If you're a fan of both seafood and pasta, you are going to love shrimp and salmon alfredo. This lightened up version is quick and easy, (just 30 minutes!) not to mention creamy and comforting. It's sure to become a new family favorite.
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A Little History on Alfredo
The recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo was originally created by a chef, Alfredo di Lelio, for his pregnant wife, Inez, who was suffering from nausea. She was having trouble keeping anything down until Alfredo created this dish. The story even involves some movie stars. Read about it here: The Origins of Fettuccine Alfredo. You can also read the story in the comment below this post, by Alfredo di Lelio's granddaughter, Inez!
This creamy pasta, unlike most alfredo sauce recipes, doesn't contain heavy whipping cream, sour cream. or cream cheese. Healthier Greek yogurt is what gives this pasta sauce it's creaminess.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Quick and easy: Shrimp and salmon alfredo is easy to make and comes together in less than 30 minutes in just one pan.
- Simple ingredients: You only need a handful of ingredients to make this delicious salmon and shrimp pasta dish.
- Customizable: You can customize the shrimp and salmon pasta to your liking by using your favorite herbs, veggies, or seasonings.
- Nutritious: Salmon and shrimp alfredo pasta is packed with healthy seafood which is full of nutrients heart-healthy fats, omega fatty acids, and protein,
- Lighter: Instead of heavy cream, this creamy alfredo sauce is made with Greek yogurt. This means it's much lower in fat and calories and higher in protein. All while feeling every bit as rich, creamy and delicious.
Ingredient Notes
Here are the ingredients you'll need to make this delicious recipe. See the recipe card at the end of this post for exact quantities and full instructions.
- Butter: Some alfredo recipes call for ½ cup of butter, or more. This recipe only has 2 tablespoons, so be sure to use real butter. You can use either salted or unsalted butter.
- Greek Yogurt: Full fat or low fat Greek yogurt work equally well.
- Garlic Powder: I use garlic powder to shorten both the prep time and the cooking time. Use fresh minced garlic if you want, or garlic paste.
- Parmesan Cheese: Use freshly grated parmesan cheese for the best flavor. Grated, rather that shredded cheese, works best for quickly melting into the sauce.
- Fettuccini Noodles: These are the traditional noodles for alfredo pasta dishes but you can use any pasta here, and use gluten-free pasta if needed.
- Shrimp: You can use fresh or defrosted frozen shrimp that has been peeled and deveined.
- Salmon: My favorite salmon is wild sockeye, but any fresh salmon is fine. You can use leftover cooked salmon as well. Tip: I make extra when I bake, grill or air fry salmon, to use in recipes like this shrimp and salmon alfredo or Salmon Spinach Pasta.
- Chopped Dill (garnish): Salmon and dill are made for each other, in my opinion. You can use fresh parsley or green onions, too.
How to make it, step by step
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve some of the pasta water before draining.
- Pat salmon filets and shrimp dry with paper towels. Cook them either in the oven or the air fryer (see instructions for both in the recipe card.)
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add Greek yogurt and garlic powder.
- Whisk in the Parmesan cheese.
- Add cooked pasta and gently toss to coat.
- Add cooked salmon and shrimp and combine.
Tips for Success
- Reserve: Keep some of the pasta cooking water before draining. You'll be adding some to the sauce to finish it.The starchy pasta water will thicken the sauce and make it cling better to the pasta.
- Dry: Pat the shrimp and salmon fillets dry with paper towels before cooking for best results. This lets the food brown rather than steam.
- Timing:The salmon and shrimp can be cooked ahead of time. I tested this recipe several times in order to get the timing right. You want the pasta to be ready just as the sauce is finished.
- No Rinsing: Don't rinse the pasta. The starch is what makes the sauce cling to the pasta, so we don't want to wash it away.
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave. This recipe is not suitable for freezing.
Variations and Substitions
- Vegetables: Add mushrooms, spinach, peas, asparagus, or sun-dried tomatoes to sneak in some veggies.
- Alfreo sauce: This homemade alfredo sauce is super easy, but you can use your favorite store-bought sauce instead. (Like I do in my chicken and broccoli lasagna)
- Garlic: If you want to use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder, use four to six garlic cloves. Mince finely and cook it for a few minutes in the butter before adding the rest of the sauce ingredients.
- Seasonings: Add extra seasonings along with the garlic powder. Try half a teaspoon of Italian seasoning, or a tablespoon of Cajun seasoning. (Try my homemade Cajun seasoning - it's easy!).
- Protein: You can change up the seafood. Shrimp and scallops are a delicious combo. My seafood enchiladas are proof of that! Fresh crab meat, lobster, or sturdy whitefish like halibut would all be delicious. And if you love this creamy sauce, it will be delicious with chicken, too.
Serving suggestions
Serve your shrimp and salmon alfredo pasta with garlic bread, and a green salad. If you want to add a vegetable side dish, some great options are sauteed green beans, roasted vegetables, roasted zucchini, or sauteed beet greens.
If you prefer to skip the carbs, swap the pasta for spaghetti squash or cauliflower rice.
Frequently Asked
The shape of fettuccini pasta is perfect with creamy sauces like Alfredo and it's the traditional Italian pairing for alfredo. But any pasta shape will be just as delicious. Spaghetti, penne, linguine, or tagliatelle are all good choices.
You can use canned salmon in this recipe if you don't have any fresh salmon.
More salmon and shrimp recipes
If you liked this recipe, you may want to try more of my seafood recipes: Check these out:
- Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta
- Shrimp Chop Suey
- General Tso Shrimp
- Grilled Shrimp Salad
- Teriyaki Salmon Stir Fry
- Spicy Salmon Sushi Bake
- Grilled Asian Salmon Kebabs
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a rating in the comments below and let us know how it turned out. Did you make any changes? We would love for you to share and your feedback is important! Thank you for visiting The Food Blog!
Recipe
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Shrimp and Salmon Alfredo
Ingredients
- 12 oz dried fettuccine noodles
- 10 oz salmon fillet
- 1 lb shrimp
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions, until au dente (soft but still chewy)
- Scoop out a cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta
Cook salmon and shrimp
- To cook the salmon and shrimp, rub the salmon filet and shrimp with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Cook the salmon at 400° on a baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes, then add the shrimp and cook for a further 10 minutes. Or, use an air fryer: Cook the salmon for 7 minutes, then add the shrimp and cook 7 more minutes. Set aside.
Alfredo Sauce
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Whisk in the Greek yogurt and garlic powder.
- Add the parmesan cheese and whisk until melted.
- Add reserved pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, whisking, until the sauce is the consistency that you like. It should be thick enough to cling to the bottom of a spoon.
- Add the cooked pasta and toss gently with tongs to coat the pasta with alfredo sauce.
- Add the cooked salmon and shrimp and gently combine.
- Garnish with chopped dill, black pepper and more parmesan if desired.
- Serve immediately
Notes
- Reserve: Keep some of the pasta cooking water before draining. You'll be adding some to the sauce to finish it.The starchy pasta water will thicken the sauce and make it cling better to the pasta.
- Dry: Pat the shrimp and salmon fillets dry with paper towels before cooking for best results. This lets the food brown rather than steam.
- Timing:The salmon and shrimp can be cooked ahead of time. I tested this recipe several times in order to get the timing right. You want the pasta to be ready just as the sauce is finished.
- No Rinsing: Don't rinse the pasta. The starch is what makes the sauce cling to the pasta, so we don't want to wash it away.
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave. This recipe is not suitable for freezing.
Carrie Robinson
I am such a huge seafood lover, so this pasta dish is right up my alley! 🙂 Definitely adding this to my weekly dinner rotation asap.
Jamie
Wow! This alfredo dish looks incredibly delicious with shrimp and salmon together definitely an instant favorite to many! Coz for me, whenever I SEA food it's making me hungry! Loved it!
Sharon
This seafood alfredo was the perfect date night recipe. Simple to make but tastes gourmet.
Megane
Such a delicious and easy pasta. We made ours with fresh shrimp and some frozen salmon fillets. It was so good. Thanks for another tasty recipe
Jenny Graves
Shrimp, Salmon & Alfredo sauce are a lovely combination guaranteed to delight your family and guests. I appreciated the option to use garlic cloves versus powder. Yummy dish!
Lima Ekram
I usually use heavy cream not greek yogurt in my pasta sauces - I loved the added tanginess - very tasty!
Jess
I love alfredo but the addition of seafood puts it over the top!
Amy
So happy to have come to this recipe. I had a few salmon filets in the freezer and needed some inspiration! Thank you!
Dana Sandonato
You are speaking to me with this recipe, Colleen! Creamy pasta with seafood—and salmon at that! It was perfect. Definitely making it again.
Seema Sriram
How sweet is the origins of alfredo! The pasta looks so inviting and perfect to dig in.
Billy
Thanks so much for sharing this! I love that you added dill - sounds so good. Can't wait to try making this at home.
Colleen
You're very welcome Billy! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Ines Di Lelio
HISTORY OF ALFREDO DI LELIO CREATOR IN 1908 OF “FETTUCCINE ALL’ALFREDO” (“FETTUCCINE ALFREDO”), NOW SERVED BY HIS NEPHEW INES DI LELIO, AT THE RESTAURANT “IL VERO ALFREDO” – “ALFREDO DI ROMA” IN ROME, PIAZZA AUGUSTO IMPERATORE 30
With reference to your article I have the pleasure to tell you the history of my grandfather Alfredo Di Lelio, who is the creator of “Fettuccine all’Alfredo” (“Fettuccine Alfredo”) in 1908 in the “trattoria” run by his mother Angelina in Rome, Piazza Rosa (Piazza disappeared in 1910 following the construction of the Galleria Colonna / Sordi). This “trattoria” of Piazza Rosa has become the “birthplace of fettuccine all’Alfredo”.
More specifically, as is well known to many people who love the “fettuccine all’Alfredo", this famous dish in the world was invented by Alfredo Di Lelio concerned about the lack of appetite of his wife Ines, who was pregnant with my father Armando (born February 26, 1908).
Alfredo di Lelio opened his restaurant “Alfredo” in 1914 in Rome and in 1943, during the war, he sold the restaurant to others outside his family.
In 1950 Alfredo Di Lelio decided to reopen with his son Armando his restaurant in Piazza Augusto Imperatore n.30 "Il Vero Alfredo" (“Alfredo di Roma”), whose fame in the world has been strengthened by his nephew Alfredo and that now managed by me, with the famous “gold cutlery” (fork and spoon gold) donated in 1927 by two well-known American actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks (in gratitude for the hospitality).
See also the website of “Il Vero Alfredo” .
I must clarify that other restaurants "Alfredo" in Rome do not belong and are out of my brand "Il Vero Alfredo – Alfredo di Roma".
I inform you that the restaurant “Il Vero Alfredo –Alfredo di Roma” is in the registry of “Historic Shops of Excellence” of the City of Rome Capitale.
Best regards Ines Di Lelio
IN ITALIANO
STORIA DI ALFREDO DI LELIO, CREATORE DELLE “FETTUCCINE ALL’ALFREDO” (“FETTUCCINE ALFREDO”), E DELLA SUA TRADIZIONE FAMILIARE PRESSO IL RISTORANTE “IL VERO ALFREDO” (“ALFREDO DI ROMA”) IN PIAZZA AUGUSTO IMPERATORE A ROMA
Con riferimento al Vostro articolo ho il piacere di raccontarVi la storia di mio nonno Alfredo Di Lelio, inventore delle note "fettuccine all'Alfredo" (“Fettuccine Alfredo”).
Alfredo Di Lelio, nato nel settembre del 1883 a Roma in Vicolo di Santa Maria in Trastevere, cominciò a lavorare fin da ragazzo nella piccola trattoria aperta da sua madre Angelina in Piazza Rosa, un piccolo slargo (scomparso intorno al 1910) che esisteva prima della costruzione della Galleria Colonna (ora Galleria Sordi).
Il 1908 fu un anno indimenticabile per Alfredo Di Lelio: nacque, infatti, suo figlio Armando e videro contemporaneamente la luce in tale trattoria di Piazza Rosa le sue “fettuccine”, divenute poi famose in tutto il mondo. Questa trattoria è “the birthplace of fettuccine all’Alfredo”.
Alfredo Di Lelio inventò le sue “fettuccine” per dare un ricostituente naturale, a base di burro e parmigiano, a sua moglie (e mia nonna) Ines, prostrata in seguito al parto del suo primogenito (mio padre Armando). Il piatto delle “fettuccine” fu un successo familiare prima ancora di diventare il piatto che rese noto e popolare Alfredo Di Lelio, personaggio con “i baffi all’Umberto” ed i calli alle mani a forza di mischiare le sue “fettuccine” davanti ai clienti sempre più numerosi.
Nel 1914, a seguito della chiusura di detta trattoria per la scomparsa di Piazza Rosa dovuta alla costruzione della Galleria Colonna, Alfredo Di Lelio decise di trasferirsi in un locale in una via del centro di Roma, ove aprì il suo primo ristorante che gestì fino al 1943, per poi cedere l’attività a terzi estranei alla sua famiglia.
Ma l’assenza dalla scena gastronomica di Alfredo Di Lelio fu del tutto transitoria. Infatti nel 1950 riprese il controllo della sua tradizione familiare ed aprì, insieme al figlio Armando, il ristorante “Il Vero Alfredo” (noto all’estero anche come “Alfredo di Roma”) in Piazza Augusto Imperatore n.30 (cfr. il sito web di Il Vero Alfredo).
Con l’avvio del nuovo ristorante Alfredo Di Lelio ottenne un forte successo di pubblico e di clienti negli anni della “dolce vita”. Successo, che, tuttora, richiama nel ristorante un flusso continuo di turisti da ogni parte del mondo per assaggiare le famose “fettuccine all’Alfredo” al doppio burro da me servite, con l’impegno di continuare nel tempo la tradizione familiare dei miei cari maestri, nonno Alfredo, mio padre Armando e mio fratello Alfredo. In particolare le fettuccine sono servite ai clienti con 2 “posate d’oro”: una forchetta ed un cucchiaio d’oro regalati nel 1927 ad Alfredo dai due noti attori americani M. Pickford e D. Fairbanks (in segno di gratitudine per l’ospitalità).
Un aneddoto della vita di mio nonno. Alfredo fu un grande amico di Ettore Petrolini, che conobbe nei primi anni del 1900 in un incontro tra ragazzi del quartiere Trastevere (tra cui mio nonno) e ragazzi del Quartiere Monti (tra cui Petrolini). Fu proprio Petrolini che un giorno, già attore famoso, andando a trovare l’amico Alfredo, gli disse che lui era un “attore” della cucina romana nel mondo e gli consigliò di attaccare alle pareti del ristorante le sue foto con i noti personaggi soprattutto dello spettacolo, del cinema e della cultura in genere che erano ospiti di “Alfredo”. Anche ciò fa parte del cuore della bella tradizione di famiglia che continuo a rendere sempre viva con affetto ed entusiasmo.
Desidero precisare che altri ristoranti “Alfredo” a Roma non appartengono e sono fuori dal mio brand di famiglia.
Vi informo che il Ristorante “Il Vero Alfredo” è presente nell’Albo dei “Negozi Storici di Eccellenza – sezione Attività Storiche di Eccellenza” del Comune di Roma Capitale.
Grata per la Vostra attenzione ed ospitalità nel Vostro interessante blog, distinti saluti
Ines Di Lelio
Colleen
Dear Ines, Thank you so much for passing along the story of this dish and your family. Although I did know the background of Alfredo, it is delightful to hear it from you! Next year when we travel to Italy I hope to visit your restaurant and maybe meet you in person.
Vicky Chin
My kids love pasta ! This is really easy to make. Love that you used fresh peas, it would taste so much better !
Colleen
Thanks Vicky, That's the great thing about pasta, kids love it as much as adults do, so everyone is happy!
Loreto
Love this pasta dish.Just last week we made a pasta e salmon afumicato so creamy with the Panna and you are so right on the parmigiano deal. There is nothino that kicKS a pasts dish up a notch than with a good fresh grated regional parmigiano. GREAT WORK ! on this recipe.
Have a great day.
Colleen
Thanks Loreto. I will have to check out your salmon recipe!
Ayngelina Brogan
I love the idea of leaving the cream out during summer, or really any time of year. I made something similar last night using blue cheese and instead of cream I cut it with a bit of stock.
Colleen
I love blue cheese, Ayngelina. I will watch for it on your blog!