Shrimp Penne Pasta

Need a quick, easy dinner recipe that the entire family will love in under 30 minutes? This delicious Shrimp Penne Pasta is what you need! Pasta tossed in a rich garlic sauce with shrimp makes this meal a hit. Pair it with a side salad or roasted vegetables and you have an entire meal.

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This shrimp penne – where should I start? First, it’s so easy – less than 30-minutes-to-make easy! You can have dinner for six ready in no time at all – the best, right? I love the creamy garlic sauce and when you toss it all together you get a dinner that your whole family will love.

If you’ve been looking to switch-up pasta night at your house I think you’re going to love it! I think pasta has to be one of my favorite go-to ingredients for easy dinners – shrimp and asparagus pasta is another one of my favorite recipes you might like, too!

For this recipe you can have it all ready to go in the time it takes to boil the pasta – add some breadsticks, a simple salad, or some roasted vegetables on the side for a complete dinner.

So, are you ready? I can’t wait to show you how easy it is!

Some Notes about the Ingredients

• I like to use penne pasta for this recipe, but you can use any pasta you like! Other short shapes like bowtie pasta, orecchiette, fusilli or cavatappi are all good choices. Or you can use a long pasta shape like spaghetti, linguini, or fettuccine. Use what you have on hand!
• For the shrimp, use cooked ones to save time! I like to buy frozen ones and thaw them first which is very easy – just submerge them in cold water for about 20 minutes. Or, you can pop the frozen shrimp in the fridge and let them thaw all day. Just leave them in the package and when it’s time to make dinner they’ll be ready to go.

It helps to have all of your ingredients ready to go before you start cooking. So, chop your garlic and parsley and make sure your cheese is grated (or buy the pre-grated stuff like I do!)

Four Easy Steps to Make Shrimp Penne Pasta!

• Make Pasta – First, get your pasta water going and then add the penne. Set the timer because you don’t want to boil the pasta too long – it will turn mushy in the sauce if it’s overcooked.
• Garlic Sauce – n a saucepan, melt the butter and saute the garlic in it. Add the flour and stir until it’s combined with the butter. Slowy add the chicken broth and evaporated milk, stirring continuously until the mixture is smooth. There shouldn’t be any lumps of flour in it.
• Add Shrimp – Add the parsley, shrimp, seafood seasoning, and cheese and stir until the sauce is creamy and the cheese is melted.
• Combine – Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large bowl. Pour the sauce and shrimp over the top and toss it all together to combine.

Serve this dish right away – it’s best served hot!

Can I use regular milk instead of evaporated milk?

I like to use evaporated milk in this recipe because it helps make the sauce creamy and rich. I also like it because I can keep it stocked in my pantry instead of always having whole milk or cream in the refrigerator. You can substitute heavy cream for the evaporated milk or a combination of whole milk and cream (approximately 4 ounces of milk and 1 ounce of heavy cream would work well).

You could try using whole milk, but the sauce may not be as rich and the sauce might break, too, while you’re cooking it. If you try it with just whole milk (or another type of milk) let me know in the comments how it worked!

I only have raw shrimp on hand – will that work?

Yes, you can use raw shrimp instead of pre-cooked ones!

• First, make sure they are peeled and deveined. Remove the tails, too!
• Once you melt the butter and add the garlic and add the uncooked shrimp. Cook them for a few minutes on each side. Depending on how big they are you will want to cook them for two to three minutes on each side. Once they are pink and translucent remove them from the pan and set them aside.
• Continue with the rest of the recipe (making the sauce with the stock, etc) and then just add the cooked shrimp at the end.

Can I make this recipe ahead?

I think this dish tastes best when it’s made and then served right away, so I don’t recommend making it ahead of time. You can keep the any leftovers in the refrigerator but the sauce will thicken up and won’t be as creamy when you reheat it. You might need to add a splash of milk to thin it when you heat it up.

What are other ways to use shrimp?

I love to use it in recipes -, especially frozen shrimp because you can have it on hand for easy dinners. I use shrimp to make enchiladas, they are delicious tossed with butter and garlic for an easy shrimp scampi, or try my shrimp with cheese tortellini! This Shrimp Scampi is restaurant quality that you can serve on a busy weeknight because it’s so easy to make. It’s a really versatile ingredient that you can use to make so many easy dinners.

I hope you love this easy shrimp penne as much as I do! I think you’ll want to add it to your dinner rotation!

Try it and love it? Rate it, please!!!? Seriously though a five-star rating below will make my day! If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!!

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!

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5 from 56 votes

Shrimp Penne Pasta

Easy pasta dish with penne pasta covered in a creamy garlic sauce and shrimp!

Prep:10 minutes mins

Cook:15 minutes mins

Total:25 minutes mins

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6

servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 c. dry penne
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 1/4 c. butter cubed
• ▢ 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• ▢ 14.5 oz chicken broth
• ▢ 5 oz evaporated milk
• ▢ 1 lb cooked medium shrimp peeled and deveined
• ▢ 2/3 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
• ▢ 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley minced
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp Seafood Seasoning Old Bay recommended

Instructions

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Make sure not to over cook or your noodles turn to mush when you mix it with the pasta sauce!
• Meanwhile, in a large saucepan saute garlic in butter.
• Stir in flour until blended; gradually add broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened.
• Stir in shrimp, cheese, parsley and seafood seasoning; heat through.
• Drain pasta; place in a large bowl. Add shrimp mixture; toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Tips

Can I use regular milk instead of evaporated milk?

I like to use evaporated milk in this recipe because it helps make the sauce creamy and rich. I also like it because I can keep it stocked in my pantry instead of always having whole milk or cream in the refrigerator. You can substitute heavy cream for the evaporated milk or a combination of whole milk and cream (approximately 4 ounces of milk and 1 ounce of heavy cream would work well).

You could try using whole milk, but the sauce may not be as rich and the sauce might break, too, while you’re cooking it. If you try it with just whole milk (or another type of milk) let me know in the comments how it worked!

I only have raw shrimp on hand – will that work?

Yes, you can use raw shrimp instead of pre-cooked ones!

• First, make sure they are peeled and deveined. Remove the tails, too!
• Once you melt the butter and add the garlic and add the uncooked shrimp. Cook them for a few minutes on each side. Depending on how big they are you will want to cook them for two to three minutes on each side. Once they are pink and translucent remove them from the pan and set them aside.
• Continue with the rest of the recipe (making the sauce with the stock, etc) and then just add the cooked shrimp at the end.

Video

Nutrition Information

Calories: 774kcal (39%), Carbohydrates: 101g (34%), Protein: 44g (88%), Fat: 20g (31%), Saturated Fat: 11g (69%), Cholesterol: 242mg (81%), Sodium: 1346mg (59%), Potassium: 521mg (15%), Fiber: 4g (17%), Sugar: 6g (7%), Vitamin A: 958IU (19%), Vitamin C: 15mg (18%), Calcium: 508mg (51%), Iron: 5mg (28%)

© Julie's Eats & Treats ®

We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.