Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta Recipe

This incredibly delicious Cajun shrimp pasta recipe is loaded with zesty flavors and comes together in under 30 minutes. You will absolutely love how flavorful and easy-to-make this dish is.  

I eat pasta at least once a week, but I’m Italian so it’s very natural for me to do so. I definitely recommend trying my Pasta Primavera or Pasta Pomodoro if you’re as big of a pasta fanatic as I am because they are amazing.  

Cajun Shrimp Pasta is not a classic Cajun country recipe like Jambalaya or Beignets, but it has become popularized in New Orleans and the surrounding areas in the last 40-50 years. Since there is no basic foundation for this recipe, I implemented some Cajun staples like the trinity and roux along with some culinary intuition to make once dang tasty pasta.  

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Shrimp – Use peeled and deveined shrimp, I prefer size 16-20.
• Sausage – Andouille sausage is optional to use, but it really adds to the flavor in this dish. You can also use smoked sausage if andouille is not available.
• Blackened Seasoning – Use your favorite store-bought blackened seasoning or a homemade version.
• Flour – You will need some all-purpose flour to help make a roux.
• Cream – Heavy cream will offer the most flavor in this, but you can use whole milk, half and half, or even a combination of any of these.
• Fat – I use olive oil, but you can use your favorite oil, lard, clarified butter, or ghee.
• Onion – Yellow onions are perfect, but you can substitute with white or sweet.
• Celery – This is a vital ingredient in the trinity which will be part of the base of this pasta.
• Peppers – I almost always use red, orange, or yellow peppers when a recipe calls for peppers because they taste infinitely better than green peppers, although you can use them.
• Garlic – Finely minced garlic cloves add a lot of flavors in this.
• Pasta – I believe a wider noodle like fettuccine is best, but you can ultimately use any pasta noodle you’d like.

How to Make Cajun Shrimp Pasta  

Use these step-by-step procedures and images to make this delicious creamy Cajun shrimp pasta recipe:  

Coat peeled and deveined shrimp in blackened seasoning until combined.  

Next, add the shrimp to a large frying pan with oil over medium heat and cook for 1 minute. Be sure to spread the shrimp around the pan so that they sear and not steam.  

After 1 minute, add in the andouille sausage and stir the shrimp so that they cook on both sides and cook for 1 additional minute before setting everything to the side on a plate to slightly cool.  

Return the pan back to the heat and add in more oil and sauté the onions, celery, and peppers over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes or until browned and the onions are translucent.   

Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until you smell it and then stir in the flour to create a roux and cook for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat.  

Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a boil to thicken over medium-high heat.  

Add in the tomatoes, salt, pepper, cheese, and cooked shrimp and sausage and mix in until combined. Turn the heat off.  

Cook the fresh pasta for 2 minutes in boiling salted water and then add it in batches using tongs to the creamy shrimp pan and fold the pasta around with a rubber spatula until everything is mixed and coated.  

Garnish with more cheese and chopped fresh parsley.  

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: This pasta is meant to be served and eaten as soon as it is done cooking.  

How to Store: Cover and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This will not freeze well.  

How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of pasta to a medium size pan over low heat along with ¼ cup of water and heat until creamy and hot.    

chef notes + tips

• You should use Fresh Pasta Dough Recipe, but if not, you can easily swap out for dried. If using dried pasta, you should add it to the boiling water right when you pour the cream into the shrimp pan so that everything will be done at the same time.
• Feel free to also use pecorino Romano in addition to or as a substitute to parmesan cheese.
• You can also deglaze the pan after the roux is made with a ¼ cup of white wine such as sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, or pinto grigio.
• The cream should be very thick before adding the pasta, but do not worry as the water on the pasta after boiling will help thin slightly making it perfectly coat the noodles.  

More Pasta Recipes  

• Pasta Alla Gricia
• Aglio E Olio
• Cacio E Pepe
• Linguine with Clam Sauce
• All’Amatriciana

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Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta Recipe

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5 from 25 votes

This incredibly delicious Cajun shrimp pasta recipe is loaded with zesty flavors and comes together in under 30 minutes.

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
• 1 tablespoon blackened seasoning
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 ounces sliced andouille sausage
• ½ peeled and small diced onion
• 2 small diced ribs of celery
• ½ seeded and small diced red bell pepper
• 2 finely minced garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 2 seeded and medium-diced Roma tomatoes
• ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pound fresh fettuccine pasta
• salt and pepper to taste
• chopped parsley and additional parmesan for garnish

Instructions

• Add the peeled and deveined shrimp to a bowl and coat them with the blackened seasoning and mix to combine.
• Next, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large frying pan over medium heat and after 1 minute of heating up add in the shrimp and spread them around the pan so that they sear and not steam.
• After 1 minute, add in the andouille sausage and stir the shrimp and sausage together so that they cook on both sides, and then cook for 1 additional minute before setting everything to the side on a plate to slightly cool.
• Return the pan back to the heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and sauté the onions, celery, and peppers over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes or until browned and the onions are translucent.
• Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until you smell it.
• Sprinkle in the flour and mix to create roux and cook for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat.
• Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a boil until it is very thick or nappe over medium-high heat. It should easily coat the back of a spoon.
• Turn off the heat and then add in the tomatoes, salt, pepper, cheese, and cooked shrimp and sausage and mix in until combined.
• Cook the fresh pasta for 2 minutes in boiling salted water and then add it in batches using tongs to the creamy shrimp pan.
• Fold the pasta together with a rubber spatula until everything is mixed and coated.
• Garnish with more cheese and chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

Make-Ahead: This pasta is meant to be served and eaten as soon as it is done cooking.

How to Store: Cover and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This will not freeze well.

How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of pasta to a medium size pan over low heat along with ¼ cup of water and heat until creamy and hot.

You should use Fresh Pasta Dough Recipe, but if not, you can easily swap out for dried pasta. If using dried pasta, you should add it to the boiling water right when you pour the cream into the shrimp pan so that everything will be done at the same time.

Feel free to also use pecorino Romano in addition to or as a substitute for parmesan cheese.

You can also deglaze the pan after the roux is made with a ¼ cup of white wine such as sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, or pinto grigio.

The cream should be very thick before adding the pasta, but do not worry as the water on the pasta after boiling will help thin slightly making it perfectly coat the noodles.  

Nutrition

Calories: 998kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 38gFat: 67gSaturated Fat: 34gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 378mgSodium: 719mgPotassium: 658mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 2362IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 262mgIron: 3mg

Course: Main

Cuisine: cajun, southern

Author: Chef Billy Parisi