Shrimp Alfredo

One thing that my kids will usually eat is anything that involves noodles. We eat a lot of pasta with marinara sauce because of this. But my mother makes awesome shrimp Alfredo and they like that too. Of course they pick everything except the noodles out. But at least they eat those!


1/2 c butter
2 cloves garlic, minced (you can add more if you like garlic a lot)
1 c cream or milk
1 tbl - 1/8 c flour
3/4 c grated Parmesan cheese (fresh is best)
1 c steamed broccoli, well dried
3/4 c chopped tomatoes, well dried
1 c cooked shrimp, well dried (or cooked chopped chicken)
2 c penne noodles (this is a pre-cooked measurement)


Boil noodles according to instructions. Drain and rinse well. Transfer to oven proof dish and place in 200 degree oven. Melt butter over medium heat in large skillet. Add garlic and saute for a few minutes. Add flour (about a tablespoon for cream or about 1/8 cup for milk) and cook until well incorporated. Add cream or milk and cook until hot. Add cheese stirring until melted. Add broccoli, tomatoes, shrimp and noodles stirring to coat. Serve hot.



I usually use cream because it gives the sauce such a great flavor, but you can use milk to make it lower fat or if it is all you have on hand (like I did last night!). The flour thickens and adds stability to the sauce, so when you use a lower fat base you need to add more flour. If the sauce starts to separate you can add a little more flour and if you add too much flour, just add a bit more of the cream or milk. I love the shrimp in this but I have also made it with chicken (again what was on hand).