This Cajun Shrimp Pasta is bold, creamy, and done in under an hour!
Happy New Year guys! How is the first Monday of the New Year treating you? I’m, feeling real ehh over here mainly because of the up and down North Carolina weather . Anyway, if you haven’t already noticed, one pot meals are staples in our house. Usually done in under an hour and made in one pan. What’s not to love?!
WHAT DOES CAJUN SAUCE TASTE LIKE?
Cajun seasoning is a bold, spicy mix of herbs and spices. The heat mainly comes from the cayenne pepper and paprika. I feel like this Cajun sauce pairs perfectly with pretty much any protein. And is especially good with shrimp.
HOW DO I MAKE THIS PASTA LESS SPICY?
If you’re not a huge fan of a little heat and you want a less spicy blend of cajun seasoning, then you can reduce the amount of Cajun and Cayenne Seasoning in this recipe. That’s where the majority of the heat comes from, so if you don’t like heat at all you can omit it or just add a liitttle pinch. I honestly didn’t add as much heat to begin with because I am not super crazy about spicy things.
WHAT TYPE OF SHRIMP SHOULD I BUY?
- I recommend buying large or jumbo frozen shrimp, they work perfectly! The small shrimp tend to shrink up during the cooking process.
- Peeled and and deveined shrimp to save you prep time.You can take the tails off or leave them on for this recipe. I’ve found that the tails actually add additional flavor to a lot of recipes, however it can sometimes be pretty annoying to search through the pasta to peel off the tails when you’re starving.
Questions about this Cajun Shrimp Pasta? Did you make this recipe? Let me know in the comments below! Tag me #chefelizabethreese on Instagram, I’d love to see your creations
Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 12oz Bags Large Shrimp
- 1 Box Linguine Noodles
- ½ Tablespoon Garlic Powder, more as needed
- 1 Tablespoon Cajun Seasoning, more as needed
- ¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, more as needed
- ½ Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
- Kosher Salt and Pepper, as needed
- 1 Tablespoon Creole Seasoning, more as needed
- 1 Cup Shredded Parmsesan Cheese
- 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
- 1 Tablespoon All Purpose Flour
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 3½ Cups Heavy Cream
- 1½ Sliced Yellow Pepper
- 1½ Sliced Red Pepper
- ½ Sliced Yellow Onion
- 3 Cloves Minced Garlic
- 4 oz Full Fat Cream Cheese
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Chopped Parsley
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Once finished, drain the pasta and return to the same pot it cooked in.
- Season the shrimp with all of the spices. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of canola oil to a large pan over medium heat and cook the shrimp for about 2-3 minutes until pink and opaque.
- In the same pan, add a little more butter and oil if needed and add the onions and peppers and cook for 4-5 ish minutes until the peppers are tender and the onions are translucent.
- Stir in the cream cheese then add in the flour and mix well.
- Pour in the heavy cream and slowly whisk until incorporated.
- Turn the heat up just a bit and continue cooking until the sauce begins to thicken. Taste test and adjust the spices if needed. Then reduce the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.
- Add the cooked noodles and shrimp to the pan, mix and top with fresh parsley. Enjoy!
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