If you’re looking for a quick and easy dish that your whole family will love, our Cajun Shrimp Pasta is guaranteed to bring smiles to your dinner table.
The combination of sweet, succulent shrimp, bell peppers, and onions, with just the right amount of heat, takes this pasta dish to a whole new level of deliciousness.
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Made with simple ingredients you can find at your local grocery store, our Cajun Shrimp Pasta comes together in about 30 minutes, making it perfect for a busy weeknight dinner.
This simple pasta dish, with its bold flavors, is incredibly tasty and will have everyone coming back for seconds before they’ve finished their first helping.
If you love pasta dishes that are easy to make and full of flavor, try our Chicken and Shrimp Pepperoni and Tuscan Chicken and Pasta recipes.
Ingredients
Gather the ingredients to prepare our Cajun Shrimp Pasta recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means “everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Can I Change Up The Recipe?
Absolutely. We used our homemade Cajun seasoning, which is made by combining sweet paprika, thyme, black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper. However, you can use your favorite Cajun seasoning to make the dish. We used orange bell peppers and red bell peppers to make the recipe, but you can substitute green bell peppers or any color you prefer. To turn up the heat, add jalapeno, habanero, or Thai chili peppers to the dish.
For a hearty version, add andouille sausage or Italian sausage (sweet or hot) to the recipe. Add it to the pan before adding the shrimp to make sure it’s cooked through.
To add volume to the dish, add a can of Rotel tomatoes, mushrooms, or zucchini to the recipe.
How to Make Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make Cajun Shrimp Pasta in your home kitchen.
Cook the ligunie according to the package instructions. Set aside until needed.
Reserve one-half cup of pasta water from the cooked pasta.
Remove the shells and devein the shrimp. Rinse them under cold water, then pat dry with a paper towel. You can keep the tails on or off, depending on your preference.
Place a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add half of the butter (2 tablespoons) to the pan.
Add the onions and peppers to the pan.
Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring as needed.
Add the garlic to the pan.
Cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the shrimp, salt, black pepper, sweet paprika, cayenne pepper, and fresh thyme to the pan.
Stir to combine, and cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring as needed, until the shrimp are cooked through.
Add the remaining two tablespoons of butter to the pan.
When the butter has melted, add the cooked linguine to the pan.
Use tongs to gently combine the pasta with the rest of the ingredients.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the Romano cheese to the pasta. Use tongs to mix the cheese with the pasta.
If the pasta is dry, add some of the reserved pasta water to the pan. For a creamier sauce, add 1 cup of heavy cream to the pan and toss to combine. Reheat until the mixture reaches 165°F.
Wouldn’t your family love to sit down to a plateful of our Cajun Shrimp Pasta? It’s easy to make, and after one taste of this delicious pasta dish, it’s sure to become a family favorite. Why not add it to your menu rotation this week?
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days. It is not recommended to freeze the leftovers.
Reheat gently in the microwave at one-minute intervals, stirring between each interval. You can also reheat using a sauté pan over medium heat. Add butter or olive oil to the hot pan, then add the leftovers. Reheat until the pasta and shrimp are hot. Add water or broth to the pan if more liquid is needed.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely. You can pretty much use any of your favorite pasta shapes to make this dish. Penne, ziti, gemelli, and shells are all good choices. But would stay from larger noodles like rigatoni, and heavier long noodles like fettuccine.
No, you can’t. It’s essential to use raw shrimp, allowing them to absorb the flavors from the seasonings and aromatics. Not to mention, recooking shrimp will make them tough, rubbery, and pretty much inedible.
For this recipe, 21-25 count shrimp are the best choice, and only buy Shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico or other US waters. Check the package to see where they’re from and avoid shrimp from Asian, Indian, or other questionable waters. I’m not a fan of farmed shrimp either.
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Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Cajun Shrimp Pasta is made is a pasta dish loaded with bold flavors and succulent shrimp and can be on your dinner table in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Place a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add half of the butter (2 tablespoons) to the pan.
Add the onions and peppers to the pan and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring as needed.
Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the shrimp, salt, black pepper, sweet paprika, cayenne pepper, and fresh thyme to the pan.
Add the salt, black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper and fresh thyme to the shrimp and vegetables stirring together to coat all the vegetables and shrimp with the seasoning
Stir to combine, and cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring as needed, until the shrimp are cooked through.
Add the remaining two tablespoons of butter to the pan.
When the butter has melted, add the cooked linguine to the pan. Use tongs to mix the pasta with the rest of the ingredients.
Sprinkle fresh chopped parsley and grated Romano cheese over the top of the pasta and serve.
Notes
Reheat gently in the microwave at one-minute intervals, stirring between each interval. You can also reheat using a sauté pan over medium heat. Add butter or olive oil to the hot pan, then add the leftovers. Reheat until the pasta and shrimp are hot. Add water or broth to the pan if more liquid is needed.
Absolutely. We used our homemade Cajun seasoning, which is made by combining sweet paprika, thyme, black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper. However, you can use your favorite Cajun seasoning to make the dish. We used orange bell peppers and red bell peppers to make the recipe, but you can substitute green bell peppers or any color you prefer. To turn up the heat, add jalapeno, habanero, or Thai chili peppers to the dish.
For a hearty version, add andouille sausage or Italian sausage (sweet or hot) to the recipe. Add it to the pan before adding the shrimp to make sure it’s cooked through.
To add volume to the dish, consider adding a can of Rotel (or fire-roasted) tomatoes, mushrooms, or zucchini to the recipe.
Can I use a different kind of pasta?
Absolutely. You can pretty much use any of your favorite pasta shapes to make this dish. Penne, ziti, gemelli, and shells are all good choices. But would stay from larger noodles like rigatoni, and heavier long noodles like fettuccine.
Can I use pre-cooked shrimp?
No, you can’t. It’s essential to use raw shrimp, allowing them to absorb the flavors from the seasonings and aromatics. Not to mention, recooking shrimp will make them tough, rubbery, and pretty much inedible.
What kind of shrimp should I use?
For this recipe, 21-25 count shrimp are the best choice, and only buy Shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico or other US waters. Check the package to see where they’re from and avoid shrimp from Asian, Indian, or other questionable waters. I’m not a fan of farmed shrimp either.
Nutrition
Calories: 462kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 24gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 927mgPotassium: 437mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 2430IUVitamin C: 67mgCalcium: 166mgIron: 2mg
