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close up for cajun shrimp pasta with sausage

One Pot Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta with Sausage

Julia
This one pot cajun shrimp pasta is a super easy hearty meal for busy weeknights. We cook the shrimp in the cajun seasoning, followed by juicy and thick smoked sausage cooked until nicely browned, and then tossed in creamy tomato cajun sauce along with pasta, cream cheese, and salty parmesan cheese. 
5 from 4 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Marinate 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 487 kcal

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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 due to this

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 - if you want juicy shrimp, don't overcook it. It will take you just 1 minute or less per side (top and bottom).
  • I used 40/60 which is medium size, thaw first if frozen.
  • Sausage - and authentic Cajun meal typically consist of sausage or seafood and in this recipe, we are going to use both! I’ve used smoked sausage and removed the sausage meat from the casings. Or you can cut the sausage into medium-thin slices. Very simple, and any smoked sausage will work too, obviously. Just make sure it is not overly spicy as it will just make things a lot harder with the additional seasonings we have here.
  • Flavor - well seasoned, salty, and spicy from cajun and Italian sausage. Don’t add too much salt and pepper during cooking if any. The seasoning will depend greatly on which sausage is used as it already comes with plenty of seasonings. Add seasoning at the end if needed.
  • Don't overcook the pasta - the thing with cooking pasta in the sauce is that if pasta is overcooked it will become very large, wide, and soft. It will absorb all the liquid that it can and you'll end up with a dry pasta dish. Ideally, you want to cook the pasta al dente in the sauce as it will continue to ''cook'' even once removed from heat.

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NUTRITION

Calories: 487kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 30gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 191mgSodium: 974mgPotassium: 569mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1620IUVitamin C: 44mgCalcium: 122mgIron: 3mg
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