Shrimp Linguine Alfredo Recipe

There's nothing quite like a warm, creamy pasta dish paired with a glass of wine to make dinner time feel like a special occasion. This shrimp linguine Alfredo recipe courtesy of Jaime Shelbert, dietitian and recipe developer of Wholly Nourished, is the perfect option to level up your weeknight meals. And given that it only takes 30 minutes to prepare and cook the recipe, it really is possible to make it on a weeknight without stressing about whether you have the time or energy. In fact, that's Shelbert's favorite part about the dish. "I love how quickly and easily this comes together, yet it's impressive enough to serve for guests," she says.

Plus, she points out that it's easy to customize the meal as well. "You can add in vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, or squash," she explains, adding, "If shrimp isn't your thing, grilled chicken would work well as a substitute." So go ahead and whip up the recipe as detailed here, but if you love it as much as we think you will, don't be shy about choosing your own cooking adventure the next time around.

As the recipe name implies, you're going to need shrimp (Shelbert suggests the frozen, precooked style, pre-thawed and with the tails removed) and linguine pasta on hand, but you'll also need ingredients to make your own Alfredo sauce. If making homemade Alfredo sounds intimidating, don't let it make you nervous, it's surprisingly easy to make. You'll need butter, garlic, chicken broth, heavy cream, shredded Parmesan, and salt and pepper to whip up a batch. Finally, you'll need fresh chopped parsley to add to the final product, rounding out the dish. And of course, if you have a personal preference for fresh, raw shrimp, don't hesitate to sub it in. "I just prefer the frozen precooked which are already shelled, [and] easy to thaw and toss in a sauté pan," Shelbert explains. 

First things first, you're going to want to cook your pasta. Bring a pot of water to boil and use the directions on the back of the package to cook it up. Once the linguine is done, drain it and set it aside. 

Of course, while the water comes to a boil and the pasta cooks, you don't have to stand there twiddling your thumbs. Go ahead and get started on heating up your shrimp. Place a large skillet on your oven burner and set it to medium heat. Melt the butter in the pan and add the shrimp, cooking for roughly three minutes per side. When the shrimp is heated through, remove it from the skillet and set it aside. 

Now it's time to sauce it up! Using the same skillet you cooked your shrimp in, add the garlic to the pan and sauté for a minute. When your kitchen is awash in the scent of garlic, go ahead and pour the broth into the skillet and use it to deglaze the pan, scraping any brown bits off the surface with a spatula. Then, add the heavy cream and shredded Parmesan, stirring the mixture until the cheese melts and the sauce starts to thicken. This should take about four to five minutes. To finish off your sauce, simply add the salt and pepper, and adjust the amount to fit your personal preference. 

Now that all your ingredients are ready to go, all you have to do is combine them. Retrieve the pasta and shrimp that you set aside earlier and add them into the skillet. Toss to combine, fully coating the pasta and shrimp in the sauce. Finally, sprinkle the chopped parsley on top, stirring lightly to distribute it throughout the pasta. It's now ready to serve, and it's definitely best served warm. And if you feel like you need a few sides to turn it into a whole meal? Shelbert suggests, "This dish is great with the suggested veggie add-ins, and also with a fresh garden salad and garlic bread."