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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I love shrimp alfredo but don’t always want to indulge, so this recipe sounds perfect! I included it in my latest post “Kick Start The New Year #2: 15 Healthy Dinners”!
Just made this for dinner!!!! Soooo delicious! Both my husband and I had seconds! Can’t wait to make it again! Thank you for the recipe!
How would I double this? What baking dish size also
You can double all of the ingredients and use a larger baking dish than listed in the recipe – perhaps a 9×13 baking dish?
I have to say – this recipe has become a staple at our house. My husband and I absolutely love it! I literally crave it at least once a week 🙂
i love these recipes!! especially the skinny shrimp one but im on weight watchers so im wondering what the serving size is .. it says 4 but what is one serving?? a cup im curious
Unfortunately, I cannot provide the serving size in cups at this time. However, this recipe yields approximately 4 servings.
Your recipes are ALWAYS amazing and this one was no different! I will probably use chicken instead of shrimp, and add more sauce next time, but other than that, AH-MAY-ZING!
Making this tonight for dinner. Just wondering how well does this reheat as most Alfredo sauces turn to oil when reheated.
We had no issues reheating leftovers.
Hi there. I am planning to make this for next week. I wonder if I can replace the petite diced tomatoes for any other kind of tomato, I haven’t seen those where I live.
Thanks
Liliana, if you do not have access to petite diced tomatoes, diced tomatoes will also work just fine.
First, I get sucked in by your photos. Every. Time.
This was amazing-both my children and my super picky 24 year old niece loved it. I added some baby spinach, which they all loved. This is easy enough for a weeknight, but impressive enough for company. Definitely making again-thanks!
I added broccoli to mine as well. Delicious!
Great dish. I used the fat free cream cheese and can milk. I also used the low fat weight watchers shredded cheese. I sautéed the shrimp then used the liquid from that instead of chicken broth. Mmmmmmgood
I made this for dinner last night and it was OUTSTANDING!!! Hubby & kids loved it! I added chicken as well as the shrimp. I will have to make this for my next office potluck lunch. Thanks
i always have to convert into metric.. how much is one ounce of cream cheese?
Helen, 1 oz cream cheese = 30 g.
I made this, adding peas and omitting the red pepper flakes. It tasted great and was fairly easy to make!
i cannot wait to make this ! Just a quick question. I have frozed pre-cooked shrimp… do i still need to bake them in the oven ? Thanks so much!
Nope – there’s no need to roast the shrimp.
Made this on the week-end and it was delish , its a keeper in my recipe box. 🙂
Made this for dinner tonight…tasted awesome. Thanks for this great recipe!
I usually use heavy cream when I make alfredo sauce do you think i can use it in this recipe if I don’t mind the calories ?
Yes, of course, but heavy cream is really not needed here.
My boyfriend was just eating the leftovers of this and told me I have to write a comment saying how great this is. I did make some edits- added chopped bok choy (added it to the pasta a few minutes before it was done), and did the sauce a little more simply. Sauteed the garlic in the butter, then added some broth and melted a stick of cream cheese into it. Didn’t use the condensed milk or flour; I’m a bit lazy about using multiple ingredients, and I’m sure it changed the texture a bit, but it tasted great! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
question on the nutrition: is that per serving? so there is 500+ calories in one serving?
Yes, that’s correct.
I made this two nights ago–very easy and super delicious. I turned the broiler on low for 2-3 minutes at the very end. I ate the leftovers last night, and they were just as good as the first night. I’m training for a marathon, and the combination of carbs and protein in this dish helped fuel my runs. Thank you for a great recipe!