Cajun Shrimp Pasta

4.99 from 481 votes

Cajun Shrimp Pasta with a spicy and rich cream sauce is a quick and easy dinner recipe with just the right amount of kick!

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

1 pound raw shrimp deveined, cleaned, tail removed (best results if patted dry with paper towels)
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
1/2 cup parmesan cheese finely grated from a block (a microplane works best); pre-grated or not real authentic parmesan won't melt as nicely

Combine the 1 pound raw shrimp with the 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning and the 1 tablespoon olive oil in bowl. Toss to combine.
Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt to pot of water and bring to a boil. At the same time, heat a large skillet over medium high heat.
Add the 8 ounces penne pasta to the salted boiling water and cook to al dente doneness. Before draining, scoop out at least 1/2 cup of the cooking water. This will be reserved to thin the sauce, if needed. Drain pasta and set aside.
As soon as you add the pasta to the water, add the 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet and melt. Add the seasoned 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 they are done cooking, transfer the cooked shrimp to a clean plate and reduce the heat to medium.
Add the 1 cup heavy cream to the pan and scrape the bottom with a flat shaped wooden spoon to release any seasoning that stuck to the skillet. Allow the cream to bubble around the edges. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the 1/2 cup parmesan cheese to melt.
Add the cooked pasta and shrimp and stir to coat. If the sauce needs to be thinned, add the reserved pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is achieved. Taste and add additional salt, if desired depending on your tastes.

Salt level: I highly recommend making my homemade Cajun Seasoning Mix. If you use a store bought Cajun seasoning blend, which most likely contains much more salt than I use in my blend, you should start with a small amount, taste, and continue to add to your liking. Note: because my seasoning blend is purposely less-salty, you may need to add additional salt to your serving depending on your tastes.
Cajun Seasoning: You can decrease the amount of spice by lowering the amount of Cayenne Pepper and/or red pepper flakes.
Protein variations: I often like to make this exact same recipe but with a flattened tenderized chicken breast or wild caught scallops. Both are delicious.
Parmesan cheese: It is highly recommended that you grate the cheese from a block using a microplane. It will melt instantly in the cream. If you have pre-grated, I recommend mincing it as fine as you can.
Double the recipe! You can click the 2x button and it will scale the ingredients to double the recipe. I always double it to feed my hungry family of four with leftovers to spare. My homemade Cajun mix will make 4 Tablespoons of seasoning which is the exact amount needed if you choose to double this Cajun Shrimp Pasta Recipe.