There’s something about creamy pasta dishes that gets us going. They’re rich, full of flavour and manage to hit the spot every time. There’s many benefits of going pescatarian before vegetarian. And we don’t doubt these 5 creamy shrimp pasta recipes will keep your mid-week carb cravings satisfied. They all use a different type of pasta; all with different flavours to enjoy. To make great pasta dishes like this, it’s worth investing in large skillet pan. Most skillets are oven-friendly which means you can cook everything in one place on the hob or in the oven. Saving you more washing up (yay) – you can buy one here!
How Can I Make These Recipes More Animal Friendly?
All these recipes are suitable for a pescatarian diet. Except for the parmesan used in them. Parmesan and many other hard cheeses aren’t vegetarian as they are made with rennet. Rennet is an enzyme found in young mammals’ stomachs to help them digest their mother’s milk. And you betcha, it’s another animal-product many animals are killed for. So if you’re adopting a pescatarian diet to make your way towards a veggie or vegan diet. Be sure to swap out standard parmesan for a rennet-free alternative. If you can’t find some in the shops, you can buy some online here.
Secondly, most of these recipes use milk and cream. But you can definitely reap the same results with dairy-free alternatives if you wanted to head towards a vegan diet.
And finally, as you begin to reduce your fish intake, you can substitute the fish in these recipes with plant-based protein. Tofu, seitan, tempeh and legumes will work wonders.
So let’s get to it…
1. Creamy Garlic Butter Tuscan Shrimp by Karina at Cafe Delites
Succulent shrimp cooked in a light and creamy sauce, flavoured with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Sounds like a little bit of heaven if you ask us! Even better, it only takes 20 minutes to make – perfect for a busy working week. Karina uses Half and Half, a popular dairy product in the US which is an equal blend of whole milk and light cream. In the UK, you could use an equal blend of standard pouring cream and milk. You can also experiment with non-dairy creams and milks which will work just as well. Karina serves this dish on its own but you can serve it with any pasta of your choice. To make this dish you will need the following ingredients; and the method can be found here.
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 6 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 1 pound (500 g) shrimp (or prawns) -- tails on or off
- 1 small yellow onion , diced
- 1/2 cup white wine (optional)
- 5 oz (150 g) jarred sun dried tomato strips in oil, drained
- 1 3/4 cups half and half
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves
- 2/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese (do not include for dairy free option)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (cornflour) mixed with 1 tablespoons of water (optional)***
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley , chopped
2. Creamy Mozarella Shrimp Pasta by Julia at Julias Album Blog
Another dish to make your mouth water is this one by Julia. She uses good ol’ penne pasta which you can buy here.
- 8 oz penne pasta (for gluten free, use gluten free brown rice pasta)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (drained from sun-dried tomatoes jar or just use regular olive oil)
- 1 pound shrimp, without shells, and deveined
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 small jar (3-4 oz) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, or use 3-4 oz oil-free sun dried tomatoes
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (never frozen)
- 1 tablespoon basil (if using dry basil), if using fresh basil you can add more
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (at least, add more to taste)
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 cup reserved cooked pasta water (or more)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3. Shrimp Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce by Marzia at Little Spice Jar
Before cooking this dish, Marzia marinates the shrimp with minced garlic and chilli flakes. Then she adds vibrant fresh lemon juice – a combo that’s bound to make this dish pop with flavour. With a massive sprinkling of (rennet-free) parmesan, fresh basil and parsley, this dish makes another easy mid-week dinner. Marzia has used linguine which you can buy online here.
- 10 ounces linguine
- 1 lb. medium/large shrimp, peeled/deveined (tail can be left on or off)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic, divided
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon butter
- zest of 2 lemons (about 1 tablespoon)
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- ½ cup half and half (or heavy cream)
- Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling (optional)
- ¼ cup chopped basil or parsley, for garnish (optional)
4. Creamy Shrimp Pasta with Tomato & Basil by Chungah at Damn Delicious
Here’s another 30 minute wonder using cavatappi pasta. This is one of our favourite kinds of pastas because its spirals make dishes look super fun and interesting. You can buy some online
- 3 cups cavatappi pasta
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup vegetable broth, or more, as needed
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, or more, as needed
- 1/3 cup julienned sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
5. Creamy White Wine Shrimp Alfredo by Jessie at Life as a Strawberry
Jessie has used Fettucine pasta for this recipe. It’s like linguine but it’s flatter and wider in comparison. In Italian, Fettucine translates to “little ribbons” and it’s a lovely pasta to cook with – you can buy a high-protein version here
- 1/2 lb. (8 oz.) fettuccine
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup milk (I used 1%)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese (vegan)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
- 1/2 lb. medium-sized shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
for cooking dishes like these as it makes things far easier. For special occasions, you might want to make your own fresh pasta for which you’ll need to buy a pasta-making machine
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