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A skillet filled with fettuccine pasta and shrimp in a creamy alfredo sauce, garnished with herbs, with bread, garlic, parmesan, salt, and pepper on the side.
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Seafood Alfredo Recipe with Sshrimp and Scallops

This is the alfredo that ruins you for all other alfredos – fat scallops seared until golden-crusted, plump shrimp just kissed with heat, both tossed in cream sauce so rich it should be illegal. We're talking about the kind of pasta that makes you close your eyes on the first bite, where every strand of fettuccine is slicked with Parmesan-loaded silk and studded with perfectly tender seafood. The scallops develop that steakhouse crust while staying buttery inside, the shrimp stay sweet and snappy, and the sauce – built on all those caramelized bits – tastes like you paid $38 for it at that place downtown.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian, Italian-American, Mediterranean
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 886kcal
Author: Dee Broughton

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Wide skillet or sauté pan
  • tongs
  • 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.
    A pot of cooked fettuccine pasta sits on a dark surface, with garlic, parsley, a shallot, and a bowl of salt nearby.
  • Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.

Cook the Seafood

  • Season the shrimp and scallops in a bowl with the salt and pepper.
    A bowl containing raw scallops and shrimp seasoned with pepper, next to fresh parsley, a shallot, a garlic bulb, and a small bowl of salt.
  • 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.
    A black skillet with shrimp arranged in a circle, with garlic, shallot, parsley, salt, and pepper visible in the top right corner of the image.
  • 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.
    Scallops cooking in a black cast iron pan, surrounded by garlic, parsley, shallot, salt, pepper, and a cloth on a dark surface.

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.
    A whisk rests in a pan of creamy alfredo sauce with a mound of grated cheese on top; garlic, salt, and parsley are nearby.
  • 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.
    A skillet filled with fettuccine Alfredo topped with shrimp and scallops, with metal tongs resting on top; garlic, parsley, and seasonings are nearby.
  • 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

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 886kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 31g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 305mg | Sodium: 2567mg | Potassium: 474mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1897IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 428mg | Iron: 2mg