Easy 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. 

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.

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:

• Creamy Lemon Shrimp Pasta
• Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta
• Shrimp Pasta in a Rosé Sauce
• Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta Recipe
• Healthy Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta Recipe
• Shrimp and Bacon Pasta
• Creamy Shrimp and Chorizo Pasta with Mushrooms

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

Questions? Let me know in the comments below.

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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. 

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword creamy shrimp and broccoli pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 2

Author Salt & Lavender

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

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Take the pan off the heat and take the broccoli out. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

5. 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.

6. 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.

Recipe 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.