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Easy Creamy Shrimp and Broccoli Pasta

Published: / Updated: / 30 Comments

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This creamy shrimp and broccoli pasta recipe is quick and simple. It's made with cream cheese, garlic, and pantry staples. 

shrimp and broccoli pasta in a bowl with a fork

Shrimp and broccoli are a great combo, and since you know how much I love to make easy pasta recipes, I figured it was high time for a shrimp + broccoli pasta. 

You may also like my shrimp and broccoli bowls!

I usually use heavy cream when making creamy pastas, but I decided to switch it up for this one. I love the tangy flavor that cream cheese brings to dishes, and it also makes a thicker sauce without having to worry about adding flour to it.

two bowls of shrimp and broccoli pasta

How to make shrimp and broccoli pasta

  1. Get the pasta water boiling. Once the pasta's on its way to being cooked, start the sauce;
  2. In a skillet, cook the shrimp for 2 minutes/side and then take them out of the pan;
  3. Cook the broccoli in the skillet with the pan covered for a few minutes;
  4. Take the broccoli out and add the cream cheese, garlic, and Italian seasoning to the pan;
  5. Add the shrimp and broccoli back, let everything heat through, and then drain the pasta and toss it with the sauce.

Pro tip: Want to add a little heat? Sprinkle some red pepper flakes on.

Use whatever type/shape pasta you have on hand. I used a mix of regular and whole wheat spaghetti in the photos to change it up a little.

What size shrimp do I use in this pasta?

I used 31-40/pound count frozen raw shrimp. Smaller or larger shrimp would work too!

A few recipe notes:

  • If the sauce is too thick for whatever reason, add a little more chicken broth or pasta water to thin it out.
  • I chopped the broccoli florets fairly small so they would cook faster, so keep that in mind.
  • You can use frozen broccoli florets, and if you do, I'd give it a minute or two longer to cook.
  • Thinking about doubling the recipe? I'd double everything except the olive oil and butter if you want to save a few calories. You also probably won't need 6 cloves of garlic in there unless you love garlic as much as I do. 😉

More shrimp pastas:

broccoli and shrimp pasta with a cream cheese sauce in a bowl

Will you give this broccoli and shrimp pasta recipe a try?

Questions? Let me know in the comments below.

shrimp and broccoli pasta in a bowl with a fork

Creamy Shrimp and Broccoli Pasta

This creamy shrimp and broccoli pasta recipe is quick and simple. It's made with cream cheese, garlic, and pantry staples. 
4.56 from 9 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 2

Ingredients
 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 pound medium shrimp thawed & peeled
  • 2 cups broccoli florets
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 4.4 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 dash Italian seasoning
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese optional
  • 4 ounces uncooked pasta

Instructions
 

  • Boil a salted pot of water for the pasta. Cook it al dente according to package directions. Once the pasta water is boiling, start making the sauce.
  • Heat the oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan's hot, add the shrimp. Cook for 2 minutes/side and then take them out of the pan and set them aside.
  • Add the broccoli to the pan and give it a good stir. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover the pan with a lid and let the broccoli cook for 3 minutes. If it's still too crisp for your liking, cover the pan for another minute or two. The broccoli may get a little brown on some parts, which I love because it adds extra flavor.
  • Take the pan off the heat and take the broccoli out. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
  • Add the chicken broth, cream cheese, garlic, and Italian seasoning to the skillet. Return the pan to the heat and stir until the cream cheese has melted and it's a nice and creamy sauce.
  • Add the shrimp and broccoli back into the pan and let it heat through. Season the sauce with salt & pepper as needed. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce (you can add a little pasta water to thin the sauce if needed). Serve immediately with parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes

  • I used 1/2 a block of Philly cream cheese for this recipe (approx 4.4 ounces). 
  • I chopped my broccoli into fairly small florets and they were tender-crisp with the recommended cooking time. 
Keyword creamy shrimp and broccoli pasta
Author Natasha Bull
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  1. Brenda T says

    Oh wow, what a great recipe! I made a few changes: 1. I used finely chopped garlic from the store.
    2. I used a 2-lb bag of frozen shrimp and cooked it in batches.
    3. I used a bag of frozen chopped broccoli.
    My husband and I loved the result.

    Reply

  2. Diane K says

    5 stars
    Made this for dinner tonight because I had some shrimp in the freezer and found some fresh frozen broccoli. It was a hit with the family! Very easy and so tasty!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      You could give it a try, yes. I don't know if it'll be exactly the same, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.

      Reply

  5. Jennie says

    I made this dairy free (with plant butter and cream cheese alternative) and gluten free (with rice noodles) and this is SERIOUSLY the best gf/df meal I’ve ever made. I never leave reviews, but I needed to let you know how amazing it is for those with specialty diets! Thank you, thank you!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I'm glad that you were able to tweak it for your diet! 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to write me a review... we food bloggers definitely appreciate it!

      Reply

  6. Mila says

    5 stars
    Sooook delish! Every single recepie I tried from this blog was a great success. I got loads of compliments from my family. Thank you ❤️

    Reply

  8. Diana says

    5 stars
    I am a Flavor nut! So I also tiny minced half a small sweet onion & added that to olive oil with 3 Tbl. unsalted Butter & 2 Tbl. Olive oil...3 lg. cloves garlic crushed. Then added small flowerettes of broccoli. Cover & simmer 3-5 min. I pan browned slightly my shrimp in butter 3 min. Remove. Remove veggies & add cream cheese to pan 1 half cup whole milk, 1half cup chicken broth, sliced mushrooms, 1half cup parmesan cheese (self grated the good stuff). Stir over med heat, 6minutes. Stirring. Add all back to pan, heat through. Add Aldente pasta. Mix. To die for. Serve with garlic bread.

    Reply

  9. Claire says

    I commit to cooking three meals per week for our family and every single recipe comes from this website. I adore how simple and kid friendly they all are. However, we are a family of 5, and I try to cook enough to get two meals out of them. I struggle with scaling these recipes, but I am sure that is user error on my part! Love this blog and the food that comes out of it!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Aww I'm so happy you're enjoying the recipes, Claire!! That makes me so happy. Yes... 5 is a bit of an awkward number when it comes to scaling recipes, so straight doubling everything as you've been doing is what I would suggest too. If you have specific questions about doubling a recipe before you make it, do let me know and I will try to steer you in the right direction. XO

      Reply

  11. Ingrid says

    This meal made our rotation - it’s so delicious! I also added sliced mushrooms. It’s quick and easy to prepare!! 👍🏼

    Reply

  12. Ayesha says

    5 stars
    So succulent and delicious! It was easy to follow thIs recipe! Will definitely be making this regularly! ❣️

    Reply

  13. Lori Schermerhorn says

    5 stars
    This was delicious! My husband and I are doing WW so I used reduced fat cream cheese, whole grain pasta, and light butter and I it was still full of flavor with a lighter flare! I will be making this again! Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply

  15. Sandra Morrissey says

    5 stars
    Well it's a keeper. Very delicious very easy family loved it didn't change anything except I doubled the recipe

    Reply