This make-ahead shrimp Alfredo pasta bake is an out-of-the-world weeknight meal which is gonna delete all the take-out options permanently!
Festival season is almost getting over leaving its lingering effect on all of us which is somewhat similar to kind of a hangover. The overdose of sweets and awesome flavor-loaded biryanis take you to a different universe every year and you have no mood to come back and get back to the real life!
I bet you are feeling the same as most of the festivals just got over and we are trying to re-settle into the reality.
In case you are finding it a tad bit difficult to get over the memory of that lip-smacking biryani but can’t afford that time for making it at home given the upcoming deadline, you still have some hope left for enjoying a scrumptious weeknight meal!
And that too without sacrificing the deadline! And that hope lies in my today’s recipe of shrimp Alfredo pasta bake!
Hold on! Just hold on before you start accusing me of comparing apples with oranges even though both are my favorites and equally good for health! Yes yes, I am totally aware that biryani and pasta are two entirely different dish belonging to poles-apart genre of food.
But you too have to admit that both are gems from their respective cuisine! They are real deal when it comes to awesome food; one with bit extra effort and one with little less.
My today’s shrimp Alfredo pasta is real star of the show – shrimp pasta baked in super-creamy and super-rich Alfredo sauce with a kick of red pepper flakes. Now anything with shrimp in it has to be something really special; so, I am personally very much sorted with it.
In case you still have some fine lines of doubt left, just take a quick look at the pictures above, below or anywhere – they will simply speak for themselves!
If I am successful in buying you in for this shrimp Alfredo pasta, I must also assure you that this is a very easy and quick recipe to put together and practically most of the work is taken care of by your beloved oven while you concentrate on that last slide of the ppt.
As soon as you hit the Ctrl+S for the final time, your delightful dinner with shrimp Alfredo pasta will be ready to be devoured with your better half and you enjoy a quiet quality time together before ending the hectic day.
Shrimp pasta is something which is extra-special for me. I do like regular pasta with chicken, but this shrimp Alfredo pasta proved to be something to die for! Wondering? In case you have already tried my shrimp scampi with angel hair pasta, you would already know how stunningly delish shrimp pastas are.
If you are trying to avoid extra calories, then shrimp scampi is your baby; for rest of us both shrimp scampi and shrimp Alfredo pasta are adored equally!
Just like any other baked pasta, this shrimp Alfredo pasta involves few straight-forward steps to follow and you can never go wrong with it. Cook the pasta as per the package instructions, prepare the sauce and the add-ons which you would like to have in your pasta.
Each of these steps would take about 15 minutes and can be handled simultaneously. These steps can also be done ahead of time and just when you want to serve, assemble the three components, spread your favorite cheese all over the top and BAM!
Pop the assembled pasta into the oven and let it transform to something exquisitely delish! If you haven’t had a chance to get your hands on my cheesy broccoli pasta bake or my easy cheesy pizza pasta bake, you must head over there and give them a try.
Trust me they are amazing and so is this baked shrimp Alfredo pasta! Make it this week and surprise not only your family but also yourself! Enjoy!
- Medium shrimps – 500 gms, peeled & deveined, keeping the tail end intact
- Olive oil – 3 tbsp
- Penne pasta – 500 gms
- Chopped tomatoes – 100 gms (1 can)
- Grated Mozzarella cheese – ½ cup
- Dried red chilli flakes – 1 tbsp
- Fresh chopped parsley leaves – 2 tbsp
- Grated Parmesan cheese – ¼ cup
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- For Alfredo sauce –
- Unsalted butter – 2 tbsp
- Garlic – 6 cloves, minced
- All-purpose flour – 1 tbsp
- Milk – 200 ml
- Grated cheddar cheese – 1 cup
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- First make the Alfredo sauce. Heat a large saucepan on medium heat and add the butter. Let the butter melt. Then add the minced garlic and saute for couple of minutes.
- Next add the flour and whisk continuously for 1 minute on low flame until lightly browned. Gradually pour the milk in whisking continuously so that no lumps form. Keep whisking until the milk starts to boil and the sauce thickens.
- Then add the grated cheddar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the cheese melt completely. Turn off the heat when the sauce becomes thick and you get your desired consistency. Set the sauce aside.
- Now preheat your oven to 200 C / 400 F. Grease a baking sheet with some oil and put the shrimps into it. Season them with salt and pepper and drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss the shrimps to coat well with the oil, salt and pepper. Roast the shrimps in the preheated oven for 5 to 6 minutes until just pink. Set them aside.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 180 C / 350 F and keep it preheated. Grease a large baking pan with little oil and set it aside.
- Cook the penne pasta in a large pot of heavily salted boiling water until al-dente. Check the package instructions for exact cooking instructions. Drain the pasta and rinse in cold water. Drain all the water and set aside in a colander to let the excess water drip off.
- Now combine boiled pasta, roasted shrimps, chopped tomatoes, grated mozzarella, red chilli flakes and Alfredo sauce in a large bowl and mix them using a light hand with a spatula.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle the grated Parmesan all over.
- Bake the pasta in preheated oven for about 15 minutes until golden brown and the cheese is melted.
- Sprinkle freshly chopped parsley on top and serve the delicious shrimp Alfredo pasta immediately. Enjoy!
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