Cajun Shrimp Pasta with a spicy and rich cream sauce.
This is a quick and easy dinner recipe with just the right amount of kick! Tender whole shrimp smothered in a quick and easy spicy cream sauce with just the right amount of perfectly cooked pasta. YUM!
CAJUN SHRIMP PASTA
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This Cajun Shrimp Pasta dinner recipe has everything you could possibly want. Tender and succulent shrimp is coated in the cajun seasoning which adds just the right amount of flavor. The cream sauce only takes a few minutes to come together and the pasta soaks up all the flavor.
There are two things I can always make for dinner that will have my family drooling: shrimp and pasta. On the nights when I go that extra mile and actually make homemade pasta, we all eat way too much because nothing quite beats the taste of fresh pasta. But, most nights call for a quick and easy dinner, so dried pasta from the store is in order.
I wasn't sure if my kids would like the cajun seasoning, and although it was more spicy than the foods they typically eat, they simply couldn't resist the fact that I made sauteed shrimp with pasta in a cream sauce. It's basically their love language. The apples don't fall far from the tree!
How to make Cajun Shrimp Pasta:
This really is a quick and easy dinner recipe perfect for a busy weeknight. Since there is little measuring and no chopping, the entire recipe can pretty much be cooked in the amount of time it takes to cook the pasta. That means that in 10-15 mintues, you can have a complete dinner.
This recipe starts by boiling the pasta in salted water. It's important to use a full tablespoon of salt in your pasta water because the salt will flavor the pasta. Before you drain the pasta, be sure to reserve some of the pasta water to thin out the sauce later, if needed.
While the pasta is cooking, saute the shrimp. They will cook quickly over relatively high heat. You'll remove the shrimp from the pan and set them aside and then use that same pan to make the sauce.
The cajun cream sauce is simply a mixture of heavy cream that you bring to a boil and parmesan cheese that melts in creamy smooth. There's enough cajun seasoning ont he shrimp and in the pan to give the sauce plenty of flavor. The sauce thickens within minutes and then you simply toss everything together to serve.
What to serve with Cajun Shrimp Pasta:
Since this recipe is rich and heavy, this pasta dish is wonderful with vegetables of some kind. Either a healthy green salad or a side of steamed broccoli or spinach goes great with this dinner. The Cajun Shrimp Pasta has so much flavor the the vegetable side dish you choose should be simple and light to help balance everything out.
What type of shrimp is best for Cajun Shrimp Pasta:
I always opt for wild caught shrimp over farmed shrimp. I find that there is a huge difference in taste and texture and it's worth it to eat wild caught.
Also, with shrimp, I most often recommend bigger is better. I'm not a fan of those teeny tiny bay shrimp. I prefer my shrimp be at least two bites worth.
Rather than buying fresh shrimp, I often buy frozen shrimp by the pound so that I always have some at the ready in the freezer!
Cajun Shrimp Pasta
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 1 pound raw shrimp (deveined, cleaned, tail removed)
- 2 tablespoons cajun seasoning (*see note below, use this quantity if making my homemade seasoning blend; may turn out too salty if using store bought )
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup parmesan cheese (finely grated from a block (a microplane works best); pre-grated or not real authentic parmesan won't melt as nicely)
Instructions
- Add salt to pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook pasta to al dente doneness. Before draining, scoop out at least ½ cup of the cooking water. Drain pasta and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, cook the shrimp and sauce. Combine shrimp with cajun seasoning and olive oil in bowl. Toss to combine.
- Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Add butter and melt. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook until golden brown on each side, turning only once. You may have to cook shrimp in two batches to allow enough room. Once done cooking, transfer cooked shrimp to a clean plate and reduce heat to medium low.
- Add heavy cream to pan and scrape bottoms to release any food that is stuck to the bottom. Allow cream to bubble. Reduce heat to low and stir in parmesan cheese to melt. Add cooked pasta and shrimp and stir to coat. If sauce needs to be thinned, add pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is achieved.
Notes
NUTRITION INFORMATION
This post was originally created for Centsless Meals where I was a contributor and has been updated with more fun facts and tidbits for your reading pleasure.
Heather Garrett
Yummy! Definitely too salt when you using store bought Cajun spice (I used Tony Ch. 1 Tbsp and still too salty). Take the time and use homemade Cajun blend. I added finely diced onion and sweet bell peppers. Family loved it. Will make again.
Jasminka
This looks amazing but what can I substitute if I don't have heavy cream?
Krissy
I'm a big fan of heavy cream, but you can try making with half and half. Sauce won't be as thick.
Sani
It came out very good!
Susan
This is great! It's our new favorite/fallback meal. So easy and so delicious that it seems like you're treating yourself. Thank you!
Heather
We really enjoyed this recipe - I used zoodles in place of much of the pasta (which was spaghetti) and the balance was right with store-bought Cajun seasoning...
Beth
This was absolute perfection! I have a marinade that I have been using for shrimp recently that my family all loves, and someone requested it tonight. I wanted something a little different, and polled everyone to see if they wanted a "spicy cream sauce shrimp and pasta" or the regular. They all wanted the old favorite. So I obliged them, but set aside some shrimp for myself. I made and served theirs, and then made the cajun shrimp pasta for myself. It was soooo worth the minimal extra effort and the wait!
Debbie Sehgal
Best. Pasta. Ever. I’ve made it about 10 times now.
GA
The picture pulled me in. I am guessing if you would like what you see in the picture, use maybe half the heavy cream and parmesan--only enough for the pasta, and top the pasta with the shrimp once it's on your plate. I think I would like to try the recipe one more time and do it that way.
I liked the way it tasted in general, but it was actually a little bit too rich for me. Wife thought it was OK, and daughter does not like cream sauces in any dish, and this didn't convince her otherwise, so she just had the pasta and shrimp (I left some out of the sauce on purpose) and still only ate about half of the serving she gave herself. Steamed broccoli was a huge help to balance the richness.
I would make it again, but probably just for me. I made the homemade cajun seasoning and really liked that.
DV
Holy #, this is definitely a restaurant quality recipe. The *only* changes (additions) I made were to saute fresh minced garlic and mushrooms after sauteing and removing the shrimp, and using linguine (I didn't have penne).
Use the Cajun seasoning recipe.
This recipe is fire.
Marisa
It’s an absolute hit and it’s requested by so many now. Our favorite meal 💖
Zailet
Best Cajun Shrimp Pasta ever, my family loves and they are one of the picky eaters of all times. If I would to make it weekly I wouldn’t get one complaint about it. It’s so creamy and savory with just enough kick to satisfy your taste buds!
Tiffany Anderson
I made this dinner once and my family has been hooked. I get constant requests at least weekly asking for this meal to prepared. I do use the Cajun seasoning recipe from here and it works well. Great recipe!
Catherine Estes
Loved the recipe, thank you! Quick, easy , and delicious!
Ash
What is the best way to reheat the leftovers?
Krissy
With both shrimp and alfredo sauce, you want to reheat low and slow. You can do so in a covered dish in the oven, in a saucepan on the stove, or covered in the microwave at 50% power. Low heat for gentle gradual reheating.
Jane Behr
Question: I have leftover boiled shrimp I'd like to use in this recipe. If I cook them according to recipe they'll be tough. How would you suggest warming them?
Krissy
I would skip step 2 and 3, set the shrimp aside, and add the homemade cajun seasoning and oil to step 4. Make the sauce and then just toss the shrimp in to warm before serving. Enjoy!
Jane Behr
Thank you Krissy. Can't wait for tonight's dinner!
Deborah
Super yummy!
Aliki
Wow! Amazing! Better than restaurant quality! So glad we chose to make the Cajun seasoning ourselves. The entire family loved this meal and I can’t wait to make it again. Super easy, too! A must try! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Mickey
Amazing! No changes needed. Simple and delicious.
RoxAna
I didn't scroll down far enough to read the note about being overly salty when using store bought cajun seasoning. So at first taste, it was awful. I was not going to serve this but I had the idea to steam veggies- no salt or seasoning. Once steamed, I added them to the mix. This balanced out the entire dish. It was saved and tasted AMAZING!!!
Krissy
Great recovery! I'm impressed! So glad it worked out.
Ines
Hi there! Wondering if I can replace the heavy cream with Cooking Cream?
Krissy
Not sure what cooking cream is, but heavy cream is heavy whipping cream.
Rebecca
Cooking cream usually dont have the same round deep flavor as heavy cream. So if i were you i would go with heavy cream in all cases 😉
Susan
If I substitute spaghetti squash for the pasta it will be KETO friendly, increase the nutritional value and lower the calorie count.
Esmeralda
This sounds great! I’m going to add peas to it.
Cia
Enjoyed making this meal. Keeping around for future use!
Wendy
Really a tasty and easy recipe. Even easier if you can find peeled, deveined shrimp. This recipe will definitely become a regular at our house. Good enough for company!
Janayja Jones
Made this for my boyfriend and he just wanted more and more!!! Great recipe!
Anjoli Elizabeth Rowe
I was in the mood for TGI Friday's cajun pasta, but we don't have that restaurant where we live. I made your recipe (but added chicken) and it SO hit the spot! Someone said they used mushrooms, which I also think would be great to try sometime. I will use less cayenne pepper next time because it's a little more spicy than I typically prefer, but my husband LOVED the kick to it. Thanks for this recipe! Perfect!
Marina
What kind of Parmesan cheese do you use?
Krissy
The best bet is to get a block of aged parmesan and grate it yourself. If you buy a pre-shredded pack, it won't melt as nicely.
Karena
Just fabulous, I served over sautéd mushrooms and red peppers.
Donna Hodges
I feeding 12 people. How much do I need to adjust this.
Krissy
Hi Donna, the recipe card has a slider where you can adjust the number of servings.
Tiffany
AMAZING!!!😊
Marisela
Same as all the prior comments. Easy and tastes restaurant quality. I def will add onions or chopped tomatoes and garlic next time. I did add mushrooms and it was so good. Also made the spice myself, very good. Delish and a keeper! Could be made with chicken too
Evette
Made this for dinner and LOVED! I didnt have cayenne ☹(I love spicy food) or thyme, but it still turned out great. I also added chicken with the shrimp. Can't wait to cook this again and try more recipes!
Dee
Made this for Mother’s Day this year & everyone loved it! A recipe I will make again soon
Zailet
Made for my picky family and they loved it. The taste was amazing!
Meesh
This came out so good! I cannot have regular milk/cream so I substituted out the cream with oak milk and couldn’t believe it was still creamy and yummy. Also added spinach and mushrooms. Delicious dinner!
Rachael
Do I use unsalted butter or salted?
Krissy
I almost always use unsalted butter so I can add more salt later, if needed
Chelsea
How did you cook your mushrooms?
Eileen
This was a big hit with my friends. I ended up doubling the recipe and everyone just gobbled it up. Would highly recommend!!!
Zac
Did you use grated or shredded parmesan cheese for this recipe?
Krissy
The best method is to use a microplane and finely grate/shred it. If you buy pre-shredded it won't melt as easily.
Lynn Rhoades
I used "Slap Your Mama" Cajun seasoning and it was way too salty. But I did out a lot of salt in the pasta water and didn't rinse. Wish I had made my own spice mix, but I didn't have the smoked paprika, only regular paprika. But it would still would have been better, I think .I'll make my own in the future.
Brent
I added an onion, green pepper, red pepper and sausage and it was wonderful. I also added 3 or 4 spoons of spaghetti sauce just for a little more color.