Cajun Shrimp Pasta with Sausage
by This post may contain affiliate links.
You’re going to fall in love with this restaurant-style Cajun Shrimp Pasta recipe! It’s made with the most creamy, delicious Cajun spiced sauce, fresh shrimp and andouille sausage. The flavor is incredible and it’s easy to make in just 30 minutes!
If you always order the Cajun Shrimp Pasta at popular restaurant chains, then you’re going to love this recipe! It’s even more delicious and it’s easy to make at home for the entire family. This recipe is bursting with flavor and creamy pasta goodness!
It only takes 30 minutes to make this Cajun pasta dish and you can add sausage, chicken or even more shrimp, to make it your own! The creamy Cajun Alfredo-style sauce is perfect tossed with your favorite thick-cut pasta and the protein of your choice. Serve it was a side of garlic bread to dip up any extra saucy goodness!
Table of contents
Ingredients
- Fettuccine pasta – this thick-cut pasta is perfect for tossing with the creamy sauce. You can also use linguine, pappardelle or penne pasta, if you prefer.
- Olive oil – or another neutral-flavored vegetable oil.
- Cajun seasoning – I love using my homemade Cajun seasoning blend because it has the perfect balance of Cajun spice and flavor! It’s made with a combination of 9 herbs and spices including paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and oregano. You can click the link to make my recipe in just 5 minutes, or purchase pre-made seasoning on the spice aisle at the grocery store.
- Shrimp – for this recipe, I recommend a medium to large size shrimp. Any size will work, you will just have to adjust the cooking time slightly if you use small or jumbo shrimp. You will want to peel and devein the shrimp, and remove the tails, before using it in this recipe.
- Andouille sausage – this Cajun-style sausage is spicy, flavorful and perfect in this pasta recipe! Hot smoked link sausage can also be used if you can’t find andouille sausage at your local grocery store.
- Unsalted butter – I like to cook with unsalted butter, so that I can salt the dish to taste at the end.
- Onion – I recommend a yellow or red onion for this recipe.
- Bell pepper – feel free to use red or green bell peppers, or a mix of both.
- Garlic – fresh minced garlic cloves are always recommended for the best flavor.
- Heavy cream – this is what’s used to make the delicious, creamy sauce. I do not recommend substituting it with milk or half and half, as the sauce will be too runny.
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes – these tomatoes add a nice, smoky flavor to the dish. Regular diced tomatoes can be used instead, if you prefer the flavor or can’t find fire-roasted tomatoes at your local grocery store.
- Parmesan cheese – fresh grated cheese will melt nicely into the sauce, but you can also use pre-grated cheese.
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley – this is an optional ingredient, used to garnish the dish at the end.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Start this recipe by cooking the pasta of your choice, according to the package instructions, until al dente. Drain the pasta and set it aside while you prepare the Cajun sauce with the shrimp and sausage.
Step 1: toss shrimp with olive oil and Cajun seasoning. Heat a large skillet, or dutch oven, on the stove over medium high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and set them aside.
Step 2: slice the links of andouille sausage. Add the sliced sausage to the same skillet on the stove and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove the sausage from the skillet and set aside.
Step 3: add butter to the same skillet. Once the butter is melted, add sliced bell peppers and onions. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Step 4: add heavy cream, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, Cajun seasoning and parmesan cheese to the skillet. Stir to combine everything and allow the cheese to melt into the sauce.
Step 5: once the sauce is smooth and creamy, and has come up to a simmer, add the cooked pasta noodles, shrimp and sausage to the sauce in the pot.
Step 6: use a pasta spoon or tongs to stir everything together and coat the pasta, shrimp and sausage in the sauce. Serve immediately and top with fresh chopped parsley, if you’d like.
Additions and substitutions
- Omit the sausage – if you prefer just shrimp in the pasta dish, use 1 pound shrimp and omit the andouille sausage.
- Omit the shrimp – if you prefer just sausage and no shrimp, use 1 pound sausage and omit the shrimp.
- Use chicken instead – not a fan of shrimp or sausage? Pound 1 pound of chicken breasts until they are 1 inch thick. Coat with 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning. Cook the chicken in the skillet first for 4-5 minutes per side. Remove it from the pan and set aside while you prepare the rest of the recipe as instructed. Slice the chicken and add it back to the pan with the pasta at the end.
- Add more veggies – feel free to throw sliced zucchini or fresh spinach leaves in with the bell peppers and onions.
- Add more heat – to make it even spicier, add a sliced jalapeno in with the bell peppers, or add 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper to the sauce with the Cajun seasoning.
Pro tips
- If using frozen shrimp, be sure to thaw the shrimp before using it in this recipe. Thaw the shrimp overnight in the refrigerator. Or for a quick thaw, place the shrimp in a colander in the sink and run under cold water for 2-3 minutes, or until thawed.
- Store leftovers of the cajun shrimp pasta in the refrigerator, sealed in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet on the stove over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, or until heated through.
- If using store-bought Cajun seasoning, I recommend tasting the sauce first before adding any cayenne pepper or additional salt to the recipe. Some seasoning mixes contain more salt than others, so I always recommend tasting, then salting to your taste preference. The same goes for spice. Each seasoning mix will have a different spice level, so try the sauce first and then decide if you want to add some more spice.
Diet variations
- To make this recipe gluten free, use a gluten-free fettuccine pasta. Always make sure the Cajun seasoning and Andouille sausage used in the recipe are also gluten free.
- To make the recipe vegetarian, omit the sausage and shrimp. Instead add an additional pound of veggies and cook them with the bell peppers and onions. These veggies could be broccoli or cauliflower florets, sliced mushrooms or zucchinis, spinach leaves, or more sliced bell peppers.
What to serve with it
Serve this creamy Cajun shrimp pasta recipe with a baguette or bread on the side for dipping up any extra creamy Cajun sauce! It’s also great paired with a side salad. Try it with any of these bread or salad recipes.
- Garlic Bread
- Rosemary Focaccia Bread
- Green Salad with Fuji Apple Salad Dressing
- Caesar Salad with Cashew Caesar Dressing
More pasta recipes
Try these other popular pasta recipes for dinner this week!
Cajun Shrimp Pasta with Sausage
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked fettuccine pasta, or linguine
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, divided (click link for the recipe)
- ½ pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
- ½ pound Cajun andouille sausage, sliced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 14 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional – to garnish)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on the stove over high heat.
- Add the pasta and cook according to package directions, drain and set aside.
- Toss the shrimp with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning.
- Heat a large skillet, or dutch oven, on the stove over medium high heat.
- Add the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes per side.
- Remove the shrimp from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the sliced sausage to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.
- Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet, then add the sliced bell pepper and onion.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes, then add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the heavy cream, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning.
- Whisk until smooth and creamy, then add in the cooked shrimp, sausage and pasta.
- Stir to combine everything and coat the pasta in the sauce. Serve immediately, topped with fresh chopped parsley, if you'd like.
Notes
- If you would like to omit the sausage – use 1 pound shrimp and omit the andouille sausage.
- If you would like to omit the shrimp – use 1 pound sausage and omit the shrimp.
- If you would like to use chicken instead – not a fan of shrimp or sausage? Pound 1 pound of chicken breasts until they are 1 inch thick. Coat with 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning. Cook the chicken in the skillet first for 4-5 minutes per side. Remove it from the pan and set aside while you prepare the rest of the recipe as instructed. Slice the chicken and add it back to the pan with the pasta at the end.
- If using frozen shrimp, be sure to thaw the shrimp before using it in this recipe. Shrimp can be thawed overnight in the refrigerator. Or for a quick thaw, place the shrimp in a colander in the sink and run under cold water for 2-3 minutes, or until thawed.
- Store leftovers of the cajun shrimp pasta in the refrigerator, sealed in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet on the stove over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, or until heated through.
- If using store-bought Cajun seasoning, I recommend tasting the sauce first before adding any cayenne pepper or additional salt to the recipe. Some seasoning mixes contain more salt than others, so I always recommend tasting, then salting to your taste preference. The same goes for spice. Each seasoning mix will have a different spice level, so try the sauce first and then decide if you want to add some more spice.
- To make this recipe gluten free, use a gluten-free fettuccine pasta. Always make sure the Cajun seasoning and Andouille sausage used in the recipe are also gluten free.
- To make the recipe vegetarian, omit the sausage and shrimp. Instead add an additional pound of veggies and cook them with the bell peppers and onions. These veggies could be broccoli or cauliflower florets, sliced mushrooms or zucchinis, spinach leaves, or more sliced bell peppers.
Nutrition Facts
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
9 Comments on “Cajun Shrimp Pasta with Sausage”
I went to the market but was a little late. I only buy shrimp early in the morning when they come right out of the coolers. I didn’t want to use frozen… So I guess i’ll have to try next week:0)
I understand, gotta have the freshest shrimp 🙂 Enjoy next week!!
Oh my dear God! This has got to be the most beautiful thing I have seen this week! I am having this tomorrow! Thank you so much for sharing.
Aw Thank you so much!! How was it??
Hi. I live in England. what is Cajun Sausage comparible to? Could I use a regular quality pork sausage, or is it more like Cherizo ?
Hi! It is a spicier sausage, similar to chorizo! You can make your own cajun sausage my adding some paprika, chili powder and crushed peppers to any pork sausage!
ohhh I see. Thank you so much. xx
This is my kind of dish with all the different flavors and cajun kick and I love your photos!
Thanks Danny!! It was delicious!!