Shrimp Penne Pasta Alfredo features lightly seasoned, pan-seared shrimp served on a bed of pasta in a creamy Parmesan alfredo sauce. This dish is easy and delicious!
We really love this shrimp pasta meal! It tastes WONDERFUL! Guess what? Shrimp and Penne Pasta Alfredo is not only delicious to eat, it’s EASY to prepare in UNDER 30 minutes!! Over 30 years ago a friend in Southern California named Lona told me how to make a quick alfredo sauce. I’ve made alfredo sauce that exact same way ever since.
This recipe for shrimp penne pasta alfredo, (w/ penne pasta AND pan-seared shrimp) is just one of the variations I have made through the years. The shrimp in this dish is lightly sprinkled with Cajun spices, but you can easily substitute your own Italian spices, if desired.
The alfredo sauce takes only minutes to prepare while the pasta is cooking, so the entire dish can be ready to go in under 30 minutes! Trust me- shrimp penne pasta alfredo is EASY to prepare, and is quite yummy.
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How To Make Shrimp Penne Pasta Alfredo
Bring large pot of water to boil. Cook the penne pasta according to the package directions. While the pasta is cooking, lightly sprinkle Cajun seasoning onto peeled, deveined large shrimp (21-25 per pound). NOTE: You can substitute seasoning of your choice, such as garlic powder, Italian seasoning, etc., if you want.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Once oil is hot (but not smoking), add shrimp. Cook the shrimp about 2 minutes per side, until pink and fully cooked. When done, remove shrimp from skillet and keep it warm.
Making The Alfredo Sauce
To save time, make the alfredo sauce while the pasta is cooking. Start the sauce by melting a stick of butter (1/2 cup) in a large skillet.
Add 1½ cups heavy whipping cream to the melted butter. Stir to combine the butter and whipping cream. Grate 1½ cups of fresh Parmesan cheese directly into the sauce (you can add more Parmesan, if desired).
Whisk the sauce well to combine ingredients. Cook the alfredo sauce on medium-low heat (stirring constantly) until the Parmesan cheese has melted, sauce has thickened, and is hot. Do not let sauce come to a boil. Taste test the sauce; season with a tiny bit of garlic powder, salt and pepper, if desired.
Add Cooked Pasta To The Alfredo Sauce
When the penne pasta is finished cooking, drain it well, and then add it to the skillet with the thickened, hot Alfredo sauce.
Stir again, to fully mix pasta and sauce. Heat on low until the sauce and pasta are hot and fully mixed together.
Serve Shrimp Penne Pasta Alfredo
Place a portion of the hot penne pasta alfredo onto each individual serving plate. Top each portion with several of the pan-seared shrimp. Garnish the dish with dried parsley and additional grated Parmesan cheese (if desired). Serve the shrimp penne pasta alfredo immediately, while hot.
See how easy it is to make this meal? In hardly any time at all, you’ve made a delicious shrimp penne pasta alfredo dinner! Hope you will consider making this delicious meal for yourself and those you love! Blessings~
Looking For More Shrimp Recipes?
You can find all my shrimp recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorites include:
- Shrimp and Noodles in Spicy Garlic Sauce
- Shrimp Scampi
- Fried Shrimp
- Shrimp Tacos
- Pineapple Coconut Shrimp Kabobs
Interested In More Recipes?
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- 1 pound shrimp (21-25 count per pound), shelled/deveined
- Cajun seasoning (or seasoning of your choice: garlic powder, Italian seasoning, etc.)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
- Approximately 1½ cups grated Parmesan cheese (add more to taste, if desired)
- Season lightly with garlic powder , salt & black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 pound penne pasta , cooked per package instructions
- Dried parsley and/or additional grated Parmesan cheese for garnish (if desired)
- Prepare penne pasta according to package instructions. While pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce and the shrimp.
- Melt butter in medium skillet. Once melted, pour in heavy whipping cream. Stir to combine. Cook on medium-low until heated through (but not boiling). Add grated Parmesan cheese to saucepan. Stir well, to combine. Continue cooking until cheese melts, and mixture thickens (but is NOT boiling). Taste and add additional Parmesan cheese (you can't get too much!) for thicker sauce and additional flavor. Season very lightly with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Keep sauce warm while you prepare the shrimp (or can cook both at the same time if multi-tasking).
- Heat olive oil on medium-high heat in large skillet.
- Lightly sprinkle shelled/deveined shrimp with Cajun seasoning. Stir to combine. When oil in skillet is hot, add shrimp. Cook shrimp for about 2 minutes per side, until pink and cooked through. Set aside and keep warm.
- When pasta is done, drain. Add drained penne to skillet with hot Alfredo sauce , and mix well to fully coat pasta with sauce. Place a serving of hot pasta on individual plates. Top with 4-5 cooked shrimp.
- Garnish with dried parsley and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Fresh grated Parmesan is the best choice, but if all you have available is the "Green Container" shaker can of Parmesan cheese, by all means use it!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!
Very simple & delicious recipe!! I’ll never go back to store brought Alfredo. Homemade is all the way & I can’t wait to make this for friends.
Good morning, Bre! Thanks for your note, and I’m glad you enjoyed it. It’s the only kind of alfredo sauce I make! So good!
Oh my lord! This was so easy to make and so delicious I had to drink the juice from my plate.
Thank you for this awesome recipe.
Great sauce but WHAT IS A CUBE???!!! This stuff will make you happily fat!!
Ha Ha… My mom called a stick of butter a CUBE. Guess I reverted back to my childhood. Have edited post and changed it to say a “stick” of butter which is the equivalent of 1/2 cup. Have a great day.
OMG. Where are you from? I thought I was the only one who called it “a cube of butter” Lol. I have had people ask me WHAT IS A CUBE? LOL. MAKING this right now. Thank you!
Hi, Karen. Ha Ha! Here I thought I was the only one, cause that’s what we called it when I was growing up. Learning to be much more specific… Have a great day.
Great recipe! Tried it and loved it!
Good morning, Rashanna! Thanks for taking time to write and let me know. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. We sure do, too! Have a great weekend!