This one-pot creamy Cajun shrimp pasta is a super easy, hearty meal for busy weeknights. We cook the shrimp in the Cajun seasoning, followed by juicy, thick smoked sausage cooked until nicely browned.
Then, we toss the pasta in creamy tomato Cajun sauce along with cream cheese and salty parmesan cheese.
Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Just like in my Gigi Hadid’s pasta, shell or fusilli pasta is the best here, but any small pasta variety will be fine too. Small pasta equals more sauce stuck in pasta!
Also try these next: shrimp scampi, cajun shrimp tacos to my latest winner spicy chili garlic shrimp, this Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta surely won't disappoint!
🦐 Related recipe: Shrimp Salsa
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What Type Of Shrimp To Buy?
- Wild-Caught Shrimp - if possible go for wild-caught shrimp over farmed shrimp. As the ocean is the natural environment for shrimp, wild-caught shrimp will typically taste better thanks to their natural diet.
- Raw and frozen - opt for raw frozen shrimp as in most cases the shrimp you see behind the counter in the stores was initially frozen and then defrosted for the display.
- Deveined shrimp - less prep, and as a bonus, defrosting time cut in half. However, shrimp in shells is often more economical and many prefer cooking the shrimp this way and then peeling it later.
- Cooking shrimp in shells adds more flavor to the dish as well. But my simple tip is just to cook the shrimp with tails on, almost the same good.
How To Defrost Shrimp
- Cold water method (quick and my go-to method): Place the frozen shrimp in a bowl, cover with cold water, and let sit for 15-20 minutes. Change the water every 15 minutes until the shrimp is thawed.
- Place the frozen shrimp in a bowl and defrost overnight in the fridge. No water is needed.
Once defrosted, consume it right away or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Ingredients
- Cajun: Use homemade or store-bought Cajun seasoning, like McCormick’s. For a healthier option, choose low sodium or no salt Cajun seasoning.
- Pasta: Fusilli, rotini, rigatoni, and penne are best for soaking up sauce and are less messy than fettuccine or spaghetti.
- Gluten-Free Pasta: Cooking gluten-free pasta is similar to regular pasta, but it might take a bit longer. Barilla and Garofalo are good brands to try.
- Sausage: Authentic Cajun meals use sausage or seafood. You can use smoked sausage, either removed from casings or sliced, and ensure it's gluten-free.
- Regular Sausages: If using sausages like Andouille or Kielbasa, slice them thick and cook separately, then add back to the pasta later.
- Aromatics: Brown or yellow onion and garlic add great flavor. Fresh aromatics are best, but you can use ground garlic and onion powder if needed.
- Shrimp: Use about 9-10 oz of medium to extra-large shrimp, thawed and deveined. I recommend removing the tails if the shrimp is in a saucy dish.
- Wild-Caught Shrimp: Opt for wild-caught shrimp over farmed for better flavor, as they have a more natural diet.
- Cajun Spice Level: Adjust the Cajun seasoning to taste. The recipe has a mild spice level, suitable for kids, with extra spices available for adults.
- Cajun Substitutes: If needed, try cayenne pepper, chipotle powder, smoked paprika, or chili powder as alternatives.
- Tomato-Cream Sauce: Use cream cheese for a thick and creamy sauce, or heavy cream if preferred.
- Fire-Roasted Tomatoes: Fire-roasted tomatoes add extra flavor, but regular crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce can also be used for a smoother texture.
🌶️ Is Cajun seasoning hot? Depending on your brand, cajun spice is typically mildly spicy.
🤷 What is the difference between cajun and creole seasoning? Creole seasoning has more dried herbs like thyme and oregano, while Cajun seasoning uses more peppers and paprika. Both can be used in recipes that need either Cajun or Creole seasoning.
How To Make Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Season the shrimp with half Italian seasoning and half cajun. Salt and pepper to taste.
Drizzle with olive oil and mix. Let marinate for 30 minutes.
In a large skillet or cast-iron skillet add a little cooking oil over medium-high heat. Cook the seasoned shrimp for just a couple of minutes until it is no longer gray. This will happen very fast. Set aside.
In the same skillet, saute onion and bell peppers until they start to soften but not completely.
Add in garlic and saute for 30 seconds more. Season with leftover Italian herbs and cajun. Don’t add salt or pepper just yet.
Squeeze the sausage meat out of the skins into the same skillet and cook for a couple of minutes until browned.
Add the dry pasta, crushed tomatoes, broth, and thyme stalks (optional but gives so much great flavor).
Close the lid and simmer on medium for 13-15 minutes until the pasta is cooked.
Return the cooked shrimp, add cream cheese and mix all together until combined.
If needed, add more broth to ''thin'' the sauce.
Serve with freshly grated parmesan, red pepper flakes (optional) or other fresh herbs (thyme or rosemary).
We also like to squeeze fresh lemon juice for serving.
Make it healthier by using low-sodium or salt-free Cajun seasoning and sausages. A variety of brands add a different amount of salt to their seasonings and this is the reason I often like to use low-sodium or no-salt blends to control the sodium intake.
Tips
- Cook shrimp for just 1 minute per side to keep it juicy; don’t overcook.
- Season well with Cajun and Italian sausage, but add extra salt and pepper only if needed.
- Don’t overcook pasta; it will absorb too much liquid and become mushy.
- Eat the dish right away because pasta continues to cook in the sauce even after removing from heat.
- Use red onions for a good kick and to balance the tomato’s acidity.
If you're into spicy food don't miss my Cajun corn on the cob.
What to Serve With Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta?
- Cornbread
- Steamed or roasted vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, or glazed carrots and baked asparagus, sauteed spinach.
- If you are short on time, our go-to quick side is always cucumber salad or tomato salad.
Freezing And Storing Instructions
- Store the shrimp cajun pasta in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
- Reheat on the stove or microwave adding some more broth or water as the pasta will absorb all of it while it sits. Reheat on lower heat until the sauce warmed through and starts to simmer.
- How do you freeze shrimp pasta? You can freeze the pasta dish but pasta doesn’t freeze well, just like shrimp. Once thawed, the shrimp may become overly soft, rubbery, and mushy.
Should I Cook Shrimp with Tail On or Off?
For pasta, I prefer cooking the shrimp without tails, the flavor is great minus the mess afterward. For appetizers, definitely with tails on.
However, cooking shrimp with tails on is considered to add more flavor to the overall dish.
Cajun Seasoning Substitution
I’d recommend Creole seasoning as your first option and Old Bay seasoning as your second. These are among the common substitutions for Cajun spice.
Add a pinch or two ground cayenne and paprika.
Another option to recreate the flavor is to mix some ground cayenne or chili pepper and paprika.
More Shrimp and Sausage Recipes
- Cajun Shrimp Tacos - an easy shrimp taco recipe cooked in cajun spice and served with homemade Cabbage Slaw
- Shrimp Scampi
- Sheet Pan Shrimp Dinner
- Shrimp Fajitas
- Smothered Cabbage And Sausage
- Shrimp Salad and Mango Shrimp Salsa
ALL DINNER recipes.
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Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta with Sausage
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INGREDIENTS
- 10 oz shrimp , fresh or frozen, see notes
- 14 oz Italian sausage or breakfast sausage, raw or smoked, I used 2 large
- 2 + ½ cup uncooked pasta, I used larger fusilli
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 large onion, diced (about ¾ cup)
- 1 teaspoon crushed or minced garlic cloves
- 1 very large red or green bell pepper, sliced medium thick
- 1 can (15 oz) fire-roasted tomatoes , or diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons Italian herbs and spices blend
- 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 3 + ¼ cup vegetable, beef, or chicken broth
- 3-4 fresh thyme stalks
- 4 heaping tablespoons of cream cheese, for a touch of creamy texture but you can add a whole 8 oz pack here too for extra creamy flavor, Note: the pasta will become less spicy!
For Serving
- grated Parmesan cheese
- red pepper flakes
- fresh parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
- Season the shrimp with half Italian seasoning and half cajun. Salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and mix. Let marinate for 30 minutes.
- In a large skillet or cast-iron skillet add a little cooking oil over medium-high heat. Cook the seasoned shrimp for just a couple of minutes until it is no longer gray. This will happen very fast. Set aside.
- In the same skillet, saute onion and bell peppers until they start to soften but not completely. Add in garlic and saute for 30 seconds more. Season with leftover Italian herbs and cajun. Don’t add salt or pepper just yet.
- Squeeze the sausage meat out of the skins into the same skillet and cook for a couple of minutes until browned.
- Add the dry pasta, crushed tomatoes, broth, and thyme stalks. Close the lid and simmer on medium for 13-15 minutes until the pasta is cooked. If using gluten-free pasta, depending on the brand, you may need to cook it a bit longer until it's soft but not too soft as the pasta continues to cook in the sauce even more.
- Return the cooked shrimp, add cream cheese and mix all until combined. If needed, add more broth to ''thin'' the sauce.
- Serve with freshly grated parmesan, red pepper flakes (optional), or other fresh herbs (thyme or rosemary). We also like to squeeze fresh lemon juice for serving.
VIDEO
NOTES
- Shrimp: Cook shrimp for just 1 minute per side to keep it juicy; thaw frozen shrimp first if using medium size (40/60).
- Sausage: Use smoked sausage in this Cajun recipe, either removed from casings or sliced, but avoid overly spicy varieties.
- Flavor: Season with Cajun and Italian sausage; avoid adding too much salt and pepper since the sausage is already flavorful.
- Pasta: Don’t overcook pasta in the sauce; it should be al dente to prevent it from becoming mushy and absorbing too much liquid.
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta: FAQs
You can use milk or evaporated milk instead of cream cheese in this shrimp pasta recipe. However, it will not thicken the sauce as cream cheese or heavy cream.
The main difference between Italian sausage and regular sausage is the seasonings. A particular spice that makes an Italian sausage so different is the addition of fennel or fennel seeds.
Most of the sausages found are made with pork meat and pork fat. The addition of pork fat creates juicy and delicious sausages. However, there are many tasty sausages that combine multiple types of meat and still taste delicious. Choose sausage with higher pork/pork fat content.
For best results, I recommend sauteing or lightly searing the shrimp. It only takes a minute or so to sear it on both sides and the texture is tender and juicy. For any other method shrimp will
Sure, we need to rinse the shrimp under cold water to clean it and remove any loose shell bits or dirt.
Cooking shrimp usually takes about 1 minute per side, depending on size. Shrimp is done when it turns opaque and loses its gray or translucent look, showing red, orange, or pink colors. It may curl slightly, but don't wait until it's too curled or it will be overcooked.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Shrimp and sausages cooked in cajun spice along with pasta, tomatoes and cream cheese. Best combination ever!