This Instant Pot Shrimp Alfredo is a quick and simple pressure cooker fettuccine that turns out creamy, rich and delicious!
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Instant Pot shrimp alfredo is an easy, yet impressive, dish that any level of cook can make, including those new to cooking with pressure cookers and those who consider themselves Instant Pot gurus. It's the crustacean-laced version of my favorite easy Instant Pot fettuccine alfredo and the sauce is similar to my creamy white pasta sauce.
This recipe makes a creamy shrimp alfredo pasta- it has a rich, flavorful sauce made from broth, heavy cream and lots of Parmesan cheese. If you're looking for a healthy shrimp alfredo, this recipe is not it (you may prefer pressure cooker shrimp, broccoli and rice)! Albeit, Instant Pot shrimp alfredo is a delicious meal to have for special occasions, birthday dinners, and various celebrations and holidays.
This recipe works in 6, 8, or 10 quart pressure cookers. For 3 quart pots, you'll need to reduce the servings. It will feed roughly 6 people, depending on how much everyone eats and can be a one-pot full dinner. Shrimp alfredo is wonderful paired with a fresh garden salad, crispy green vegetables like green beans, asparagus or broccoli and crusty garlic bread.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Fettuccine: the long, flat noodles are perfect for holding creamy alfredo sauce, but you can use your favorite pasta shape (just make sure to adjust pressure cooking time if needed- see Cooking Tips below).
- Shrimp: raw, medium-sized shrimp that has already been deveined and peeled is my favorite shrimp to use, but any size shrimp is fine. Don't use cooked shrimp, unless you just want to toss them in at the end without seasoning them (which is completely fine!).
- Heavy cream: heavy cream makes up the entirety of the sauce. Substitute with part milk and part heavy cream for a lighter version. You can also add part cream cheese. I like using heavy cream because it can go under pressure due to the high fat content.
- Vegetable broth: substitute with chicken broth, chicken stock or vegetable stock- it won't make much of a difference. Or, simply use water knowing that you'll sacrifice a tiny bit of flavor.
- Shallot: this allium adds a slightly sweet, mild onion-like flavor to the sauce and really adds extra oomph so don't skip it if you can help it!
- Garlic: freshly minced or bottled minced will do just fine. You can substitute with garlic powder if need be, but fresh is always best!
- Parmesan cheese: using grated parmesan cheese is the easiest but you can also use freshly shredded if you'd like. Avoid using bagged shredded cheese, as it's often coated in a preservative that might keep it from melting smoothly.
Instructions
Here's how to make Instant Pot shrimp alfredo.
STEP 1: Set the Instant Pot to saute for 4 minutes. When the pot starts counting down, add the butter and melt. When butter is melted, add the diced shallot and shrimp. Flip shrimp halfway through cooking. Add minced garlic with 30 seconds remaining.
STEP 2: Turn off saute and remove the shrimp from the pot. Pour in vegetable broth and deglaze the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to ensure pieces of food are not stuck to the bottom.
STEP 3: Break the fettuccine noodles in half and add to the pot. Pour in heavy cream, pressing down on the pasta to cover. Add salt and pepper. Seal the lid and set to pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. For a more al dente pasta, pressure cook for 3 minutes.
*You can also cook for the amount of time you normally cook fettuccine if you have a specific tenderness that you like, without affecting the taste of the sauce.
STEP 4: Complete a controlled quick release of the steam when finished (lightly press on the steam release valve in short bursts until all steam is released to avoid heavy cream spraying out and making a mess).
STEP 5: Remove the inner pot to another surface. Wait 2 minutes, then add the parmesan cheese 1 cup at a time, mixing constantly to melt and incorporate into the sauce between cups. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Add shrimp to the fettuccine and sauce and mix well.
Serve immediately, garnished with parsley and extra shredded parmesan cheese if desired.
Helpful Cooking Tips
- Shrimp should be cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit to be safe for consuming. Use a digital thermometer to ensure it's cooked to this temperature. If using large, jumbo or frozen shrimp, you may need to increase the time it sautes.
- The general rule for pressure cooking pasta is to divide the lowest cook time on the package in half, then subtract 1 and cook on high for that amount of time. For a more al dente pasta, subtract 2. If 5 minutes seems too long or too short for how you like your pasta, change the pressure cook time as you see fit.
- To complete a controlled quick release of the pressure, gently press down on the steam release valve, but not all the way. If the steam comes out too quickly and releases frothy liquid, press down a little more gently. Do this until all pressure has been released.
- Once the pressure is released, use oven mitts to remove the inner pot off of the heating element. Place it on another heat proof surface and wait 2 minutes before adding the cheese. This will cool the sauce slightly, preventing the cheese from melting too quickly, thus turning into rubbery pieces rather than a smooth creamy sauce.
Recipe Facts
You need a 6, 8 or 10 quart pressure cooker. The recipe needs to be reduced if using a 3 quart pot.
Yes, but make sure to thaw them first. You don't really want to saute them from frozen in the pot because they will leave behind a lot of liquid.
Shrimp pressure cooks quickly, in 1-2 minutes. So unless you are only cooking your pasta for that long, stick to sauteing them. If you pressure cook shrimp for the 5 minutes this recipe calls for, you run the risk of them turning rubbery.
Yes! Heavy cream has a very high fat content. This high fat content prevents it from curdling when pressure cooked.
Shrimp fettuccine alfredo is best served immediately, as the texture of the sauce changes once cooled. If storing in the fridge, separate into individual bowls equivalent to the serving size you'll eat later. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through, stirring between 1 minute intervals. Note that the alfredo sauce will not be the same smooth and creamy sauce it was before, and instead will be a little chunkier.
Instant Pot Shrimp Alfredo
Creamy Instant Pot Shrimp Alfredo is made in 25 minutes with 7 simple ingredients and in 1 pot.
- pressure cooker
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- ¼ cup shallot (diced)
- 1 lb raw shrimp (any size, peeled, deveined and tail-off)
- 16 oz fettuccine
- 2 cups vegetable broth (or water)
- 4 cups heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups grated parmesan cheese
- fresh parsley (for serving)
Set the Instant Pot to saute for 4 minutes. When the pot starts counting down, add the butter and melt. When butter is melted, add the diced shallot and shrimp. Flip shrimp halfway through cooking. Add minced garlic with 30 seconds remaining.
Turn off saute and remove the shrimp from the pot. Pour in vegetable broth and deglaze the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to ensure pieces of food are not stuck to the bottom.
Break the fettuccine noodles in half and add to the pot. Pour in heavy cream, pressing down on the pasta to cover. Add salt and pepper. Seal the lid and set to pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. For a more al dente pasta, pressure cook for 3 minutes. *You can also cook for the amount of time you normally cook fettuccine if you have a specific tenderness that you like, without affecting the taste of the sauce.
Complete a controlled quick release of the steam when finished (lightly press on the steam release valve in short bursts until all steam is released to avoid heavy cream spraying out and making a mess).
Remove the inner pot to another surface. Wait 2 minutes, then add the parmesan cheese 1 cup at a time, mixing constantly to melt and incorporate into the sauce between cups. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Add shrimp to the fettuccine and sauce and mix well.
Serve immediately, garnished with parsley if desired.
Tip 1: The general rule for pressure cooking pasta is to divide the lowest cook time on the package in half. Then subtract 1. For a more al dente pasta, subtract 2. Pressure cook on high for this amount of time.
Tip 2: Any size shrimp will work with this recipe. If using large or jumbo shrimp, you may need to increase the cooking time by a few minutes. Ensure shrimp is pink on both sides and has reached an internal temperature of 145F before removing.
Tip 3: Grated Parmesan cheese can be substituted with freshly shredded Parmesan.
Tip 4: For a slightly lighter sauce, use half whole milk and half heavy cream.
Veronica says
I have to be gluten free and most gluten free pastas won't hold up. So I use Pho noodles instead. They're made of rice and they're strong. Made for a lovely dish! I would suggest adding a little more liquid only because the rice noodles do absorb a lot more than regular fettuccine. No more than a half a cup of broth or cream.
Kristina says
Thank you for the suggestion for those who are gluten-free, Veronica! I am glad you enjoyed it.