Creamy, cheesy with just a touch of spice, this Creamy Shrimp Pasta with Peas will quickly move in to the regular dinner rotation on your menu. This easy dinner is ready to eat in less that 45 minutes making it a great weeknight option but is impressive enough to serve to guests!
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These long winter months call for comfort food and Creamy Shrimp Pasta is the answer to your "What's for dinner?" question.
Cheesy and full of protein, this easy dinner can be on the table in under 45 minutes and is easy to scale for 2 or to feed a group. Versatile and easy is our love language. Serve it with a simple green salad and finish the meal with a make ahead panna cotta and you have a restaurant quality dinner with minimal stress.
Why you'll love this recipe
✔︎ Taste: The nutty flavor of the gruyere melted with the shrimp, pasta, and peas is delicious. A touch of cayenne adds a nice little pop of spice at the end.
✔︎ Texture: Make sure the pasta is cooked just al dente to keep the bite when you toss the pasta in with the sauce.
✔︎ Scale: Just the two of you at home? You can easily cut this recipe in half and have a restaurant quality dinner at home without a ton of leftovers.
Ingredients
The ingredients used in this Creamy Shrimp Pasta are easy to keep on hand.
Ingredient Notes:
Pasta: Orecchiette pasta is a fun shape for this dish, I love the way the sauce pools in the "little hats" but you can also use fusilli or your favorite noodle instead.
Shrimp: No need to get the big shrimp for this dish, medium shrimp are the perfect size.
Cheese: Gruyere is the secret to this recipe! Make sure to grate it fresh for a smooth and silky sauce.
Wine: White wine adds a little depth to the sauce, but chicken broth can be used in its place.
Milk: We used whole milk making this pasta recipe, but you can sub what you have in the fridge.
Instructions
Once the pasta is cooked and drained, you only need one pot to make this creamy goodness!
Cook the shrimp: Melt the butter in a large deep skillet and add the shrimp, wine, cayenne pepper and garlic. Cook until the shrimp is done and remove from the pan along with all of the pan juices.
Make the sauce: Cook the flour and salt for 30 seconds to one minute to get rid of the raw flour taste. Whisk in the milk and cook until thickened (about one minute after it boils). Turn the heat off and stir in the cheese.
Complete the dish: Add the shrimp mixture, peas and pasta to the pan and stir well to combine. Heat until warmed through and serve immediately.
Expert Tips
✘ Use medium or large shrimp for this recipe and be sure not to over cook them, otherwise they will be rubbery.
✘ Orecchiette pasta is perfect shape to catch the sauce in the "hats". The peas nestle nicely in the hats, too, giving you all the flavor in each bite.
✘ Cook the pasta ahead of time and toss with a little oil to keep it from sticking to make prep time even faster.
✘ Like a little more heat? Increase the cayenne pepper to please your palette.
More Great Recipes
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Recipe
Creamy Shrimp Pasta with Peas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces orecchiette pasta cooked
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ pounds medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 4 tablespoons dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk (I used whole milk)
- 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
- 2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
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Instructions
- Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain well.8 ounces orecchiette pasta
- Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and sauté 3 minutes. Stir in wine, garlic and pepper, and cook until shrimp is done. Remove shrimp and juices from pan and reserve for later.1 tablespoon butter, 1 ½ pounds medium or large shrimp,, 4 tablespoons dry white wine, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- In the same pan, add flour and salt and cook for 30 seconds to toast the flour. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk, bring to a boil. Cook until slightly thick ( about 1 minute) stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted.¼ cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 cups milk, 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
- Add pasta, shrimp mixture and peas to cheese mixture, tossing well to combine. Cook on low heat until mixture is hot. Serve immediately.2 cups frozen green peas,
Notes
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Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
This recipe was originally published in 2013 and pictures and recipes were updated in March 2025.
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