Seafood alfredo is the dish you order when you want to feel like you’re living your best life. That first twirl of fettuccine draped in velvety Parmesan cream, a perfectly pink shrimp, maybe a golden scallop – it’s pure indulgence on a fork. And restaurants know exactly what they’re doing charging $28 for it.
But you can create that same butter-smooth, seafood-loaded pasta at your own table for two. $12 grocery run. 35 minutes. Same silky sauce that clings to every strand. Same perfectly seared scallops with those gorgeous golden edges. Same tender shrimp with homemade alfredo is so good you’ll wonder why you ever put on real pants to go get it.
This classic seafood recipe guarantees the trifecta: shrimp that stay succulent (pull them before they’re fully cooked – they’ll finish in that cream sauce), scallops that develop an actual crust (give them space and don’t touch them), and alfredo that stays as smooth as velvet (low heat is your friend once that cream hits the pan).
If you’re nervous about cream sauces with seafood, start with our classic chicken alfredo — it teaches the same emulsification technique without the margin for error.
Those caramelized bits left in your pan? That’s our pro tip for serious flavor – never waste the fond. When butter scrapes them up with shallot and garlic, your kitchen smells like that Italian place with the two-hour wait. Add cream, real Parmesan, fresh parsley – suddenly you’re eating liquid luxury that costs pennies per spoonful.
Pour the wine. Light the candles. This is date night seafood alfredo worth every single carb.
🔪 Ingredients for Seafood Alfredo
Pasta
- Fettuccine Pasta: Wide noodles hold a rich alfredo sauce better than thin strands.
- Kosher salt: Your pasta water should taste like the sea.
Seafood
- Large shrimp, peeled and deveined: Use raw shrimp only – pre-cooked turns rubbery.
- Sea scallops: Dry-packed scallops are essential for browning.
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Olive oil
Alfredo Sauce & Finish
- Unsalted Butter
- Shallot: Adds gentle sweetness without overpowering the sauce.
- Garlic, minced
- Heavy cream: Classic texture – no cream cheese shortcuts.
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese: Pre-grated cheese won’t melt smoothly.
- Reserved pasta cooking water
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Meat Nerd Tip: This seafood alfredo uses shrimp and scallops for balance, but the method works with other seafood too.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Wide skillet or sauté pan
- Tongs
- Microplane or fine grater
📝 How to Make Seafood Alfredo (Shrimp and Scallops)
The key to good seafood alfredo is cooking the seafood first, then building the sauce in the same pan.
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it generously. Cook the fettuccine until just al dente. Reserve some pasta water, then drain.
- Season the seafood. Pat the shrimp and scallops completely dry. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Sear the shrimp. Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook until pink and just firm. Remove immediately.
- Sear the scallops. Add more oil if needed. Place scallops flat-side down with space between them. Cook until deeply golden and they release easily, flip once, and pull as soon as opaque.
- Build the sauce base. Lower the heat to medium. Add butter and scrape up the browned bits — that’s flavor. Add the shallot and cook until softened, then add garlic just until fragrant.
- Finish the alfredo sauce. Pour in the cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from direct heat and whisk in Parmesan until smooth. Add pasta water only if the sauce looks tight.
- Bring it together. Add the pasta, shrimp, and scallops back to the pan. Toss gently until coated. Finish with parsley and adjust seasoning only at the end.
🔄 Seafood Alfredo Variations and Substitutions
- Seafood alfredo is flexible: use all shrimp, all scallops, or a mix. Salmon works great too.
- Fold in lump crab at the end for a luxe version.
- Linguine or spaghetti works if fettuccine isn’t available.
- Add peas or spinach with the pasta for a classic touch.
- Red pepper flakes with the garlic add gentle heat.
💡 Meat Nerd Tips
- Dry seafood equals better browning. Always pat your food dry before adding it to the hot skillet.
- Space scallops out in the pan without overcrowding, so they brown rather than steam.
- If scallops resist the pan, they’re not ready to flip.
- Pull the seafood from the heat early (it finishes warming in the sauce).
- Finely grated Parmesan melts clean and smooth every time.
- Add cheese off the heat to prevent a grainy or broken sauce.
- Pasta water is a controlled fix, not a requirement. It’s good to have to help loosen the sauce if needed.
🍽️ What to Serve With Seafood Alfredo
Seafood alfredo is rich, so keep that in mind when you’re picking your sides (in other words, keep it light). You want things that cut the cream, not compete with it.
- Simple green salad: Lemon vinaigrette or red wine vinaigrette. Skip creamy dressings — you already have that covered.
- Garlic bread or crusty bread: For dragging through the sauce. Keep it crisp, not buttery-soft.
- Roasted or broiled vegetables: Asparagus, broccolini, or green beans with lemon and olive oil work best.
- Light vegetable starter: Think shaved fennel salad, arugula with Parmesan, or blistered tomatoes.
🧊 How to Store and Reheat Seafood Alfredo
- Store leftovers airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat over low heat on the stove with a splash of cream or milk.
- Not freezer-friendly – seafood alfredo is best fresh.
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Seafood Alfredo Recipe with Sshrimp and Scallops
Recommended Equipment
- Large pot
- Wide skillet or sauté pan
- Microplane or fine grater
Ingredients
For the Pasta
- 16 ounces fettuccine
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
For the Seafood
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
- ½ pound scallops
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
For the Alfredo Sauce and Garnish
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups Parmesan grated, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup pasta cooking water reserved
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley plus more for garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Boil the Pasta
- Boil a large pot of water and salt it well.
- Add the pasta and cook according to the package’s instructions.
- Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.
Cook the Seafood
- Season the shrimp and scallops in a bowl with the salt and pepper.
- Heat a tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high.
- Add the shrimp and cook until pink and just firm, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a plate.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet.
- Add the scallops in a single layer and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Flip once and cook until just opaque, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the shrimp.
Make the Alfredo Sauce
- Lower the heat to medium. Add the butter to the skillet and let it melt.
- Scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon as the butter melts.
- Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the cream and bring to a simmer over low heat, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Whisk in the Parmesan until smooth. Add a splash of reserved pasta water only if the sauce looks too thick.
- Stir in the parsley.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper only if needed.
Assemble and Serve:
- Add the pasta to the skillet with the alfredo sauce and toss until coated.
- Gently fold in the shrimp and scallops.
- Garnish with more parsley and Parmesan and serve hot.
Notes
- Dry the seafood well before cooking. Moisture is the enemy of browning. Pat shrimp and scallops dry so they sear instead of steam.
- Pull seafood early. Shrimp and scallops finish warming when tossed with the pasta. Overcooking is the fastest way to ruin seafood alfredo.
- Use a large skillet. Crowding the pan prevents browning and leads to rubbery seafood.
- Add Parmesan off the heat. High heat can cause the sauce to turn grainy or oily. Remove the pan from direct heat before stirring in the cheese.
- Pasta water is optional – but an old trick. Use it only if the sauce tightens. A splash brings everything back together fast.
- Taste at the very end. Parmesan is salty. Season after everything is combined so you don’t overshoot and add too much salt.
- Best served immediately. Seafood alfredo thickens as it sits and doesn’t improve with waiting.
Nutrition
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❓ Seafood Alfredo FAQs
Seafood alfredo is a pasta dish made with a variety of seafood and fettuccine tossed in everyone’s favorite Parmesan cream sauce. Cooking the seafood separately keeps it tender and prevents the sauce from breaking.
No. The browned bits (fond) add depth — just keep the heat moderate so they don’t burn.
They were overcooked. Pull seafood early and only warm it again when tossing with the pasta and sauce.
The heat was too high when the cheese was added. Remove from heat and whisk gently until smooth.
Yes. Skip the sear and add it at the end so it only warms through.
Not fully. You can prep the seafood and grate the cheese ahead, but the sauce and pasta are best made fresh.
