Do busy weeknights call for a quick and easy dinner at your house? This creamy pasta dish comes together in about 30 minutes and is full of Cajun flavors with just the right amount of creamy goodness!
This pasta dish will rival anything you’ll find in a high-quality restaurant! I am always looking for delicious meals that can either be prepped ahead of time or made quickly. Perfectly sauteed shrimp, spicy Andouille sausage cooked until slightly crisp, and the flavorful blend of spices are what make this dish sing!
Fresh shrimp is ideal for this recipe, however, frozen will work as well. We find the texture of frozen shrimp to be a little too chewy, so our preference is fresh.
We prefer to use Conecuh sausage because it's local to our area, and they don’t use MSG or any added nitrates. I use a milder spiced sausage, but you can absolutely switch to a hot sausage or simply add diced jalapeños, or increase the amount of crushed red pepper flakes to make this as spicy as you prefer! This dish can handle simple substitutions with no problem.
The sauce in this recipe is thick and creamy, coats the pasta perfectly, and adds just the right amount of decadence to balance the spiciness. The key to making this sauce have a smooth and creamy texture is the fresh Parmesan cheese shredded straight off the block. This simple trick will avoid creating a grainy texture.
Ready to make this Creamy Cajun Shrimp & Sausage Pasta? Let's get started!
Ingredients (Serves 4)
½ pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cleaned
½ pound Conecuh sausage, sliced
1 tablespoon infused olive oil
12 ounces penne pasta, cooked and drained
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 medium red pepper, finely diced
1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
3 teaspoons paprika
3 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup white cooking wine
1 ½ cups homemade chicken stock
¾ cup half & half
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Fresh parsley, chopped
Directions
In a large pan over medium heat, cook sausage for approximately 3-4 minutes or until browned on both sides. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate.
Add shrimp to pan with residual grease from sausage. Cook shrimp on medium heat for approximately 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned on both sides. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and add to plate of sausage.
Sauté onion and bell pepper in infused olive oil for approximately 3-5 minutes or until softened. Add tomato paste and seasonings to onion and bell pepper, mixing well to incorporate.
Carefully, add white cooking wine and deglaze pan by scraping up any cooked-on bits from the pan.
Add chicken stock and allow sauce to come to a boil. Reduce heat to low.
Add half & half and continue to simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
Transfer cooked shrimp, sausage, and pasta to the pan. Add grated parmesan cheese.
Gently toss to combine well with the sauce. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
With a little prep work, you can have this Creamy Cajun and Sausage Pasta on your dinner table in no time even on your busiest weeknight! To make this a well-rounded meal, I like to serve this with my Honey Butter Yeast Rolls and my Ranch Roasted Broccoli.
If you made this recipe, we'd love to know how it turned out! Leave us a comment down below and tell us what you think.
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