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Old Bay Garlic Shrimp Pasta

4.91 from 21 votes

This Old Bay garlic shrimp pasta recipe is incredibly delicious and addictive. It's quick and easy as it can be ready in less than 30 minutes. It is inexpensive to make for a weeknight dinner but also elegant enough to serve for a romantic date night or a special occasion.

garlic shrimp pasta recipe.

If you still have some leftover Old Bay or Cajun seasoning in your pantry, make this garlic shrimp pasta tonight.

This Old Bay garlic shrimp pasta will impress everyone at your table... "laissez les bon temps rouler" (let the good times roll)!

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Why You'll Love this Garlic Shrimp Pasta 

Here are some reasons why you will love this pasta. 

  • This garlic shrimp pasta is loaded with zesty flavor. It's also garlicky and has just the right amount of heat.
  • It's much cheaper, tastier, and healthier than what you'd get at a restaurant.
garlic shrimp pasta recipe.
  • Even though this pasta uses heavy cream as one of the ingredients, it's still light enough to serve for everyday meals. It's lower in calories and fat content than any other creamy pasta recipe you'd find. 
  • This recipe is not only easy to prepare but also adjustable. I will show you some tips below on how to make this pasta creamier and saucier if you prefer. 

Ingredients for Garlic Shrimp Pasta:

To make this garlic shrimp pasta, you'll need the following ingredients. 

  • Shrimp. In this recipe, I used a pound of peeled and tail-on shrimp (about 21-25 shrimp per pound) so everyone will get enough shrimp to serve with the pasta. 
  • Old Bay Seasoning. It's a great seasoning for seafood. Old Bay seasoning contains a unique blend of 18 herbs and spices. You can purchase it at any grocery store or on Amazon.com. If you can't find Old Bay seasoning, feel free to substitute it with Cajun seasoning.
  • Lemon Juice. Only use a small amount of lemon juice to add freshness and a bright flavor to the shrimp. 
ingredient for pasta.
  • Garlic. Use fresh minced garlic. The amount of garlic that goes into this recipe is adjustable according to your taste. Honestly, though, the garlic adds a flavor bomb to this pasta recipe! 
  • Shallots. It's optional. I used shallots to add fragrance and sweetness to the pasta. It's milder in flavor compared to an onion. 
  • Pasta. You can use any long pasta, such as Spaghetti, Fettuccine, or Linguini. 
  • Heavy Cream. I used a small amount of heavy cream to add richness and creaminess to the pasta.
  • White wine. It's used to deglaze the pan. If you are avoiding any alcoholic products, you can use chicken broth instead. 
  • Other ingredients. Olive oil, unsalted butter, and fresh parsley. 
garlic shrimp pasta recipe.

How to Make Garlic Shrimp Pasta:

Making this pasta consists of three easy steps.

1. Prepare the Pasta

  1. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook according to the product packaging until al dente.
  2. Remove the cooked pasta from the pot. Reserve at least ½ cup of pasta water for later use. 
boiling pasta

2. Prepare the Shrimp 

  1. In a bowl, combine fresh shrimp with Old Bay Seasoning and lemon juice. Mix well. 
  2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter and add olive oil. Cook the garlic just until fragrant.
  3. Add shrimp and cook until it's pink. Remove the shrimp and place it on a plate, then set it aside. 

3. Prepare the Sauce 

  1. In the same skillet, melt butter, and cook shallots until translucent. Add garlic and cook until it's fragrant. 
  2. Add white wine and deglaze the pan. Bring to a simmer until the wine is reduced to about a tablespoon. 
  3. Add heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and Old Bay seasoning. Stir and let the cheese melt. 
  4. Add cooked shrimp and parley then stir to combine.
  5. Lower the heat to a low setting, add the cooked pasta, and toss to coat.
  6. Add some of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed. Adjust the seasoning with more Old Bay Seasoning if necessary. 
shrimp and heavy cream.

Tips and Variations:

  • Creamier but Lighter in Flavor Old Bay Pasta. If you want to make this pasta creamier but lighter in flavor, use ¾ cup of heavy cream instead of ½ cup of heavy cream. This will make this pasta more kid-friendly. 
  • Creamier, Bolder, and Saucier Old Bay Pasta. Use at least ¾ cup of heavy cream and with some pasta water instead of ½ cup of heavy cream. You also need to increase the amount of Old Bay seasoning that goes into the recipe. 
  • Pasta water. Don't forget to reserve some pasta water, at least ½ cup. Pasta water can be useful to add flavor, thicken the sauce, and add moisture to the pasta. 
  • Serving. This pasta is enough to serve up to 6 small servings. Feel free to use more shrimp if needed.
garlic shrimp pasta recipe.

How to Store Leftover Old Bay Shrimp Pasta: 

  • First, let the pasta cool at room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container. If properly stored, this pasta lasts up to 3 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer. 
  • For your safety, do not leave leftovers out for more than two hours at room temperature, or one hour when the temperature is over 90°F. For additional food safety guidance, please visit this website.

How to Reheat Leftover Pasta:

  • Place a single serving of shrimp pasta in a microwave-safe bowl.
  • Drizzle the pasta with a small amount of water then cover the dish with a microwave-safe lid. Cook for 1 minute at medium heat.
  • If the pasta isn't warmed all the way through, stir it,  and cook it again in 15-second increments until completely heated.

Check Out More Pasta Recipes


I hope you'll enjoy this recipe and share it with friends! If you try it and don’t mind, please leave me a comment and/or give this recipe a rating. Be sure to subscribe to receive weekly recipes and follow me on Pinterest.

📖 Recipe

garlic shrimp pasta recipe.

Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Rika
This garlic shrimp pasta is inexpensive to make for a weeknight dinner but also elegant enough to serve for a romantic date night or a special occasion. 
4.91 from 21 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian, world
Servings 6 small
Calories 492 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound shrimp, (deveined, peeled, tail-on) - pat dry with paper towels.
  • tablespoons finely minced garlic, (divided)
  • 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning , (divided)
  • tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter , (divided)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 12 oz dried spaghetti
  • ¼ cup finely minced shallots
  • ¼ cup dry white wine, (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc)
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley, (and more for serving)
  • ½ cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese, (and more for serving)
  • salt and black pepper, (to taste)

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot, boil salted water. Cook pasta until al dente following package instructions. Save at least ½ cup of pasta water.
  • Mix fresh shrimp with 2 teaspoons of Old Bay Seasoning and lemon juice in a bowl.
  • In skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sauté ½ tablespoon minced garlic until fragrant. Add shrimp, cook until pink. Remove shrimp, set aside on a plate.
  • In the same skillet on medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Sauté shallots until translucent. Add 1½ tablespoons of minced garlic, cook until fragrant.
  • Add white wine, scrape up pan bits. Simmer until wine reduces to 1 tbsp.
  • Add cream, cheese, and 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning. Stir until cheese melts. Add shrimp and parsley, stir to combine.
  • Reduce heat to low, add pasta, toss to coat. Add reserved pasta water to adjust sauce consistency.
  • Taste and season with more Old Bay Seasoning, cream, salt, and/or black pepper if needed. Turn off heat, serve with extra parmesan cheese and parsley.

Notes

How to manage the amount of salt in your food. Since you'll most likely be using Old Bay seasoning you bought from the store, and you might not be sure how salty it is, it's a good idea to start with a small amount of Old Bay Seasoning and then add more as needed to suit your taste.
For example, instead of using 1 tablespoon of Old Bay Seasoning (which is the same as 3 teaspoons) to season the pasta, you can start with 1-2 teaspoons first then add more add more Old Bay seasoning in ¼ teaspoon increments as needed.
Salted Water. In this recipe, I use 1 tablespoon of coarse kosher salt per 12 cups of water to cook pasta. 
Variations. 
  • Creamier but Lighter in Flavor Old Bay Pasta. If you want to make this pasta creamier but lighter in flavor, use ¾ cup of heavy cream instead of ½ cup of heavy cream. This will make this pasta more kid-friendly. 
  • Creamier, Saucier, and Bolder in Flavor Old Bay Pasta. Use at least ¾ cup of heavy cream and at least  ½ cup of pasta water instead of ½ cup of heavy cream. You also need to increase the amount of Old Bay seasoning that goes into the recipe until it reaches the desired result.
Old Bay Seasoning. If you can't find Old Bay seasoning, feel free to substitute it with Cajun seasoning.
Garlic. Cook the garlic just until fragrant. Do not burn!
Storing. Keep the leftover garlic shrimp pasta in an airtight container.  If properly stored, this pasta lasts up to 3 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer. 
Reheating. Place a single serving of shrimp pasta in a microwave-safe bowl. Drizzle the pasta with a small amount of water then cover the dish with a microwave-safe lid. Cook for 1 minute at medium heat. If the pasta isn't warmed all the way through, stir it,  and cook it again in 15-second increments until completely heated.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 492kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 30gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 186mgSodium: 232mgPotassium: 256mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 869IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 238mgIron: 3mg
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Comments

    4.91 from 21 votes (19 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Lori B. says

    Soooo good and one of my favorite seafood recipes! Added capers at the end! Try it you won’t regret it!

    • Rika says

      Hi Lori,

      I'm glad you enjoyed this Old Bay Garlic Shrimp Pasta recipe and adding capers at the end must have given it an extra burst of flavor.

      Best,

      Rika

  2. Amelia says

    4 stars
    This came out way too salty for me. I think with less Old Bay it would be great. Careful adding that last addition to the dish. Next time, I will use half of a Tablespoon, then go from there.

    • Rika says

      Hi Amelia,

      Thank you for your feedback! I appreciate it. I've just added a note for other readers.

      Best,

      Rika

  3. Amy Garner says

    5 stars
    If you’re not the best cook but you’re a foodie, this is your recipe! I made it with frozen deveined and shelled shrimp and it was delicious and easy!

    • Rika says

      Thank you so much for the feedback, Amy! I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe and found it easy to make. Using frozen shrimp is a fantastic idea—it really makes things convenient without sacrificing flavor.

      Best,

      Rika