This cream cheese shrimp pasta is the perfect family meal. It's quick and easy, and it's loaded with tender, seasoned shrimp and pasta in a rich, creamy Marry Me Pasta sauce full of tangy, savory cream cheese flavor.
Quick Look: Cream Cheese Shrimp Pasta
- ⏱ Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 15 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 20 minutes
- 🍗 Serving: 6 bowls
- ⚡ Calories: 676 calories per bowl
- 🦐 Flavor Profile: mildly tangy, and savory flavor with delicate seafood
- 👌 Difficulty: Easy, perfect for anytime you want comfort food
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I love two things more than anything else - shrimp and pasta. Both of them deliver ton of flavor, and there are so many ways to season and prepare them. So, you'll often find me combining the two in signature Golden Grace recipes like blackened shrimp alfredo and jerk shrimp pasta.
Now, I've added this cream cheese shrimp pasta to my rotation, and it's so good that I had to share it with all of you. The shrimp is perfectly cooked, the sauce is rich and cheesy, and it's so easy to make. You can't beat that!
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Why You'll Love Cream Cheese Shrimp Pasta
- Simple Ingredients: From the shrimp to the seasonings, everything used in this recipe can be found at any grocery store.
- Easy: The entire recipe only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Flavorful: Both the shrimp and the sauce are boldly seasoned for a burst of flavor in every bite.
- Rich and Creamy: Adding cream cheese to the sauce makes it super rich and gives it a subtle tang.
Ingredients
Shrimp
- Extra Large Shrimp: Extra large shrimp create a meatier bite and stay more tender.
- Sun-Dried Tomato Oil: Sun-dried tomato oil keeps the shrimp from sticking as it cooks and infuses it with more flavor.
- Seasoning: A blend of paprika and Italian seasoning gives the shrimp
Sauce
- Butter: Butter adds richness to the sauce and keeps the other ingredients from sticking as they saute.
- Tomatoes: Diced tomatoes add texture and bright, fresh tomato flavor to the sauce.
- Aromatics: Dry shallots and minced onions add bite and sweetness to the sauce.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Sun-dried tomatoes add a more intense tomato flavor.
- Seasonings: A blend of Italian seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, and basil gives the sauce a deep, savory flavor.
- Vegetable Broth and Heavy Cream: Vegetable broth and heavy cream create a flavorful sauce base that's rich and creamy.
- Cheese: Parmesan and cream cheese give the sauce tons of cheesy flavor and tang, and the cream cheese makes the sauce even creamier.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Flavor Variations
- Seafood: Make this pasta with shrimp, prawns, scallops, crab, or lobster.
- Spicy: Try adding red pepper flakes or cayenne for a kick of heat.
- Pasta: Any short pasta will work. You can also make it with regular pasta if you don't have gluten issues.
Cream Cheese Shrimp Instructions
Shrimp
1: Toss the shrimp and seasonings in a bowl until evenly coated.
2: Cook the shrimp in sun-dried tomato oil over medium heat until they're C-shaped. Meanwhile, boil the pasta according to the directions for al dente as the shrimp cooks.
3: Transfer the shrimp to a play to cool.
Sauce
1: Melt the butter in the same pan, then cook the diced tomatoes until softened. Next, add the shallots, onions, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, and seasonings and cook until fragrant.
2: Stir in the gluten-free flour and stir. Then, add the broth, cream, and spinach. Stir and cook until the sauce begins to thicken and the spinach wilts. Add the parmesan and stir until creamy.
3: Gently stir in the pasta, followed by the shrimp, garnish with fresh basil, and enjoy.
Hint
Your shrimp should be C-shaped. If it's O-shaped, it's overcooked. The temperature should be 165 degrees. I use my ThermoPro Lightning 1-second thermometer to ensure the shrimp is perfectly cooked.
Storage
Refrigerate this shrimp pasta for up to 4 days in an air-tight container. Freezing is not recommended. Creamy sauces break when they defrost, and it's gross.
Pairing Suggestions
Pair this creamy, hearty pasta with simple veggie sides like air fryer asparagus or air fryer zucchini and squash. Pistachio cannoli cake is a great dessert to keep with the Italian theme.
Expert Tips
- Be sure to preheat your pan before cooking the shrimp. This ensures there's plenty of heat to cook the shrimp quickly and evenly and avoids overcooking.
- Choose shrimp that are bright and have a salty sea smell. They should never be dull or smell "fishy".
- Cook the aromatics and seasonings just until fragrant. Don't overcook them or you could brown the onions and shallots, which will make them bitter.
- Cook your pasta to al dente and no further. This avoids mushy pasta that breaks apart in the dish.
More Shrimp Recipes
Cream Cheese Shrimp Pasta Questions
Fresh shrimp should be bright and translucent with a fresh seawater smell. Dull and fishy shrimp is old and should not be used.
Perfectly cooked shrimp will be an opaque pink color and shaped like a C. If it's O-shaped, it's been overcooked and is most likely tough.
First and foremost, preheat your pan. You want your pan to be at the proper temperature so the shrimp will cook quickly, rather than cooking as the pan warms up. This prevents overcooking.
★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below! I would love to hear back from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and TikTok for more delicious recipes.
📖 Recipe
Cream Cheese Shrimp Pasta
Video
Ingredients
Shrimp
- 1 lb shrimp extra large
- 1 ½ tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil from the jar
- ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
- ¾ tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Sauce
- 12 oz pasta of choice
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 10 tomatoes small; diced
- 3 tbsp dry shallots
- 2 tablespoon onion minced
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes diced
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ⅓ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon gluten free 1:1 flour
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 2 cups spinach diced
- 1 cup parmesan
- basil chopped; for garnish
Instructions
Shrimp
- Toss the shrimp with the paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until evenly coated.
- Preheat the sun-dried tomato oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Then, add the shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes per side until pink and C-shaped. Set the cooked shrimp aside.
- Boil the pasta according to the package directions for al dente while the shrimp is cooking. Then, drain it and set aside.
Sauce
- Melt the butter over medium-low heat in the same pan and cook the diced tomatoes for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the dry shallots, minced onion, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, garlic powder, and dry basil. Stir and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the flour and stir well.
- Add the vegetable broth, heavy cream, cream cheese, and spinach. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken and the spinach wilts.
- Add the parmesan cheese and stir until creamy.
- Carefully mix in the pasta, followed by the shrimp.
- Garnish with fresh basil.
Notes
- This recipe serves 6.
- Preheat your pan so the shrimp cooks quickly and evenly.
- Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Freezing is not recommended.
Mika says
I usually just make a basic garlic butter sauce for shrimp, but adding cream cheese was a total game-changer. It made the sauce so thick and velvety without having to make a complicated roux. It felt like a fancy bistro meal, but I had it on the table in under 30 minutes!
Nicole Kendrick says
Isn't it just the best when dinner is ready in 30 minutes?!? So glad you are eating good! All the best. -NK
Bianca says
Made this cream cheese shrimp pasta the other night, and it turned out creamy, cozy, and just the right amount of indulgent for a weeknight dinner.
Nicole Kendrick says
I am so glad it turned out so perfect! I hope the leftovers are just as good!
Lathiya says
I love such easy recipes with simple ingredients. The pasta was so creamy and delicious. Should I say that my kids licked off the bowl, lol.
Nicole Kendrick says
Cream Cheese Shrimp Pasta is definitely worth of licking the bowl clean, LOL!!!
Odessa says
The shrimp seasoning was perfect and the sun-dried tomato flavor really came through. And I loved how the cream cheese melted into the sauce and made it extra rich.
Nicole Kendrick says
So so creamy and so so good!
Ben says
Thank you for sharing this recipe
Nicole Kendrick says
Thank you so much, Ben. Enjoy the hot meal!
Lauren says
So delicious and creamy! I made this shrimp pasta for dinner and mty family loved it. It's so good!
Nicole Kendrick says
This one is PERFECT for family dinner! I love hearing about quality family time!
QPbmCRVM says
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Naomi says
Delicious and easy to make