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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Love the lighter option! I love pasta but get tired of all the extra calories that come along with it. Haha It looks heavenly!
This looks delicious! Do you think I could make it without tomatoes? My husband is allergic to tomatoes so I try to keep them out of recipes.
Yes, absolutely. I do recommend adding in a different kind of veggie.
I left the tomatoes out of mine and actually lightened it up even more by using fat free evaporated milk and cram cheese. All of the cheeses upset were lower gag too. This was absolutely wonderful. Delicious! I can’t wait to try it with some chicken too!
I love that you made a skinny version of alfredo, gorgeous!
I love this skinny version! Woot!
Oh goodness, yes. A 1,000 x yes.
Oh my, another wonderful recipe. I love shrimp and prawns, and am trying to incorporate them more into my cooking, both with rice and pasta recipes. (I have my shrimp pizza and shrimp roll recipes down pat!) This perfectly fits the bill, thanks! Will make soon.
Could this be made with chicken breasts?
Hubby doesn’t eat fish.
Thanks
Diane
Yes, that should work just fine. You may have to adjust cooking time or use grilled chicken breast instead.
Yes I plan to,use already cooked chicken breasts.
Thanks.
My niece is allergic to shell fish so substitutes chicken in slot of recipes and always turns out great.
This looks amazing! Love that you made it skinny. 🙂
Nice recipe. Thank you.
That looks amazing! My whole family would enjoy this dish! Pinning.
This looks AMAZING! And thank you so much for including the Alfredo sauce as well 😀 I hope you have an amazing Thursday 🙂 x
I love the images. Your red casserole dish with the crushed red pepper flakes is perfect! And the dishtowel, the hands, mmm, looks beautiful!