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This Creamy Parmesan Basil Shrimp is a restaurant quality dish you can make at home! Creamy luscious sauce envelops plump shrimp, perfect for serving over pasta, or make it keto and serve with spaghetti squash instead!
The best creamy shrimp recipe
If you are looking for the best creamy shrimp recipe, this is it. Oh my goodness, you guys. So much flavor in this creamy basil sauce – all the best flavors, like garlic, Parmesan, butter, cream. Yes, this is the good stuff, and at least as good as you would get at a restaurant. This Creamy Basil Parmesan Shrimp is perfect for a date night at home, but quick and easy enough to serve on a weeknight.
We served this creamy shrimp over pasta, but it is also the perfect keto shrimp recipe. So to keep it keto and low carb, skip the pasta and serve it with veggies – like spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles (zoodles), or cauliflower mash.
Should you cook with shrimp with the shells on or off?
This is a personal preference. I usually buy frozen, peeled shrimp – so I cook them without the shells. But if you have shrimp with the shells, you can leave them on during the cooking and it will just add more flavor to the dish!
Should you leave the tails on or off when cooking shrimp?
Again this is a personal preference. I leave the tails on, but feel free to remove the tails before cooking if you prefer.
If you like this, you will love these other easy shrimp recipes
Easy Broccoli and Shrimp Stir Fry
Creamy Parmesan Basil Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds shrimp
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 4 large garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 yellow onion finely minced
- 3-4 ounces roasted red peppers thinly sliced.
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves plus more for garnish
- 1 cup fresh grated parmesan
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup white wine (or chicken stock)
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large non stick pan on medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Season shrimp with salt and pepper, then sear, 1-2 minutes on each side, until just pink. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same skillet add 1 tablespoons butter. Add onion, garlic, peppers, paprika, red chili pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until onions and peppers are softened.
- Add wine to deglaze the skillet and bring to a gentle simmer until reduced by half.
- Reduce heat to medium low. Add cream to the skillet and stir until a creamy sauce forms. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Add Parmesan, stir until melted into sauce. Stir in basil, simmer until wilted, 1-2 minutes.
- Add shrimp back to the skillet and reheat 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve over pasta, zoodles, spaghetti squash.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My husband’s absolute favorite dish!
So happy to hear that!
I am amazed at how good this was! I had to doctor it because I didn’t have everything but wow! My picky son begged for seconds. I used chicken broth instead of wine, only had a teaspoon of parmesan, used half and half, 1lb shrimp and 3/4 fresh basil and I increased the butter by 1 tbsp. I used jarred roasted red peppers. It was truly fantastic!! I’m not a review leaver but you deserve kudos for this! Can’t wait to make it again according to your specifications because I bet it’s even better. Thanks so much! 🙂
So glad you loved it, Sarah!
My wife and I were really impressed with this dish, it’s a keeper. I served it over vegetable spaghetti and the combination was spot on, definitely company worthy. I chose this recipe because I had a lot of basil and didn’t want the plant to get too leggy. I halfed the recipe to make it for two and it made a nice sauce to go with the spaghetti. My only deviation was to use smoked paprika which added a nice depth of flavor. I ended up making this with seven jumbo shrimp per person.
Sounds wonderful, so glad you loved it!
amazing, definitely a keeper! Thank you
So glad you liked it!
Love this recipe! It’s now one of our favorite recipes. We didn’t change anything when we usually make changes second time making recipes. Thanks!
F’in AMAZING!!!
So glad you loved it!
This dish is the BOMB. I even froze leftovers and reheated still top notch. Great great recipe. This will make the list no doubt.
So happy you loved it!
This is a wonderful recipe! It is a new family favorite. Thank you 🙂
So happy you love it!
Hi Megan,
I am wanting to double this recipe to feed 8-10 people. Should I make as written and just double all the amounts? Any suggestions would be helpful! Thank you
Hi Nancy, yes, that is what I would do! Let us know how it turns out!
Amazing, made it for my husband’s 9th anniversary of having survived a major cardiac event. Not sure the heavy cream fit the general low fat diet we ascribe to, but it was a special day! The grating of fresh Parmesan (rather than using what my grandson calls “shaky cheese,” Parm in the container…) on a microplane grater made the Parm like a little cloud, and folded it perfectly into the sauce. That sauce! Don’t you just want to put it on EVERYTHING?! Thank you!