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Creamy and packed full of warming spices, my creamy cajun shrimp pasta makes the perfect mid-week meal and is quick and easy to make.
The best pasta dishes are the ones that are delicious AND easy to put together – and that’s not even the best thing about my cajun shrimp pasta. Mixed with a flavorful creamy cajun sauce, it’s ready in less than thirty minutes and best served with crusty bread for a rich and buttery weekday dinner.
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Ingredients
- Shrimp: Use deveined fresh shrimp – you can use any size you prefer, though it will change the cooking time. You can also use frozen shrimp but let them thaw completely and pat dry before using.
- Pasta: I use rigatoni pasta – any kind with ridges is best for holding the cajun shrimp pasta sauce. Penne, Farfalle, ziti, or shells are all great choices.
- Cajun Seasoning: Make your own or use store-bought.
- Tomatoes: Fresh – I use cherry, but you can use any you have.
- Garlic
- Heavy Cream
- Grated Parmesan Cheese: For the best flavor, grate at home from a block.
- Olive Oil
- Unsalted Butter
- Parsley: To Garnish.
How to make Cajun shrimp pasta
Boil The Pasta: Salt a pot of water and bring to a boil. Add your chosen pasta and allow to cook until al dente – about 12-14 minutes (check the package instructions). Once cooked, drain the pasta, making sure to reserve about a cup of the pasta water. When added to the creamy shrimp pasta later, it’ll help thicken the sauce.
Prepare the Shrimp: As your pasta is cooking, add the shrimp to a large bowl. Pour the cajun spice and olive oil over. Toss well so the shrimp are completely coated. You can reduce the amount of seasoning you use depending on how much of a spice kick you want.
In a large skillet or large frying pan, melt the butter on a medium-high heat. Stir in the minced garlic, cooking until fragrant. Then, add the seasoned shrimp and sauté for a couple of minutes on each side until they’ve turned a vibrant pink color. Finally, remove from the skillet and cover to keep warm.
Make the Sauce: In the same skillet, add the cream and deglaze the pan (scraping any saucy bits stuck to the bottom). Once the cream has heated, add the parmesan and diced tomatoes and bring the sauce to a simmer. Then add a little of the pasta water to help thicken the sauce. You can adjust how much you use depending on how the sauce is.
Combine and Serve: Add the cooked pasta to the cajun sauce, then add the cooked shrimp. Mix well until the pasta and shrimp are completely combined and covered in creamy sauce. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!
Storing leftovers
In The Fridge: Allow the cajun shrimp pasta to cool completely before transferring into an airtight container. It’ll keep in the refrigerator for 4 days.
I don’t recommend trying to freeze this dish. Cream-based sauces don’t do well in the freezer as they tend to separate when thawed, so it’s best left in the fridge.
More pasta recipes
- Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Baked Feta and Cherry Tomato Pasta
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
- Vegan Bechamel Pasta Bake
If you try this cajun shrimp pasta recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 cups dried pasta 9 oz rigatoni (or other type)
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1.5 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated (2 oz)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes chopped (6oz)
- 2 cloves garlic minced/grated
- 2 Tbsp cajun seasoning
- 2 Tbsp butter unsalted
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- parsley to garnish
Instructions
Boil the pasta
- Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil, then add your chosen pasta and allow to cook until al dente – about 12-14 minutes (check the package instructions).
- Once cooked, drain the pasta, making sure to reserve about a cup of the pasta water. When added to the creamy shrimp pasta later, it'll help thicken the sauce.
Prepare the shrimp
- As your pasta is cooking, add the shrimp to a large bowl. Pour the cajun seasoning and olive oil over and toss so the shrimp are completely coated. You can reduce the amount of seasoning you use depending on how much heat you want.
- In a skillet or large frying pan, melt the butter. Stir in the minced garlic, cooking until fragrant.
- Add the seasoned shrimp and sauté for a couple of minutes on each side until they've turned a vibrant pink color. Remove from the skillet and cover to keep warm.
Make the sauce
- In the same skillet, add the cream and deglaze the pan (scraping any saucy bits stuck to the bottom). Once the cream has heated, add the parmesan and tomatoes and bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Add a little of the pasta water to help thicken the sauce. Adjust how much you use depending on how the sauce is.
Combine and serve
- Add the cooked pasta to the cajun sauce, then add the cooked shrimp. Mix well until the pasta and shrimp are completely combined and covered in creamy sauce.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
