Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta

Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta is a hearty dish that will satisfy a crowd! Spicy Andouille Sausage, and Cajun Shrimp on top of a creamy bed of noodles and fresh veggies, for a filling weeknight meal that will impress even the pickiest eaters!  If you love Cajun food, make sure to check out my Gumbo and Cajun Chicken Macaroni and Cheese, made with my homemade cajun seasoning.  You can use it to spice up any meal!

Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta

A few weeks ago we were on a grilling spree.  We made a big batch of cajun shrimp and sausage kebabs.  It was so good we started to think of other ways we could incorporate cajun shrimp and andouille sausage.  On top of a bed of creamy noodles and fresh veggies seemed like a good fit!

Cajun Shrimp Pasta Recipe

Every recipe is only as good as the ingredients you use.  For this cajun shrimp and sausage pasta you will need:

• Fettuccini Noodles – or another structured noodle, like bowtie or fusilli.
• Shrimp – deveined, shell removed, and tail removed.  I used a smaller shrimp for this recipe, but you could go larger, all the way to jumbo shrimp.  Cooking time will adjust slightly but not by much.  Shrimp cooks fast!
• Andouille Sausage – Andouille sausage is made with creole seasoning typically found in spicy southern dishes.  So it is a little spicier than normal sausage.  If you don’t have access to andouille, Kielbasa will also work but you may need to double up on some of the seasonings.
• Cajun Seasoning – check out my recipe for making homemade cajun seasoning!
• Other Seasonings – salt, pepper, and oregano.
• Olive Oil – I prefer a good extra virgin olive oil.
• Veggies – Zucchini, yellow onions, red peppers, garlic, and crushed tomatoes.  Feel free to add more if you have a favorite that isn’t on the list!
• Brown Sugar
• Chicken Broth
• Heavy Cream
• Parmesan Cheese

How to Make the Shrimp and Sausage

There are only two pans used in this entire dish, one for boiling noodles and one for everything else.  All of the ingredients will end up in the skillet by the end of the cooking. A word to the wise, use a very large skillet.  The biggest one you can find.  This meal can feed an army!  I used a 13 inch deep set skillet and it was filled to the brim.  Both the shrimp and the sausage cook inside of this pan first.

Shrimp

Coat the shrimp with salt, pepper, and cajun seasoning and toss them into the skillet.  Cook on each side for about 2 minutes.  The shrimp should turn pink and firm.  Remove them from the pan and set them aside on a large plate.  To keep them warm, place a foil tent over the top of the plate.

Sausage

In the same pan, add some oil and the sausage in a single layer.  Cook the sausage on each side about 3-4 minutes or until it is nicely browned.  Remove the sausage from the pan and add them to the plate of shrimp.

How to Make Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta

With the shrimp and sausage cooked and ready for action, you can move onto the sauce.  Head back to the same pan you cooked the shrimp and sausage in.  This time, add some additional olive oil, zucchini, yellow onions, red peppers, brown sugar, and cajun seasoning.  Stir these together to ensure all veggies are evenly coated with seasoning.  Add in the garlic and cook that until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

Add in the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and heavy cream.  Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.  Use the spoon to scrape up any of the browned bits that have adhered to the pan. Simmer about 5 minutes and then add back in the sausage, shrimp, noodles, as well as the parmesan cheese.  Toss everything together and cook until heated through about 3-5 minutes.

Serve the meal right in the skillet.  Garnish with Parsely and some additional Parmesan.

This is an extremely filling meal, but if you wanted a side dish, we have served this with cheesy garlic biscuits.

4.50 from 4 votes

Cajun Shrimp Sausage Pasta

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta is a hearty dish that will satisfy a crowd! Spicy Andouille Sausage, and Cajun Shrimp on top of a creamy bed of noodles and fresh veggies, for a filling weeknight meal that will impress even the pickiest eaters!

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Ingredients

Pasta

• ▢ 1 box (10 ounces) fettucini noodles

Shrimp

• ▢ 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined and tail removed
• ▢ kosher salt, to taste
• ▢ black pepper, to taste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil

Sausage

• ▢ 6 ounces andouille sausage or smoked sausage, thinly sliced
• ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
• ▢ 1 yellow onion, diced
• ▢ 2 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch chunks
• ▢ 2-3 tablespoons cajun seasoning
• ▢ 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ ½ cup (121 g) crushed tomatoes
• ▢ 1 cup (240 g) chicken broth
• ▢ 1 cup (238 g) heavy cream
• ▢ ½ cup (50 g) parmesan
• ▢ fresh chopped parsley, optional

Instructions

Pasta

• Add pasta to a large pot of boiling water that has been salted. (Anywhere from 1-2 tablespoons of salt.) Cook to al dente, 8-10 minutes.
• Drain pasta and set aside. (If you are worried about the noodles sticking together you can toss them in a little bit of oil or butter.)

Shrimp

• In a bowl, toss shrimp with salt, pepper, and cajun seasoning, making sure they are well coated.
• Heat a large skillet (12-inches) over medium-high heat and drizzle olive oil in pan.
• When hot, add shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes. Flip shrimp over and cook another minute, or until pink and firm.
• Remove shrimp from pan to a plate, set aside.

Sausage

• Add the cut-up sausage to the pan you cooked the shrimp. Cook sausage until lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove from pan to a plate. Set aside.

Assembly

• In the same pan you cooked the sausage in, lower the leat to medium.
• Add 3 tablespoons olive oil and then the chopped zucchini, onion, red pepper, cajun seasoning, and brown sugar. Toss everything together to evenly coat. Cook until the veggies are soft, about 3-5 minutes.
• Add minced garlic. Cook about 30 seconds.
• Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer, stirring and scraping the pan with tongs to get up any brown bits from the bottom. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
• Add in parmesan, cooked pasta, shrimp, and sausage. Stir, tossing all ingredients together. Continue simmering until heated through (about 2-3 minutes).
• Serve garnished with chopped parsley (optional).

Course: dinner

Keyword: cajun pasta, cajun sausage pasta, cajun shrimp pasta

Servings: 8

Author: Amanda Rettke – iambaker.net

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