Garlic Shrimp Alfredo – garlic shrimp with penne pasta and homemade alfredo sauce made all in one pot.
Garlic Shrimp Alfredo
Restaurant quality shrimp alfredo you can make at home in just one pot. Tender shrimp sautéed in fresh garlic and finished with a squeeze of lemon juice in penne pasta and homemade alfredo sauce.
Shrimp Alfredo Ingredients
- Olive Oil – you can substitute butter for olive oil in this recipe
- Garlic – 6 cloves minced, add more or less garlic depending on preference
- Medium sized Shrimp – 41-50 count per pound. I prefer to use medium sized shrimp vs large shrimp because it pairs nicely with the size of the penne pasta
- Lemon juice – freshly squeezed lemon juice is best
- Parsley – I use flat leaf Italian Parsley
- Penne Pasta – any uncooked bite-sized pasta will work in this recipe.
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth – this recipe calls for 4 cups, or one quart of chicken broth
- Heavy Cream – Heavy cream is thicker than regular cream or whipping cream.
- Parmesan Cheese – use freshly grated so that it will melt into the sauce
How to Make One-Pot Shrimp Alfredo
- Start by sautéing garlic in olive oil over medium heat using a large 6 quart saute pan.
- Add shrimp to pan and season lightly with salt and pepper. Once shrimp turns pink, top with lemon juice and fresh parsley.
- Transfer shrimp, garlic and all juices to a separate bowl and cover to keep warm.
- Add uncooked pasta, olive oil, chicken broth, and heavy cream to pan. Bring to a boil, then reduced to a simmer and cover, cooking for about 15 minutes or until pasta is cooked through.
- Remove from heat and gradually stir in parmesan cheese until melted. Adjust cheese as necessary to get desired consistency.
- Stir in garlic shrimp mixture and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Use real parmesan cheese from a block and grate with a microplane for best melting. The parmigianao reggiano from Costco and from Trader Joe’s are both great affordable options. A small wedge of parmesan cheese from the grocery store works well too.
- Avoid using bagged shredded parmesan cheese, most are too dry to melt.
- Look for heavy cream that is thick and rich. Fat content for cream varies greatly from brand to brand and lighter creams will make a thinner alfredo sauce.
- Substituting whole wheat pasta or gluten-free pasta will affect the consistency of the final alfredo sauce. Traditional pasta releases starch as it cooks, which helps thicken the alfredo sauce.
More One-Pot Recipes
- One-Pot Chicken Burrito Bowl
- One-Pot Chicken Broccoli and Rice
- One-Pot Cajun Chicken Alfredo
- One-Pot Chicken Alfredo
If you make this shrimp alfredo, I’d love for you to tag me on Instagram at @no2pencilblog

Garlic shrimp with penne pasta and a homemade alfredo sauce, all in one pot.
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound shrimp medium sized, peeled, deveined, tail off
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons italian parsley chopped
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 4 cups parmesan cheese freshly shredded, plus more for topping
- kosher salt
- black pepper freshly ground
-
Heat two tablespoons olive oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook 3-4 minutes, until garlic starts to soften but not brown. Add shrimp and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook shrimp just until it turns pink. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over shrimp, then sprinkle with parsley. Transfer shrimp and garlic mixture, scraping out all liquid into a bowl and cover to keep warm.
-
In same pan, add uncooked pasta, 2 tablespoon oil oil, chicken broth, heavy cream, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer covered for about 15 mminutes, or until pasta is al dente.
-
Remove from heat and gradually stir in parmesan cheese followed by shrimp and garlic mixture. Sauce will thicken as it cools.
Avoid using pre shredded parmesan cheese as it will not melt smoothly into sauce.
5 Easy Dinner Ideas for Busy Weeknights
My five FAVORITE recipes for busy families!
- Quick to make
- Light on your budget
- Easy to clean-up
- and...most important...absolutely DELICIOUS
I love a good one pot meal. This one was quick and easy and tasted amazing!
Delicious and so easy! Love the shrimps in here. Absolutely delicious! Perfect weeknight dinner or date night in!
Love the ease of a one pot meal. This is a great week night dinner for our busy family.
this pasta recipe is amazing and I am so thankful that you shared this recipe
Another one pot meal keeper! This was delicious and easy!
This recipe did not disappoint! It is one of the best Alfredo pastas I’ve ever tasted and it is easy to make since it’s one pot!
This recipe was so simple and tasted so good, it is definitely a top 10 recipe.
This is simple to throw together and so delicious! I love a good one pot meal.
My daughter loves shrimp, and she raved over this! I love that it’s made all in one pot!
This pasta has to be one one of my new favorite pastas and I will have to be making it much more often.
This is the perfect weeknight meal! It was so easy to make and a huge hit with my family! Thank you for sharing.