Tasty Shrimp Spaghetti Alfredo Without Cheese
Creamy, very tasty, incredibly delightful, but super easy to make, shrimp spaghetti alfredo is the dinner recipe you need in your arsenal. The best part is that this pasta recipe requires only a few ingredients: shrimp, heavy cream, butter, garlic, spaghetti, etc. Shrimp spaghetti alfredo makes a romantic dinner for date night, Sunday dinners, Valentine’s Day, birthday, or any occasion.
Best Shrimp Spaghetti Alfredo Recipe
Looking for a simple and delicious dinner that everyone in the family will love? This easy shrimp spaghetti alfredo is one of my children’s favorite dishes. I made it on Christmas Day 2023 and Valentine’s Day 2024. Our family swears by this one, which is elegant enough for a special occasion and easy enough for any hectic night.
Using simple ingredients, you’re about to embark on a culinary journey of epic proportions. This is the best shrimp spaghetti alfredo recipe because it comes together quickly and has bold flavors swirling in a creamy texture, all without cheese.
Creamy, very tasty, incredibly delightful, and super easy to make. Listen, this shrimp spaghetti alfredo is the dinner recipe you need in your arsenal. To make this pasta dish, you will need a few ingredients: shrimp, heavy cream, butter, garlic, spaghetti, etc. Though I will be making today’s shrimp Alfredo with spaghetti. You can always make this recipe with any other type of pasta, such as linguine, fettuccine, and penne. Note that I used thin spaghetti for this recipe!
What Is Alfredo Sauce Made Of?
Authentic Alfredo sauce consists of heavy cream, butter, and parmesan cheese. However, if you don’t have parmesan, don’t like it, or just don’t want to use cheese, then this recipe is the right right for you. I’ll show you how to get that creamy texture to pair perfectly with your shrimp without overpowering it with cheese. Some people also add cream cheese to their alfredo sauce. On the other hand, we are keeping this recipe light. There is no cheese in my alfredo sauce, and no one is going to know! As you can see from the photo below, a good amount of fresh garlic is part of my Alfredo sauce. Fresh garlic gives the optimal flavor to this pasta dinner!
Why You Will Love This Easy Shrimp Spaghetti Alfredo Recipe
- This pasta dish is light and healthier, and you can make it even on your busiest night of the week.
- The entire family will eat every last bit.
- This recipe uses wholesome ingredients. Additionally, you can swap the ingredients or add your favorite veggies.
- It’s not made with cheese (though if you really want cheese, you can add it).
- This meal is so elegant that no one will believe you made it so quickly, making it a great choice when you have dinner guests.
- It is a perfect romantic dish for date night, Valentine’s Day, or any special occasion.
- Homemade shrimp alfredo is cheaper and yet tastier than restaurant ones.
- Love pastas? Ensure to check out my chicken penne pasta! It’s another no-cheese pasta dish!
Watch How I made This Recipe:
Ingredients for Shrimp Spaghetti Alfredo Without Cheese
Here is what you need to make this delicious shrimp spaghetti alfredo:
- Thin spaghetti
- Fresh uncooked shrimp
- Heavy cream
- Butter
- Garlic (plan on a lot of it because you need good amount of garlic)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Knorr Bouillon (optional, but highly recommended)
- Water (optional; to avoid adding excess amount of heavy cream if you prefer)
- Cajun seasoning (or homemade mixture; see the recipe card below for the ingredient list/measurements); to saute the shrimp.
- Olive oil (to sauté the shrimp)
- Dry or fresh parsley (to garnish)
How to Make Shrimp Spaghetti Alfredo (Step-by-Step)
This shrimp spaghetti alfredo is one of the easiest dishes you’ll ever make. Follow my step-by-step directions, and you’ll have it on the table in no time!
- Gather your Ingredients
Set all the ingredients out within your reach. This will keep you organized and ensure you don’t forget anything.
- Prep the Ingredients
First, clean and devein the fresh shrimp, then dab dry with a paper towel. You can buy deveined shrimp, but if not, remove the black line you see on each shrimp. You will also want to grate lots of garlic to have it ready.
- Season the Shrimp
Now it’s time to season the shrimp with the homemade mixture. I used ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp Knorr bouillon). Alternatively, you can use 1 TBS Cajun seasoning. The Cajun seasoning that I recommend is “Slap Ya Mamma.”
- Sauté the Shrimp
Set a saucepan on the stove, add olive oil, and once heated, add your seasoned shrimp. Cook them until they are just about done.
- Cook/Boil the Spaghetti
Get a pot ready to go with water and set it to boil. Once it’s boiling, cook your spaghetti according to the directions on the box.
- Make the Alfredo Sauce
Using the same pan you used for cooking the shrimp, make the Alfredo sauce (see full instructions on the recipe card).
- Combine. Serve and Enjoy!
Reduce the heat to the lowest and add the juicy shrimp back into the pot, stirring to combine. Then, use a tong to pick up the boiled/cooked spaghetti and add it to the sauce, combining the glorious sauce with the shrimp and spaghetti. Alternately, drain the boiled spaghetti, add it to your sauce, and combine. Your shrimp spaghetti Alfredo is ready! Garnish with parsley, serve, and enjoy!
Recipe Notes and Tips for the Best Shrimp Alfredo Recipe
- If using frozen shrimp, ensure they thaw completely.
- Since I season my shrimp with paprika as part of my homemade “Cajun seasoning,” I wash or wipe the shrimp pan after removing them before continuing with my alfredo sauce to prevent the sauce from getting reddish.
- When you make your spaghetti, always cook it in salted water. Add the salt when the water boils before adding the pasta.
- Use fresh garlic, those store-bought “minced garlic’ won’t cut it.
- Ensure to simmer your sauce on low so it doesn’t quickly thicken very fast and dry off.
- Always taste and adjust flavors to your desire.
What to Serve with Shrimp Alfredo
- Easy Air Fryer Green Beans with Garlic Butter Sauce
- Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli
- Walnut Blue Cheese Salad
- Air Fryer Irish Soda Bread
How to Store Leftover Shrimp Spaghetti Alfredo
If you are fortunate enough to have leftovers of this shrimp spaghetti alfredo, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days, or try freezing it for 3 months. It’s easy to reheat over low heat…just add a splash of heavy cream, milk, or broth to adjust the consistency.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Go ahead and add cheese if you wish at the end to garnish. It would be delicious added on top.
- You can make this recipe gluten-free by simply choosing gluten-free pasta.
- Instead of water, you can also use broth or stock to bring out more flavor.
- Try Creole seasoning if you can’t find Cajun and don’t want to make your own seasoning mix.
Shrimp Alfredo FAQs
If your Alfredo sauce needs more flavor, make my recipe (this one), and do not skip the Knorr and fresh garlic! They make a whole lot of difference and will automatically make your sauce burst with flavor! Adding Knorr to Alfredo sauce and using fresh garlic elevate the flavor!
You can try the recipes I’ve linked above or simply sauté up some spinach or asparagus to serve on the side. Garlic bread is also a nice option that you can dip into the sauce.
Half and half or whole milk will work nicely if you don’t have heavy cream.
Fettucine is the typical pasta for most Alfredo recipes because the sauce clings to the thick noodles. However, you can swap any type of pasta for this recipe. I made this recipe using thin spaghetti pasta.
Add color to your meal with some broccoli, spinach, asparagus, or mushrooms. They’ll go great!
Recipe Card
PrintTasty Shrimp Spaghetti Alfredo Without Cheese
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 – 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Creamy, very tasty, incredibly delightful, but super easy to make, shrimp spaghetti alfredo is the dinner recipe you need in your arsenal. The best part is that this pasta recipe requires only a few ingredients: shrimp, heavy cream, butter, garlic, spaghetti, etc. Shrimp spaghetti alfredo makes a romantic dinner for date night, Sunday dinners, Valentine’s Day, birthday, or any occasion. And did I mention that this is perfect for beginner cooks? This unforgettable recipe will be on repeat in your household as it is in mine.
Ingredients
- 1 pack (1 lb) of thin spaghetti, regular spaghetti or any other type of pasta
- 1 lb large uncooked shrimp
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 TBS butter
- 6 – 7 cloves of garlic (you need good amount of fresh garlic not store-bough minced garlic)
- 1 teaspoon Knorr Bouillon
- Salt to taste (about ½ – 1 tsp)
- Black pepper to taste (about ½ teaspoon)
- ½ cup of water, broth, or milk (optional; I typically use water)
- 2 teaspoons – 1 TBS of Homemade seasoning mixture including ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp paprika, ½ cayenne pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp Knorr bouillon) to sauté the shrimp. Alternatively, use 2 teaspoons – 1 TBS store-bought Cajun seasoning.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (to sauté the shrimp).
- Dry or fresh parsley (to garnish)
Instructions
- Gather the Ingredients. Set all the ingredients out within your reach. This will keep you organized and ensure you don’t forget anything.
- Prep the Ingredients. First, clean and devein the fresh shrimp, then dab dry with a paper towel. You can buy deveined shrimp, but if not, remove the black line you see on each shrimp. You will also want to grate lots of garlic to have it ready.
- Season the Shrimp. Now it’s time to season the shrimp with the homemade mixture. I used ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp Knorr bouillon). Alternatively, you can use 1 TBS Cajun seasoning. The Cajun seasoning that I recommend is “Slap Ya Mamma.”
- Saute the Shrimp. Set a saucepan on the stove, add olive oil, and once heated, add your seasoned shrimp. Cook them until they are just about done.
- Boil/Cook the Spaghetti. Fill a pot with water and set it to boil. Once it’s boiling, cook the spaghetti according to the directions on the box.
- Make the Alfredo Sauce. Using the same pan you used for cooking the shrimp, add butter and let it melt. It would be best if you use low-medium heat for this step. Once the butter has melted, add the grated garlic and cook for several minutes, making sure it doesn’t burn. Pour in the heavy cream, salt, black pepper, Knorr bouillon, and water. Simmer on low for 5 to 7 minutes until this sauce thickens. Taste and adjust the flavors as needed.
- Combine, Serve, and Enjoy. Reduce the heat to the lowest and add the juicy shrimp back into the pot, stirring to combine. Then, use a tong to pick up the boiled/cooked spaghetti and add it to the sauce, combining the glorious sauce with the shrimp and spaghetti. Alternatively, drain the boiled spaghetti, add it to your sauce, and combine. Your shrimp spaghetti Alfredo is ready! Garnish with parsley, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
If using frozen shrimp, ensure they thaw completely.
Since I season my shrimp with paprika as part of my homemade “Cajun seasoning,” I wash or wipe the shrimp pan after removing them before continuing with my alfredo sauce to prevent the sauce from getting reddish.
When you make your spaghetti, always cook it in salted water. Add the salt when the water boils before adding the pasta.
Use fresh garlic, those store-bought “minced garlic’ won’t cut it.
Ensure to simmer your sauce on low so it doesn’t quickly thicken very fast and dry off.
Always taste and adjust flavors to your desire.
More Easy Dinner Recipes To Try:
- Tomato Chicken Penne Pasta
- Marry Me Chicken
- Chicken Breast Fajitas
- Quinoa Fried Rice
- Sautéed Green Cabbage with Chicken and Bacon
- Garlic Butter Shrimp
Finally, let’s connect on social media, am on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. If you like video recipes, then be sure to head over to my YouTube Channel. Share this post, and SAVE/PIN THIS IMAGE ON PINTEREST! ⤵️
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY! Stay well, safe and keep living your life to the fullest!
This shrimp Alfredo is so creamy and flavourful! It’s hard to believe I only needed a handful of ingredients to create this delicious dinner! Topped with fresh parsley, it’s a midweek dinner treat that I’ll make again for sure! Thank you!
Thank you Adri!!!
Glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe!
One word – Indulgent! We absolutely loved this pasta for our date night at home! Will definitely make it again soon! That creamy sauce is AMAZING.
Thank you, Leva!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I love alfredo, and this shrimp version will be perfect for a date night in.
Yes, Ashley, so perfect + easy for date night at home.
Wow, this is absolutely delicious, a new family-favorite! It’s a snap to make, thanks so much!
Glad to hear that this was easy to make, Heather!! Thanks for your feedback!
This shrimp spaghetti alfredo was out of this world delicious! Perfect flavors and soooo creamy!
Thank you, Paula!
Glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Made this for date night and it was perfection!
Happy to hear this, Katherine!