Our Homemade Alfredo Sauce with basil, shrimp, and tomatoes is crazy good!
If you’re a fan of fresh garden cherry tomatoes, lean in.
There’s also fresh arugula and sweet basil.
And it’s made even more irresistible with delicious, plump, juicy shrimp!
Homemade Alfredo Sauce with Basil, Shrimp & Tomatoes
Grab all the cherry tomatoes you can get your hands on this summer.
Extra points if you grab them from your garden or local farmer’s market.
We all know local produce is always the best produce.
I will show you how to make a pretty good Shrimp Alfredo Sauce with basil.
The best way to describe this pasta dish is that its an Alfredo tomato sauce meets a lot of fresh garden ingredients.
Here Is What You Need
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This recipe starts with good extra virgin olive oil, and here is one of our favorite olive oils.
Cherry Tomatoes. For this recipe, I grabbed tomatoes from our family garden, including Sun Sugars, Super Sweet, Julietts, and Champagne Bubbles varieties.
Garlic & Shallots. I wanted to ensure this recipe had the depth of flavor I wanted, so adding two large cloves and one large shallot made it easy for me to build many deep flavors.
Heavy Cream & Butter. When it comes to homemade Alfredo sauce, the best-tasting Alfredo recipes start with heavy cream and sweet cream unsalted butter. For our recipe, we keep it simple with very few ingredients.
Black Peppercorns & Sea Salt. It’s amazing how freshly grated black peppercorns and a good salt can elevate a recipe.
Parmigiano Reggiano & Sarvecchio Parmesan. We used two types of cheese in our Alfredo sauce, but that’s just me being bougie.
Alaskan Red Shrimp. Alaskan red shrimp is one of my favorite kinds of seafood because it’s highly coveted for its lobster-like sweetness without the lobster price tag. IYKYK.
Arugula & Sweet Basil. I love using fresh arugula from the garden; it has a distinct peppery, unmistakable taste, and it works so well with pasta, whether made with heavy cream, butter, or tomato-based sauce. The same goes for sweet basil. For me, sweet basil is a signature taste that’s so closely tied to good Italian-themed cooking.
Tomato & Shrimp Alfredo
Ingredients for Cherry Garden Tomatoes & Shrimp
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 20 cherry tomatoes
- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 1 cup of arugula
- 6 large sweet basil leaves
- 1 pound of shrimp, padded dry with paper towels
Directions:
- Place a large skillet over medium heat, and add two (2) tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
- When the oil is hot, add prepared garlic and shallot, and saute for one (1) minute.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and allow the tomatoes to cook down and wilt in about 10 minutes.
- Next, add the shrimp and cook for three (3) minutes per side.
How To Make Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of heavy cream
- 2 cups of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 2 cups of Sarvecchio Parmesan
- 1 stick of unsalted butter
- freshly cracked black peppercorns to taste
- sea salt or kosher salt to taste
Directions for Alfredo Sauce
- Place a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add the heavy cream, and stir until it begins to steam.
- Add the freshly grated cheeses one cup at a time until it is all incorporated.
- Next, add the stick of unsalted butter and continue to stir until it is melted into the sauce.
- Adjust the heat to low, and add freshly cracked peppercorns and sea salt or kosher salt to taste.
- Turn off the heat; the sauce will thicken as it cools.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- *Note. Add the pasta when the water is boiling; add a liberal amount of salt and a tablespoon of olive oil to the water before adding the pasta.
- Use a colander to drain the pasta, and add the pasta to the garlic, shallot, and tomato mixture. Use a pair of tongs or a large spoon to thoroughly mix the mixture with the pasta.
- Now, pour the warm Alfredo sauce over the pasta and use the tongs to ensure the pasta is completely covered with the sauce.
- Reserve several sweet basil leaves, roll the remaining sweet basil with the arugula, cut it into thin ribbons, scatter over the pasta, and gently toss.
- Top with some of the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and Sarvecchio Parmesan cheese.
- Serve.
Elevate your Alfredo Sauce with add-ins.
Add-ins are a great way to make your Alfredo sauce even better; try these:
Minced garlic is a delicious way to add savory elements to your homemade Alfredo sauce.
Herbs are another easy way to add more depth of flavor to your cream sauce; adding fresh sweet basil, French tarragon, thyme, oregano, or rosemary will amp up the flavor. As a reminder, you will need two tablespoons of fresh herbs for every measured tablespoon of dried.
A hint (1/4 tsp) of red pepper flake will add spice to your Alfredo sauce.
Nutmeg is another flavorful addition to this sauce; about 1/8 tsp is all you need, and it adds a subtle, warm, nutty flavor.
What can I use besides seafood?
There are lots of alternatives.
For instance, you can go the meatless route for a meatless Monday or opt for a different protein, like:
- Beef
- Chicken
- Pork
- Lamb
Can I make the Alfredo sauce ahead?
Yes, you can make homemade Alfredo sauce beforehand, then store it in an airtight-fitting glass or plastic container for up to three to four days.
Remember, having your own or a community garden (or Farmers Markets) is a great way to get good food on the table.
Try our delicious Tomato & Shrimp Alfredo today and discover how easy it is to elevate dinnertime!
Don’t forget to leave a comment if you have any questions or if you’ve tried it out. Cheers!
More Alfredo Sauce Recipes To Try:
Potato Recipe With Alfredo Sauce
Fingerling Potatoes with Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups of heavy cream
- 2 cups of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 2 cups of Sarvecchio Parmesan
- 1 stick of unsalted butter
- freshly cracked black peppercorns to taste
- sea salt or kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Place a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add the heavy cream, and stir until it begins to steam.
- Add the freshly grated cheeses one cup at a time until it is all incorporated.
- Next, add the stick of unsalted butter and continue to stir until it is melted into the sauce.
- Adjust the heat to low, and add freshly cracked peppercorns and sea salt or kosher salt to taste.
- Turn off the heat; the sauce will thicken as it cools.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- *Note. Add the pasta when the water is boiling; add a liberal amount of salt and a tablespoon of olive oil to the water before adding the pasta.
- Use a colander to drain the pasta, and add the pasta to the garlic, shallot, and tomato mixture. Use a pair of tongs or a large spoon to thoroughly mix the mixture with the pasta.
- Now, pour the warm Alfredo sauce over the pasta and use the tongs to ensure the pasta is completely covered with the sauce.
- Reserve several sweet basil leaves, roll the remaining sweet basil with the arugula, cut it into thin ribbons, scatter over the pasta, and gently toss.
- Top with some of the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and Sarvecchio Parmesan cheese.
- Serve.
Notes
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 20 cherry tomatoes
- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 1 cup of arugula
- 6 large sweet basil leaves
- 1 pound of shrimp, padded dry with paper towels
- Place a large skillet over medium heat, and add two (2) tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
- When the oil is hot, add prepared garlic and shallot, and saute for one (1) minute.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and allow the tomatoes to cook down and wilt in about 10 minutes.
- Next, add the shrimp and cook for three (3) minutes per side.
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