Go Back

Creamy Garlic Butter Seafood Alfredo Bake

Creamy garlic butter seafood alfredo bake with tender shrimp, scallops, crab, and fettuccine in a velvety Parmesan sauce. Baked until bubbling, then broiled for a golden mozzarella-Parmesan crust.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Pasta
  • 12 oz fettuccine
  • 1 tbsp salt for pasta water
For the Seafood
  • 8 oz large shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 8 oz sea scallops patted dry
  • 8 oz lump crab meat
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 0.25 salt and black pepper to taste
For the Garlic Butter Alfredo Sauce
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1.5 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 0.5 cup grated Romano cheese
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp onion powder
  • 0.25 tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
  • 0.5 salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the Topping
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tsp paprika

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and bake setup
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. This ensures the casserole bakes evenly right away.
  2. Cook the fettuccine until just al dente, then drain and reserve. Keep a bit of the pasta texture so it finishes tender in the oven.
Cook the seafood
  1. Heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Let the butter foam before adding seafood.
  2. Season the shrimp and scallops lightly with salt and black pepper, then cook for 1–2 minutes per side until just opaque. Remove them from the pan to avoid overcooking.
  3. Gently fold in the lump crab meat to warm briefly without breaking it apart. Keep the heat short so the crab stays in larger pieces.
Make the garlic butter Alfredo sauce
  1. In the same skillet, melt the remaining butter and sauté the garlic for about 1 minute until fragrant. Don’t brown the garlic.
  2. Pour in the heavy cream and whole milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Whisk so the mixture stays smooth.
  3. Whisk in the freshly grated Parmesan and grated Romano cheeses until smooth and creamy. Continue whisking until no lumps remain.
  4. Stir in the Italian seasoning, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes (if using), and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Taste and fine-tune before combining with pasta.
Combine and bake
  1. Fold the cooked fettuccine into the Alfredo sauce, then gently add the shrimp, scallops, and crab, mixing carefully to keep the seafood intact. Transfer immediately so everything stays hot and glossy.
  2. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle evenly with mozzarella, Parmesan, and paprika. Spread the topping out so it browns uniformly.
  3. Bake for 20–25 minutes at 375°F (190°C) until hot and bubbling. Look for active bubbling around the edges.
  4. Broil for the final 2 minutes until the cheese topping turns golden. Watch closely to prevent burning.
  5. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately. Serve hot for the best creamy sauce consistency.

Notes

To keep shrimp and scallops tender, cook them only until just opaque (1–2 minutes per side) and remove before making the sauce. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days and reheat in the oven at 325°F (163°C) until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because creamy Alfredo can separate when thawed. For a lighter option, swap whole milk for low-fat milk and use part-skim mozzarella.