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This Cajun Shrimp & Sausage Pasta has just the right amount of kick for a tasty dinner that’s loaded with shrimp and sausage over a simple creamy pasta. Those saucy noodles have the perfect kick!
Pasta is a go to dinner for so many and, because it’s so adaptable, we never get tired of it!
Whether we’re tossing fettucine in our Alfredo sauce or serving up our homemade spaghetti sauce over a pile of noodles, my family is going to go nuts for anything pasta related.
This Cajun shrimp pasta recipe is no exception. We toss fettucine noodles in a super simple cream sauce and then stir in sauteed shrimp and sausage that’s been seasoned Cajun style.
A little spicy, a lot creamy, and totally satisfying. Plus, this Cajun shrimp pasta recipe is ready in just about 20 minutes!
If you liked our garlic shrimp pasta, I know you’ll like this one too!
What Readers are Saying!
“This was fantastic! Rivaled restaurants I’ve been to in New Orleans. Whole family loved it!” – Renee
3 Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Maximum Flavor, Minimum Effort: Shrimp and andouille sausage are two of the easiest (and fastest) proteins to whip up on a busy night.
- Weeknight Hero: Ready in under 30 minutes? Yes! Delicious dinner without the fuss.
- Make It Yours: Add extra veg, swap the andouille for smoked sausage to cut the spice, switch out the shrimp for chicken, use a different shape of pasta…you really can’t mess this up!
Ingredients for Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta:
Fettucine – We love the swirly, twirly vibe of fettucine, but any pasta shape will work well here.
Olive Oil & Butter – The olive oil helps keep the butter from burning and the butter adds flavor.
Shrimp – We use large, peeled and deveined shrimp with the tail off. You can use any size of shrimp you prefer, but adjust cook times accordingly.
Andouille Sausage – This sausage packs a spicy punch! Swap for smoked or polish sausage to cut down the heat.
Cajun Seasoning – My family is OBSESSED with Tony Chachere’s Cajun seasoning, but any brand you like will work.
Bell Peppers – My family universally prefers the sweetness of red bell peppers, but any color will work fine here.
Garlic – Freshly minced is great, but jarlic works just fine. It’s a busy weeknight, we don’t judge.
Cream – Heavy cream will make a nice thick sauce. We’ve only tested this recipe with cream but do not recommend swapping it for something lighter. Sorry!
Parmesan – You’ll melt some Parmesan cheese with the heavy cream to prepare the creamy pasta sauce!
How to Make Cajun Shrimp Pasta:
Cook the pasta al dente. While it cooks heat oil and butter in a skillet and season the shrimp with half the Cajun seasoning. Sauté the shrimp in the skillet until it is cooked through. Remove and set aside.
Season the andouille sausage and peppers with Cajun seasoning and cook through in the skillet. Stir in the garlic then remove from the pan and set aside with the shrimp.
Helpful Tip!
How To Tell When Shrimp is Cooked Through
- When fully cooked, shrimp should be an opaque white with hints of pink and red.
- As the shrimp cooks, it will curl up.
- If your shrimp is gray or translucent, it is not yet cooked through.
Pour the heavy cream into the skillet and bring it to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan.
Add the pasta, shrimp, sausage, and peppers back to the skillet with the cream sauce and stir to coat. You can add the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce to your liking. Top with parsley and serve!
Freezing & Storage Instructions:
If you’ve got leftover cajun shrimp and sausage pasta, you can keep it all stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for about 4 days. It can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave. You may need to add a bit of cream, milk, or broth if the sauce has thickened too much.
We do not recommend freezing this recipe. The sauce is likely to separate upon reheating.
More pasta recipes!
Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fettuccine pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled, deveined, and tails removed
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning divided
- 8 ounces andouille sausage
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- ¾ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta to al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water.
- While the water is coming to a boil and the pasta is cooking heat a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and butter and cook until butter has melted.
- Season the shrimp with half of the Cajun seasoning.
- Add the shrimp in an even layer, working in batches if needed. Cook, flipping once, for 4-5 minutes or until shrimp are cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- Add the sausage to the skillet along with the peppers. Sprinkle the remaining Cajun seasoning over the top and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the sausage has browned and the peppers have softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Remove from the pan and set aside with the shrimp.
- Add the cream to the pan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese has melted.
- Return the shrimp, sausage, and pepper to the pan along with the cooked pasta. Stir well to coat.
- To thin the sauce, add reserved pasta water, a couple tablespoons at a time, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
- Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Renee says
This was fantastic! Rivaled restaurants I’ve been to in New Orleans. Whole family loved it!
Karly Campbell says
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it! Thanks, Renee!
Jonna Farner says
Could I substitute half and half for heavy cream?
Karly says
I think you could, though the sauce will probably be quite thin.
Kathie Clark says
One question, can you use the already cooked shrimp
Karly says
Yes, just cook it long enough to warm it up.
Gianna Gordon says
This was fantastic! Only thing I did was add about 1/2 more heavy cream because I like my pasta super saucy.
Karly says
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Casandra Skinner says
My family really enjoyed this recipe and it was simple to make. I will most definitely be making it again
Karly says
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Sharon Knapp says
I enjoyed this recipe! Really delicious! Definitely make again!
Karly says
Love to hear that! Thanks, Sharon!
Tina says
Delicious! Tasted like a restaurant dish!
Karly says
Thanks, Tina!
Mike says
Can you explain the cooking of the peppers and there is nothing about the cheese and heavy cream. Do you just dump it all in and stir? Thank you
Karly says
Hi Mike, I think you’re looking at the blog post and not the recipe card. The recipe card has the actual recipe. The blog post answers FAQ’s and gives a brief run down of how you’ll make the dish.
Mike says
Thank you very much. Now I see it. I jumped down to far. My mistake. Made it exactly and it was absolutely delicious. Thanks for a great one.
Karly says
Glad you found it and gave it a try! 🙂
Cicorey says
How do you make the sauce?
Karly says
Step 4 of the recipe shows how to make the sauce.
Mike says
All step 4 talks about is how to cook the shrimp.
Cicorey says
I don’t see the steps with the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese.
Karly says
Step 6. 🙂
Mike says
Step 6 only tells you how to thin the sauce not make it.
Karly says
Hi Mike!
“6. Add the cream to the pan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese has melted.”
Make sure you’re looking at the recipe card towards the bottom of the post and not the blog post itself. 🙂
Jodi Schafer says
This recipe is outstanding! And I’m not a good cook but it was perfect! Thank you!
Karly says
Thanks, Jodi! So glad you enjoyed it!