your eggs into the center of the well. Beat them gently using a fork, until they are all scrambled.
Using your hands, fold the flour into the beaten eggs, slowly combining both ingredients until you have a loosely shaped ball of dough.***
Knead your dough vigorously for ten minutes. Use the palm of your hands, turning the dough by a quarter with each compression.
Keep kneading until your dough has a smooth and springy texture.
When you're content with the texture of the dough, wrap it up in plastic and leave it to sit for at least 30 mins on the side. The plastic wrap stops the dough from drying out, so don't skip this step.
When the dough has sat for 30 mins at room temperature, divide it into eight pieces of roughly equal size.
Lay flour down on the counter and flatten the first piece using a floured rolling pin.****
Prepare your pasta maker, and set it to a thin setting. You want thin, long pieces for this to be authentic fettuccine!
Pass your flat piece of dough through the pasta maker, and repeat until it's super thin and long.
Next, it's time to cut your flat dough sheet. You can use the fettuccine cutter if your pasta maker has one, or you can slice it up using a sharp knife. Lay the finished pasta on parchment paper and keep covered.
Repeat until you have turned all of your dough pieces into fettuccine.
When your pasta is ready to cook, boil a large saucepan of lightly salted water on the stovetop, and cook your fresh fettuccine in small batches, for no more than 3 mins each.*****
Directions for shrimp fettuccine
In a large saucepan, add a dash of salt to your water and boil on the stovetop.
Prepare your fettuccine, and cook in the lightly salted water.
Add 4 tbsp of butter to a separate saucepan and melt it on medium heat.
Pour in your heavy cream and allow it to simmer for 5 mins while gently stirring to thicken (Watch your cream carefully; you must not let your cream boil!).
Grate your parmesan cheese and add to the simmering cream, stirring as you do.
Keep stirring the cheese and cream until all of the cheese has melted into the mixture.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Melt 1 further tbsp of butter in a large saucepan on medium heat.
Cook your shrimp in melted butter for 4 mins, until they are pink. Add salt and pepper to the shrimp. Stir the shrimp to stop them from sticking to the pan.
When the shrimp have turned pink, add your minced garlic and cook in the pan for a quick 30 seconds.
Once your fettuccine is done, drain the pasta and mix it with your creamy alfredo sauce before topping with your shrimp.
Serve your delicious shrimp and fettuccine alfredo with freshly chopped parsley and a glass of white wine!
Recipe Note
*You can prepare this dish with dried fettuccine, or with homemade fettuccine pasta. See below for more information on preparing fettuccine from scratch!
**Shrimp should ideally be peeled, de-tailed, and de-veined.
***If your dough isn't keeping its shape, and it's too dry, then you will need to crack another egg into the flour. If it's too sticky, then you can add more flour to the mixture.
****If you don't have a pasta maker, continue to roll and flatten the dough into shape using the rolling pin. It won't be quite as thin, however.
*****Fresh pasta takes a lot less time to cook than dried, packaged pasta, so don't overdo it when you're preparing your fettuccine with shrimp and alfredo sauce!
Shrimp fettuccine recipe FAQ
That's how easy it is to cook up shrimp fettuccine, and it's not too difficult to prepare homemade pasta either.
Here's a quick FAQ for our shrimp fettuccine recipe to answer any further questions you might have about preparing this deliciously creamy dish.
How can I tell when my shrimp is cooked?
This question is the most commonly asked when it comes to preparing shrimp fettuccine. Shrimp doesn't take long to cook, and you won't need to have them on medium heat for longer than 4 minutes.
You can tell when the shrimp are ready because they start to turn a distinctive pink color while also becoming opaque. Many shrimp are already partially cooked and will be slightly pink when you buy from the store. Raw shrimp is gray and transparent and takes a longer time to make on the skillet than partially cooked shrimp.
Overcooking the shrimp will give them a much tougher exterior, so try not to overdo them or cook them on too high a heat if you want the best shrimp with your fettuccine!
How long should I cook the fettuccine pasta?
For the best shrimp fettuccine alfredo, we prefer the fettuccine pasta noodles to be "al dente." We hate it when the pasta is overcooked, as it can start to fall apart when you're eating!
Different kinds of pasta take different lengths of time to cook through properly. Check the packaging for the optimum cooking time if you're using store-bought pasta.
Dried pasta takes longer to cook than fresh pasta, and thicker pasta takes longer to cook than thinner pasta.
Ideally, your pasta should be a little firm when you start to drain it. Remember, it's going to cook a little bit in the alfredo sauce too when you mix it all up in the saucepan.
What can I serve with shrimp fettuccine?
You can serve shrimp fettuccine all on its own, and it will make for a delicious meal, but you can also add a few sides for added taste and authenticity.
A classic Italian side dish that goes well with any pasta dish is garlic bread. You'll find this in your local store, but you can quickly bake garlic bread at home. Simply slice up a baguette, cover each piece in garlic butter or garlic oil, and then bake in the oven for a few minutes. You could melt mozzarella on top if you're feeling particularly fancy!
If you want to even out all that cheese with a little green goodness, then why not put together a quick side salad? Add leafy greens to cucumber and tomatoes, and drizzle a little olive oil over the salad.
What can I do with leftover shrimp fettuccine?
If you have any leftover shrimp fettuccine, you can store in the fridge for up to 48 hours or leave in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Allow the leftovers to cool down before transferring the shrimp fettuccine to a resealable box or ziplock bag to keep in the freshness before storing it in the fridge or freezer.
When you need to defrost the shrimp fettuccine, let it thaw naturally on the side, or put it on low power in the microwave. You can reheat shrimp fettuccine in the microwave or on low heat in a skillet.
Our recipe is one of the easiest and creamiest shrimp fettuccine alfredo recipes we've ever tried, and we guarantee that you're going to love it! It's simple to prepare, even if you're planning on adding a homely touch with some homemade pasta for the shrimp fettuccine. Why not bookmark our shrimp fettuccine alfredo recipe for your next seafood pasta evening?
