Cajun Shrimp And Sausage Pasta

5 from 4 votes

Cajun Shrimp And Sausage Pasta

Make Cajun Shrimp Sausage Pasta for an easy weeknight meal! It's easy to whip up, healthier, and packed with a bold cajun flavor and a creamy sauce. It's sure to become a family favorite!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Bailey

Equipment

large skillet
sharp knives

Ingredients

3 cups rigatoni or other pasta shape
½ tsp olive oil
½ lb large shrimp, thawed and cleaned
½ lb andouille sausage, sliced or any sausage of choice
1 small shallot, diced
1 small red pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1½ cup beef broth or chicken broth
1 tsp corn starch *see notes
1 cup sour cream this is optional!

Cajun Seasoning

1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp cayenne pepper *use 1 tsp for spicer!
1 tsp black pepper
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt

Instructions

Combine the seasoning and whisk well. Start the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it and cook al dente according to the directions on the package. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large heavy bottomed skillet add the shrimp, sprinkle with a few pinches of the cajun seasoning.
Cook shrimp for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, flipping them halfway (they will cook more when they are added back into the sauce. Take the shrimp out of the pan and set it aside.
Slice the chicken sausage. Add the smoked sausage to the same pan, sprinkle with a few pinches of cajun seasoning and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly crispy. Take the chicken sausage out of the pan and set aside.
Sauté the veggies. Add chopped shallot and chopped red bell pepper to the same pan, spritz with oil only if needed, sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and continue to cook for a minute. Add the leftover cajun seasoning and tomato paste.
Next, add in the broth to deglaze the pan and soak up the bits of browning in the pan. In a small bowl, add cornstarch and 1 tsp water, whisk or mix and add it to the cajun broth.
Bring the broth mix to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 3 minutes. Add in the sour cream (if using), shrimp, sausage and cooked pasta. Let it come back to a simmer. If you need to thin the sauce to your liking, use the reserved pasta water otherwise, leave it as is!

Notes

*you can use plain chicken sausage or use pork if needed. I use chicken sausage to cut the calories down a bit.

*to make a slurry to thicken

*plain greek yogurt will also work well.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze these for up to 2 months.

Taste and adjust. As you’re cooking, taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed as with all recipes. Add more Cajun seasoning or salt if needed.

If the sauce is too thick, add a bit more broth or pasta water. If it’s too thin, let it simmer longer to thicken up.

Don’t overcook the pasta. Be sure to cook the pasta until al dente is reached. It will continue to cook slightly when you mix it with the sauce, so you want it to retain a bit of bite.

Choose the right pasta shape. Opt for a pasta shape that can hold up to the bold flavors and textures of the dish. Penne, fettuccine, or rigatoni work well because they catch and hold onto the sauce and ingredients.

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