This Creamy Garlic Shrimp Manicotti is rich, comforting and just a little special. Tender pasta tubes are filled with shrimp, ricotta, mozzarella and herbs, then baked in a silky garlic Parmesan cream sauce until everything is hot, bubbly and beautifully golden.

It’s a great seafood pasta for weekend dinners, holidays or entertaining because you can assemble it ahead and bake it when you’re ready.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Creamy, cheesy and full of garlic flavor
Tender shrimp in every bite
Different from traditional meat or spinach manicotti
Easy to assemble ahead of time
Elegant enough for guests but still cozy and comforting

Ingredient Notes

Manicotti shells: Cook them just until flexible and slightly underdone so they don’t tear or become too soft during baking.

Shrimp: Use peeled and deveined medium or large shrimp. Chop them into small pieces so the filling pipes easily into the manicotti.

Ricotta: Whole-milk ricotta gives the filling a soft, creamy texture.

Mozzarella: Low-moisture mozzarella melts smoothly without making the filling watery.

Parmesan: Adds salty, savory flavor to both the filling and sauce.

Garlic: Fresh garlic is one of the main flavors here, so I’d definitely use fresh rather than garlic powder.

Cream: Whipping cream or 35% cream gives the sauce the best texture.

How to Make Creamy Garlic Shrimp Manicotti

Cook the Manicotti: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the manicotti until just flexible but still slightly firm. Drain carefully and place separately so they don’t stick.

Cook the Shrimp: Melt butter with olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp, season with paprika, salt and pepper, and cook for about 2–3 minutes until just pink. Add half of the garlic during the final 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

Make the Filling: Chop the cooked shrimp and combine it with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley and egg. Mix until evenly combined.

Make the Garlic Cream Sauce: In the same skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add the remaining garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in the cream and Parmesan and simmer gently for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened. Season with salt and black pepper.

Fill the Manicotti: Spoon the shrimp mixture into a piping bag or large zip-top bag with one corner cut off. Fill each manicotti tube from both ends.

Assemble: Spread about half of the garlic cream sauce over the bottom of a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Arrange the filled manicotti in a single layer.

Add Sauce and Cheese: Spoon the remaining sauce over the pasta and sprinkle with mozzarella.

Bake: Cover loosely with foil and bake at 375°F / 190°C for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 8–10 minutes, until bubbly and lightly golden.

Rest and Serve: Let the manicotti rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Tips

Don’t overcook the manicotti before filling.
Chop the shrimp fairly small so the filling moves easily through a piping bag.
Cook the shrimp only until pink because it will continue cooking in the oven.
If the ricotta seems watery, drain it briefly before mixing the filling.
Keep the cream sauce at a gentle simmer so it stays smooth.
For extra browning, broil the top for 1–2 minutes at the end, watching closely.

Variations

Add spinach: Mix about 1 cup of cooked, well-drained chopped spinach into the filling.

Add crab: Replace part of the shrimp with crab meat for a richer seafood version.

Add heat: Stir a pinch of red pepper flakes into the cream sauce.

Make Ahead

Assemble the manicotti up to 1 day ahead, cover tightly and refrigerate.

Let the dish sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before baking. You may need an extra 5–10 minutes of baking time if it is still cold.

Storage

Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheat gently in the oven or microwave. Adding a small splash of cream or milk before reheating helps keep the sauce from drying out.