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Creamy Shrimp & Broccoli Alfredo Pasta, what’s better than a meal that combines creamy cheesy Alfredo sauce, garlic buttery shrimp, broccoli cooked to perfection and al dente pasta? This is a fast and delicious dinner recipe the whole family will enjoy!
Love recipes with broccoli? Try this Broccoli Cheddar Soup or my Keto Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Bake!
Shrimp alfredo hits the spot every time! But I have yet to come across a store-bought alfredo sauce that I absolutely love and can eat without adding anything to it! So, I’ve played around and created one that my hubby and I both enjoy – it’s creamy, cheesy, with the right amount of garlic and the perfect touch of spice. I understand some people don’t enjoy spice so I’ve omitted it from this recipe but feel free to add it in if that’s your preference.
Table of Contents
Variations & Recipe Notes
Make it Vegetarian! As always, you can make this dish vegetarian by substituting the chicken stock in the Alfredo sauce with vegetable broth & the shrimp with additional veggies!
Milk or Cream? The richer the fat content in the milk, the richer the sauce (also thicker). Using whipping cream is just as delicious as using half and half – it’s totally up to you. Note: if you use regular milk, the sauce will be on the “watery side”.
We don’t use cow’s milk in our household unless a recipe absolutely calls for it, so I’m working on developing a vegan/vegetarian Alfredo Sauce that actually tastes just as great. I’m playing with cauliflower, almonds and cashews… we shall see!
Creamy Shrimp & Broccoli Alfredo Pasta
Ingredients
Alfredo Sauce
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 4 oz Cream Cheese, half a block of philadelphia cream cheese is an equivalent
- 3/4 cup Heavy Cream, or half & half
- 1/4 cup Chicken Broth
- 2 cloves Garlic, large
- 3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 1/4 tsp Salt, optional, taste first!
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper, optional
Shrimp
- 1 lb Raw Shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 Cloves Fresh Garlic
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Butter
Other Ingredients
- 3 cups Broccoli Florets
- 500 g Spaghetti Pasta
- Fresh Herbs, finely chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- After thawing the shrimp, rinse and add a squeeze of lemon then pat dry. Season with black pepper, fresh garlic (3 cloves) and set aside. If you have a crown of broccoli, break it down into smaller, bite sized pieces and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta (500g) and cook according to package directions or until al dente.
- In a non-stick pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add shrimp, working in batches if needed and sauté for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until just about cooked through and pink. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add broccoli to the same pan and a spoonful of pasta water and cook until broccoli is tender crisp. Set aside with the shrimp.
- In a sauce pot, over medium heat, add the butter, cream or milk, cream cheese, chicken broth and garlic. Whisk cheese mixture until melted and combined. Then, stir in the parmesan cheese, black pepper and cayenne pepper (optional) into the sauce. Let it simmer for about a minute or until incorporated and smooth.
- Slowly stir in cooked pasta (a little at a time to ensure your desired sauciness), shrimp, and broccoli. Top with additional parmesan cheese and fresh herbs if desired, serve and enjoy!
This was so easy to follow. Great for busy weeknights.