Shrimp alfredo is a luscious and decadent pasta dish. It has noodles and shrimp in a creamy sauce that’ll leave your tastebuds craving for more! If you’re planning to serve this delicious dish to friends and family, you may be wondering what goes good with shrimp alfredo.
If this is you, don’t worry! We’ve got all the information you need to find the perfect drink and side dish pairings for your shrimp alfredo. Ready? Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
- What Pasta Goes With Alfredo Sauce?
- What Is a Good Wine With Shrimp Alfredo?
- What’s a Good Side For Shrimp Alfredo?
- What Kind of Salad Goes Good With Shrimp Alfredo
- What Vegetable Goes With Shrimp Alfredo?
- What Is a Good Bread Goes With Shrimp Alfredo?
- Shrimp Alfredo Recipe
- FAQs On What To Serve With Shrimp Alfredo
- What Goes Good With Shrimp Alfredo? A lot!
What Pasta Goes With Alfredo Sauce?
First things first. You’ll want to select good noodles to serve with your shrimp alfredo before figuring out which side dishes to pair it with.
Let us start by saying that shrimp alfredo, or any alfredo for that matter, can be paired with a noodle of any type, including elbow macaroni or even chickpea noodles for those who are gluten sensitive.
However, for the purposes of this post, we are going to focus on some of the more traditional noodle types typically served in shrimp alfredo.
The most commonly used noodles in alfredo pasta include:
- Fettuccine Noodles (or Tagliatelle Noodles)
- Linguini Noodles
- Angel Hair Pasta Noodles
- Penne Noodles
What Is a Good Wine With Shrimp Alfredo?
What Kind of Wine Goes Good With Shrimp Alfredo?
If you’re in the mood for a little wine with your creamy shrimp alfredo pasta dish, it is usually best to stick with a dry white wine.
There are, however, plenty of “blush” wines that also pair well with this beloved pasta dish, and even one red wine that we will soon reveal in the segment below!
Best Wine With Shrimp Alfredo
Consider sampling one of the following wines the next time you eat shrimp alfredo:
- Pinot Grigio: Pinot Grigio is a popular light Italian wine. The fruitiness of this “blush” wine really complements the flavors of rich and creamy alfredo.
- Chardonnay: A chardonnay is a dry white wine that enhances the cheesy and buttery flavors of shrimp alfredo.
- Merlot: Though red wines are typically reserved for beef or tomato-based dishes, the berry flavors in this wine actually go very well with alfredo sauce due to its richness.
- Sauvignon Blanc: Zesty and refreshing, Sauvignon Blanc is best paired with alfredo sauces and other creamy dishes because its brightness cuts through the rich flavors for a refreshing and unique experience.
What’s a Good Side For Shrimp Alfredo?
What to Serve With Shrimp Alfredo
Because shrimp alfredo is heavy and creamy, you’ll want to cut the richness of the dish by serving it with something light.
Good pairings include vegetables, salads, bright-tasting fruits, garlic bread, and any drink that brings refreshment or light fruitiness (wine, seltzer, lemon water, etc).
Flavors and ingredients you can play around with when serving sides for shrimp alfredo include lemon, lime, balsamic, apple cider vinegar, garlic, parmesan, and fresh cracked pepper.
Avoid serving alfredo dishes with anything overly heavy or riddled with salt or cheese as this will overwhelm the dish. Dressings like ranch or Thousand Island should be avoided when serving salad alongside shrimp alfredo.
Note: When serving up your own dinner or eating at a restaurant, you should feel free to indulge in whatever dressing or side dishes you wish with your shrimp alfredo. Remember, these are only our recommendations; there are no rules when it comes to piecing together a good meal.
Shrimp Alfredo Sides
Here are a few excellent side dishes to pair with your shrimp alfredo the next time you make it:
- Lightly Steamed Broccoli with Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper
- Asparagus With Squeezed Lemon
- Salad With a Light Vinaigrette Dressing
- Fresh Sliced Tomatoes and Cucumber Drizzled With Balsamic Dressing
What Kind of Salad Goes Good With Shrimp Alfredo
Because shrimp alfredo is so rich, delicious, and creamy, it helps to have something light and refreshing to accompany it.
What better pairing with shrimp alfredo than a zesty salad?
Try mixing up your leafy greens by offering a combination of arugula with romaine or maybe even a handful of baby spinach tossed with green leaf lettuce. No matter your salad craving, just be sure that you keep it light in order to avoid overwhelming the dish.
Something else to consider when pairing a salad with shrimp alfredo is the type of toppings and dressings you will use.
When selecting toppings you should stick with veggie toppings over egg or meat toppings. Good choices include sweet red bell peppers, olives, shaved parmesan, fresh tomatoes, pepperoncini, pickled onions, thinly shaved carrots, and whatever else your heart desires. Feel free to get creative!
What Vegetable Goes With Shrimp Alfredo?
What Veggie Goes Good With Shrimp Alfredo?
There are a few vegetables that go well with shrimp alfredo. Among these are broccoli, asparagus, and string beans. All three of these are wonderful served with a little lemon juice squeezed over the top. The zest from the lemon is an excellent match for the rich, buttery, and luscious taste of alfredo pasta.
Other types of vegetables, such as sweet potato or corn may prove to be too starchy to pair with pasta.
Looking for even more vegetable options to serve with your shrimp alfredo? Try sauteing a bit of kale, spinach, or herbed mushrooms as unique side dish pairings for this popular pasta dish.
What Is a Good Bread Goes With Shrimp Alfredo?
The most popular bread by far to serve with shrimp alfredo is often garlic bread. This crispy, crunchy, and flavorful bread is a staple to be served with nearly any Italian pasta dish.
Having said that, there are other bread options you can consider when serving up shrimp alfredo. Try adding a baguette to your next alfredo meal or even a dinner roll.
Which bread you choose is really up to you, and what you have on hand!
Shrimp Alfredo Recipe
Now that you have an idea of what to serve with your shrimp alfredo, it’d be wrong to let you leave without offering up a great shrimp alfredo recipe! Try the recipe below and pair it with any of our previously mentioned delicious bread, side dish, or wine suggestions.
Shrimp Alfredo
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
- 1 pound pre-cooked shrimp
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened & cut into smaller pieces
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil your fettuccine pasta according to package instructions.
- While the noodles are boiling, remove the tails from the shrimp if they are still on. (I have a guide on perfectly cooking shrimp, in case you wanna cook instead of buying pre-cooked)
- Add your butter to a pan with high sides and melt over a gentle heat before adding your minced garlic.
- Cook garlic in the butter until fragrant. Be careful not to burn.
- Once your butter is melted and your garlic becomes fragrant, add your cream cheese and heavy cream to the pot. Simmer this mixture on medium heat until it becomes bubbly.
- Add your shrimp to the bubbling mixture, allowing it to continue to simmer for 5-6 minutes or until the shrimp is heated through. If your sauce is bubbling very rapidly, consider lowering the heat a pinch to prevent burning.
- Once your shrimp is heated through, add your parmesan cheese and stir until well incorporated.
- Enjoy and Serve!
FAQs On What To Serve With Shrimp Alfredo
Is shrimp alfredo healthy?
Shrimp alfredo isn’t typically healthy. Though there are substitutions you can make to make the dish lighter.
Because alfredo of any kind are notoriously (and deliciously) luscious, they aren’t the kinds of meals you’ll want to consume on a regular basis when counting calories. The offenders within the dish include heavy cream, butter, and even the noodles themselves for those that are carb conscious.
Still, shrimp alfredo recipes can be altered to replace regular butter with cholesterol-free plant-based butter and the heavy cream with yogurt, low-fat cream cheese, or plain milk. Know that these variations may cause your alfredo to turn out much differently from the original, but who knows, you may like the resulting lighter alfredo even better!
What other types of alfredo are there?
Shrimp alfredo is a bit of a deviation from the traditional chicken alfredo most people know and love. In addition to shrimp and chicken alfredo, there is also alfredo that is served without any meat at all, known as fettuccine already. Occasionally, you may even find a recipe for alfredo that calls for beef! Who knew?
Is shrimp alfredo an Italian dish?
Alfredo has Italian roots. However, it is much more popular in the United States than it is in Italy. In fact, some sources state that you will be very hard-pressed to find a single place in Italy that actually serves alfredo (of any sort) in Italy.
What Goes Good With Shrimp Alfredo? A lot!
There are many foods that pair well with shrimp alfredo. Just be sure that whatever you choose is light, zesty, and citrusy, as these tend to be the best pairings for entrees that tend to be very rich.
Good options to serve with shrimp alfredo include dry white wines, zingy vinaigrette salads, broccoli or asparagus squeezed with lemon juice, and more. Give them a try and see what you think!
Bon appetit!
More pairings you might love:
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- What Meat Goes With Sweet Potatoes
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- Sides For Philly Cheesesteak
- How To Make Pasta Taste Better
Shrimp Alfredo Recipe
Try this recipe and pair it with any of your favourite delicious breads, side dishes, or wines.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
- 1 pound pre-cooked shrimp
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened & cut into smaller pieces
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil your fettuccine pasta according to package instructions.
- While the noodles are boiling, remove the tails from the shrimp if they are still on.
- Add your butter to a pan with high sides and melt over a gentle heat before adding your minced garlic.
- Cook garlic in the butter until fragrant. Be careful not to burn.
- Once your butter is melted and your garlic becomes fragrant, add your cream cheese and heavy cream to the pot. Simmer this mixture on medium heat until it becomes bubbly.
- Add your shrimp to the bubbling mixture, allowing it to continue to simmer for 5-6 minutes or until the shrimp is heated through. If your sauce is bubbling very rapidly, consider lowering the heat a pinch to prevent burning.
- Once your shrimp is heated through, add your parmesan cheese and stir until well incorporated.
