One Pot Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta With Sausage

Name: One Pot Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta with Sausage
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 65 min
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; grated Parmesan cheese; red pepper flakes; fresh parsley

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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.

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!

close up for cajun shrimp pasta with sausage

Pasta recipes are the easiest and fastest dinners! Over time I've shared with you a couple of my favorite easy dinners featuring tender shrimp.

From my huge hit Shrimp Scampi, cajun shrimp tacos to my latest winner spicy chili Garlic Shrimp, this Cajun Shrimp And Sausage Pasta surely won't disappoint!

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Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta Recipe With Sausage
What Makes Something Cajun?
What Is Cajun Seasoning Similar To?
Cajun Seasoning Substitution
What Is The Difference Between Cajun and Creole Seasoning?
What Type Of Shrimp To Buy?
How To Defrost Shrimp
What is the best cooking method for shrimp?
Ingredients
Instructions
Pasta Variations
Make It Healthy
Tips
Serving Suggestions
Freezing And Storing Instructions
FAQs
More Shrimp and Sausage Recipes
Recipe
Comments

Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta Recipe With Sausage

Ideally, you’d need large shrimp (you can go jumbo shrimp but medium to large is enough) and breakfast sausage or smoked sausage.

This is a traditional Southern dish and many recipes call for delicious smoked Andouille sausage.

We love pairing this recipe with crusty bread or Caesar Salad for a complete meal. But any roasted vegetables or simple green salad is more than enough for this quite fulfilling shrimp pasta.

What Makes Something Cajun?

So what flavor is cajun? Cajun seasoning is an ultimate all-purpose seasoning blend for almost anything. It consists of lots of paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, white pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and different herbs but mostly oregano.

The main heat comes from cayenne pepper which is balanced off with other flavors from bell peppers, paprika, and herbs.

This rustic spice originated from Louisiana’s Cajun Cuisine which essentially consists of French, Spanish, and West African cooking techniques.

This seasoning can be used in a variety of recipes as it adds so much flavor and enhances any dish or ingredient.

What Is Cajun Seasoning Similar To?

Essentially cajun seasoning is a blend that mainly consists of cayenne pepper and paprika spices and herbs.

Everyone has their own spin on it and in Cajun cuisine, it is often made from scratch by adding each ingredient directly to the dish while cooking.

Cajun Seasoning Substitution

I’d recommend Creole seasoning as your first option, and then Old Bay seasoning. 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 simply mix some ground cayenne or chili pepper and paprika.

What Is The Difference Between Cajun and Creole Seasoning?

Creole seasoning is similar to cajun but more focused on dried herbs such as thyme and oregano. Whereas cajun has more different peppers involved and lots of paprika.

Both will work well in most of the recipes and can be used in recipes that call for cajun and creole seasonings.

Is Cajun Seasoning Hot?

Depending on what brand you are using, cajun spice is typically mildly spicy. Nothing crazy that will burn your mouth, and not bland flavored either. It has some heat to it with balancing flavors of paprika, and dried herbs.

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 is my go to method) - place the frozen shrimp in a bowl, cover with cold water, and let sit for 15-20 minutes. Change up the water every 15 minutes until shrimp is thawed.

Place the frozen shrimp in a bowl and defrost overnight in the fridge. No water is needed.

Once defrosted, consume right away and keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

What is the best cooking method for shrimp?

There are plenty of ways to cook raw shrimp including sauteing, poaching, grilling, and steaming. Essentially for juicy and tender shrimp, you’ll need only a few seconds to be cooked through.

For me, the easiest and the best method is to sear it in the skillet with some oil and butter (pre-seasoned). Once the shrimp has changed color and is no longer gray, it means it’s ready.

Should I Cook Shrimp with Tail On or Off?

It should depend on the dish and for who and for what occasion you are serving it. For pasta, I prefer cooking the shrimp without tails, the flavor is great and minus the mess after. For appetizers, definitely with tails on.

However, it's true that cooking shrimp with tails on is considered to add more flavor to the overall dish.

Ingredients

My few comments on the ingredients + don't forget to read the Tips section!

The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.

Cajun - make your own homemade cajun seasoning blend (very easy!) or opt for store-bought, such as McCormick’s. If you want it to be a little healthier, use low sodium or no salt cajun seasoning instead,
Pasta - fusilli, rotini, rigatoni, and penne are my go-to pasta choices. These soak up the sauce well and you don’t like a big mess when eating this pasta compared to fettuccine pasta or spaghetti.
For my gluten-free folks, making gluten-free shrimp pasta is no different from regular pasta. Depending on the brands, yes, you might need to cook the pasta itself for longer (especially 100% corn flour pasta). My preferred brand has been Barilla or Garofalo so far.
For non gluten free diet, any white or whole wheat pasta is of course suitable here.
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 (just make sure it is gluten free or use ground meat instead), 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.
If using regular sausages, such as French Andouille sausage (Louisiana Cajun Cuisine has especially noted for its own Cajun Andouille), Kielbasa, Bratwurst, or Italian sausage. I recommend slicing these not very thin and cooking them separately. And then return these later once the pasta is cooked through.
Aromatics - brown or yellow onion and garlic are a must-have in any pasta dish. You can definitely substitute these with ground garlic and onion powder but the taste is simply not the same when used fresh. Fresh aromatics give a little extra flavor, intensify other ingredient tastes, and combined with shrimp is simply divine.
Shrimp - You’ll need about 9-10 oz of medium, large or extra large shrimp, about 40-60 or 26-30 count (deveined shrimp) for this recipe, frozen and thawed. I prefer removing the tails if shrimp is served in a dish with sauce.
A quick, note, just like with Salmon recipes, 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 its natural diet.
Cajun - feel free to adjust the amount if feels too spicy or simply don’t add a lot in the beginning. But I found the ratio in this recipe works great and I’d say it's rather mildly spicy, (even kids can eat it) for adults, I always add a small bowl of extra spices on the side. I specifically choose cajun as my main spice here, as in my opinion, it works very well with shrimp and sausage recipes.
More Cajun substitutions: cayenne pepper, chipotle powder, smoked paprika, creole seasoning, chili powder.
Tomato-Cream sauce - I like to use cream cheese for added thick texture and creaminess it gives to the dish. Heavy cream can be used instead as well, add to taste.
Fire-roasted tomatoes - will add lots of flavors but regular crushed tomatoes are fine too. If you like the sauce a bit smoother, use a good quality brand of tomato sauce instead. Simple small diced tomatoes are another option to use here.

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.

sausages frying with bell peppers in white skillet

Squeeze the sausage meat out of the skins into the same skillet and cook for a couple of minutes until browned.

How long does it take to cook shrimp? It will depend on size, but for a medium, to jumbo shrimp, it generally takes about 1 minute per side (top and bottom). Watch for the following signs that will tell you shrimp is cooked through:

Shrimp is cooked through once its flesh is no longer gray or translucent. Cooked shrimp will usually turn opaque, with hints of red/orange/pink colors.
Some of the shrimp may start to curl up when cooked. But you should not wait until it’s curled up too much, it will be overcooked by then.

Add the dry pasta, crushed tomatoes, broth, and thyme stalks 9optional but gives so much great flavor).

Close the lid and simmer on medium for 13-15 minutes until the pasta is cooked.

If using gluten-free pasta, depending on 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.

fusilli pasta with bell peppers and shrimp

Return the cooked shrimp, add cream cheese and mix all together until combined. If needed, add more broth to ''thin'' the sauce.

cream cheese added to tomato fusilli pasta

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.

Pasta Variations

Make it dairy free - if you go for no dairy option, great cream cheese substitutions would be coconut milk, or cream or soy-based cooking creams. Parmesan cheese is optional but you can totally make it without cheese or use vegan cheese or vegan parmesan instead.

More veggies - Don't limit yourself to only bell peppers and increase the veggie intake by adding baby spinach (can go in frozen or fresh), broccoli florets (I prefer to blanch it right before like I did in my broccoli Pasta recipe) or chopped asparagus (blanched or fresh).

Pescatarian pasta - omit the sausage and broth, use seafood broth instead.

I like to use penne pasta, fusilli, shells or rigatoni pasta here but you could use spaghetti or fettuccine noodles instead. You may have to use less noodles as these will soak up more sauce than small pasta. Or just make a double batch of sauce!

For vegetarian cajun pasta omit the shrimp and sausage and use tempeh, mushrooms, and more vegetables. You can also use meaty white beans as well. I'd add these towards the end of cooking so they don't become mushy and overly soft.

What Can I use besides shrimp? I also love to make the same pasta just with the sausages on their own or make a popular variation of Cajun Chicken Pasta. In fact, many prefer a cajun shrimp and chicken pasta all in one recipe.

Make It Healthy

Make it less spicy - Instead of store-bought pre-made cajun seasoning make your own homemade cajun seasoning and add less cayenne pepper where most of the heat comes from in this spice.

This creamy cajun sauce is made without heavy cream and with cream cheese instead. To make it more healthy use low-fat cream cheese or half and half

Low sodium - use low sodium or no salt cajun seasoning, use low sodium, low fat, and less spicy sausages or omit this completely and use chicken instead.

Make it lighter - Use ground chicken, chicken breast instead of shrimp and/or sausage

Omit the heavy seasoning, sausage and tomatoes and you have a very close copycat of Shrimp Alfredo Pasta.

Tips

Cook Shrimp the right way - if you want juicy shrimp, don't overcook it. It will literally take you just 1 minute or less per side (top and bottom).

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.

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.
This dish is best eaten right away. The method where you cook pasta right in the skillet is easy and quick. However, the pasta will continue to cook in the sauce even after removing it from the heat.
And these kinds of pasta dishes are not the best in terms of texture after refrigerating and reheating. If you reheat leftovers, you’ll need to add more broth, tomato sauce, or milk to your pasta to return the sauce-y texture.
To keep things simple, I haven't added tomato paste like I usually do with tomato-based sauces. This pasta is kinda in the middle of tomato sauce and creamy sauce.
Decide for yourself if you want more tomato, and add a couple of tablespoons of good quality tomato paste (right after you've cooked your sausage).
Swap regular onion for red onion like I did in my Spicy Vodka Pasta, the combination of tomatoes and onions simply works. And red onions give the right amount of kick to the whole thing, as well as help to balance off the acidity from tomatoes.

If you're into spicy food don't miss my Cajun Corn on the cob (3 ways.

Serving Suggestions

What to serve with spicy shrimp pasta?

This is a rich and fulfilling pasta dinner on its own. We would pair a good pasta dish with bruschettas, garlic bread, cornbread, or simple crusty bread to dip in the leftover sauce and some vegetables or green salad.

There are also a variety of gluten-free bread options readily available in the stores.

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 as well as the shrimp. Once thawed, the shrimp may become overly soft, rubbery, and mushy.

What is also important is that the sauce will separate and even with an addition of extra cream or broth it would be hard to get the initial fresh consistency.

It's all about texture and once cooked shrimp should be eaten right away.

If you still need to freeze it, divide the pasta between freezer-friendly zip-lock bags or containers and freeze it for up to 2-3 months.

Let defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove adding more broth, water, or milk.

When reheating don’t overcook it and don’t go more than the low heat setting.

FAQs

Can I use milk instead of heavy cream for pasta sauce?

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.

What is the difference between sausage and Italian sausage?

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.

Is sausage a cow or pig?

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.

Is it better to saute or boil shrimp?

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

Do I rinse shrimp before cooking?

Sure, we need to rinse the shrimp under cold water to clean it and remove any loose shell bits or dirt.

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 (With or Without Wine) - classical Italian dish, and perfect to make the next day if you have leftover shrimp.
Shrimp Fajitas - if you have leftover cajun shrimp it’s very easy to turn them into shrimp fajitas.
Smothered Cabbage And Sausage skillet - great for leftover sausages as well.

ALL DINNER recipes.

I hope you'll enjoy this cajun shrimp pasta recipe, please leave a rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo of your food and tag me on Instagram @theyummy_bowl. I love seeing your creations!

Thank you for reading,

Love,

Julia

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