Skinny Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Bake
An unbelievably cheesy, creamy lightened-up pasta bake that you can easily make ahead of time. Just pop it right in the oven before serving!
Seafood alfredo was a huge favorite of mine growing up. It was the only kind of pasta I would eat, no matter which Italian restaurant we were in. All I needed was that “white pasta” and those warm bread rolls at the center of the table, and I was the happiest kid ever.
But since I don’t have that fast metabolism I had as a kid, this skinny version fits in perfectly. Best of all, taste is not compromised at all in this lightened-up version. TRUST.
It’s just as creamy and cheesy as the original, and you can even make it ahead of time. All you have to do is pop it right in the oven and dinner will be on the table in just 15 minutes. Boom.
Skinny Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 ounces whole wheat penne pasta
- 1 14.5-ounce can petite diced tomatoes, drained
- ½ cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
For the alfredo sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 6-ounce can 2% evaporated milk
- 1 ounce light cream cheese
- ¼ cup chicken broth, or more, to taste
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To make the alfredo sauce, melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in cream cheese and chicken broth until smooth, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add more chicken broth as needed until desired consistency is reached.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
- Place shrimp onto the prepared baking sheet. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper, to taste, and gently toss to combine. Place into oven and roast just until pink, firm and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8×8 baking dish with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, combine shrimp, pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, red pepper flakes and alfredo sauce. Add pasta mixture to prepared baking dish and top with Parmesan.
- Place into oven and bake until golden brown and cheese has melted, about 10 minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
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maybe a silly question but the nutrition facts are 580 Calories. is that for the entire Recipe or would it be for your own personal scoop (like 1 cup for serving im guessing?)
The nutritional information is for 1 serving (about 1-2 cups).
This looks so good!! Thank you so much for sharing!
Curious if you can freeze this recipe before the final bake? (Or after)
This sounds like a great freezer meal! But I’m just learning what can and can’t be frozen! TIA!
Yes, you can freeze after as needed.
This recipe is super yummy!! I have made this several times and I love it 🙂
This recipe was amazing. My husband and I have never found an Alfredo recipe that doesn’t call for too much Parmesan easy and awesome!
This dish was amazing!!!!!!! I omitted the tomatoes and red peppers but it still tasted wonderful!!! Thank you for sharing your recipes 🙂
Awesome recipe.
Hi! This recipe looks so good and I’m excited to make it! I bought uncooked frozen shrimp. Does it need to be thawed before I cook it in the oven with the olive oil or can I do it with them frozen? Thank you!
I recommend thawing first. For faster thawing, you can run the shrimp under cold water. The shrimp should be ready to cook in about 5-10 minutes.
I have already prepared my ingredients, cooked everything needed to be cooked… This dish will be for tomorrow… I wanted to know if i can add all ingredients and complete the last step on tomorrow before serving… Will that be alright?
Yes, absolutely.
Just wondering if anyone of the above readers were successful freezing this and cooking later?
I made this for dinner tonight. It was pretty good except the tomatoes didn’t taste right in this dish. Next I I am going to leave them out. Other then that not bad. Thanks for the recipe.
Weird question…I know you have a lot of LeCreuset…is that the brand of that frying pan? Looks like a great piece to add to my collection.
I do have a lot of Le Creuset but this pan is actually from Cost Plus World Market:
http://www.worldmarket.com/product/8%22+sapphire+lightweight+cast+iron+skillet.do?&from=Search
It always surprises me when a food blogger posts a recipe with 579 calories of which there are 9 grams of saturated fat. Hello, we have a obesity problem going on here, Would love to see some healthy recipes.
Thanks
As a comparison, the shrimp alfredo served at the Olive Garden has 1150 calories with 41g of saturated fat. Based on these nutrients alone, I have cut the calories in half and reduced the saturated fat content by nearly 80%.
This recipe looks delicious. Could I omit the cream cheese??
Yes.
I do have a question. Pre- baking the shrimp and then baking them again. Does this overcook the shrimp? I know in the past I have overcooked shrimp and they are like rubber. Please let me know
Kermit, I did not find the shrimp to be overcooked, but as always, please do what is most comfortable for you and your preferences.
I would like to make this in the morning and serve for dinner. I plan to refrigerate it (all cooked). At what temp and how long in the oven if this recipe has been in the frig. for several hours? Would you be kind to respond today? TY. Mike K
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment.
Made this last night for dinner. My picky family loved it!! There’s not even any left over.. THANK U!!
Looks Delicious! Would this still taste okay if I made a sub for the chicken broth with vegetable broth?
Yes, absolutely.
I will be making this only putting it over spaghetti squash instead of noodles. Thanks so much!
This was awesome even without the red peppers ! Thanks for sharing