Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta with Sausage
Serves 6
15 mins prep
20 mins cook
0 mins total
This Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta with Sausage is a weeknight winner. Spicy, creamy sauce with buttery shrimp topped with roasted red bell pepper chicken sausage creates a melt in your mouth flavor bomb that's ready in less than 30 minutes.
Cajun Seasoning
Deforst Shrimp (if needed)
If using frozen shrimp, defrost your frozen shrimp by placing it in a bowl of luke warm water to defrost. This takes 10-15 minutes. Once defrosted, shell devein and pat dry.
Make Cajun Seasoning
In a small bowl mix together all Cajun seasonings and set aside. Please note you will have leftover seasoning and will not use all of this here.
Boil Pasta
Boil a pot of water and cook your pasta according to the package instructions. When draining the pasta I like to leave a little pasta water in as I add it to the pasta sauce to keep the sauce creamy. While the pasta boils, make the shrimp, sausage and sauce.
Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Add 1 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning to the bowl of thawed shrimp and mix together well to evenly coat.
Add 1 Tbsp. of oil to a pan over medium. Add the shrimp to the hot pan and sear on one side for a few minutes. Flip and add the sausage. Cook until the shrimp is no longer translucent and fully cooked, approximately 5 minutes total. Remove the shrimp and sausage from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan you cooked the shrimp and sausage add in 2 Tbsp. of butter. Once the butter has melted add garlic and sautee for 30-60 seconds until fragrant. Add 2 Tbsp. flour and stir until you have a thick paste, or roux.
Slowly add the half and half a little as a time to the roux and whisk until the flour is no longer chunky and the sauce begins to thicken. This takes approximately 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Add 1 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning to the sauce and stir together well. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese in the sauce and mix together well until melted.
Add the cooked and drained noodles to the sauce and mix together to evenly coat. I like to keep a small amount of water in the pasta so that it keeps the cajun sauce nice and creamy.
Add the shrimp and sausage directly to the pasta and mix together well to coat. Top with chopped parsley.