Mildly spicy and delectably zesty, my cajun shrimp pasta is a delicious restaurant quality pasta dish to whip up, ready in a flash. Creole seasoned shrimp and tender fettuccine are tossed together in a creamy sauce kissed with minced roasted red pepper, garlic and crushed tomatoes for mouthwatering flavor!
A Shrimp Pasta with Cajun Flair
I'm definitely a sucker for a spicy pasta dish, and utterly love a spicy pasta dish topped with spicy shrimp.
So when I got a hankering to create a new rich and delicious fettuccine pasta recipe recently, I imagined it with a creamy roasted red pepper and tomato sauce, intertwined with some creole-seasoned cajun shrimp slightly blackened in a hot cast-iron skillet.
The thought of all those flavors dancing together made my mouth water!
So I got to cookin', and came up with this delicious and easy cajun shrimp pasta dish with just enough “kick” that you can taste it, but definitely not the type of spiciness that'll knock your socks off—you could certainly make it that way if you wanted to.
With its earthy blend of seasonings, this cajun shrimp pasta recipe is zesty and lightly creamy, and the perfect pick to twirl around your fork!
My Recipe for Cajun Shrimp Pasta
I love it when the list of ingredients for a pasta recipe isn't too long, and when most of those items can easily be found in our pantries.
When the ingredients are full of flavor and pack a good punch, you don't need too many!
Naturally, shrimp is the star ingredient in this cajun shrimp pasta and I like to use medium, peeled and deveined shrimp for convenience.
The shrimp sears up quickly, and then I simply proceed to make the sauce in the same skillet that I seared the shrimp in—nice and easy!
The rest of the ingredients—garlic, onion and roasted red peppers—are mainly aromatics, which help to create the layers of flavor and zesty-ness in the sauce, the diced tomatoes offer some juiciness and brightness for balance.
Here's a sneak peek at my Cajun Shrimp Pasta recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)
- To get started, I cook my fettuccine according to package instructions, then drain it and keep it warm.
- Next, I sprinkle my shrimp with a delicious smoky and spicy creole seasoning blend, and let that absorb into the shrimp for a few minutes before searing the shrimp in a hot cast iron skillet.
- Then, I then prepare my creamy roasted red pepper sauce in the same pan by adding in some finely diced roasted red peppers out of a jar, along with some onion and some garlic. I add in some crushed tomatoes, a touch of chicken broth and the heavy cream, and simmer those together for a few minutes.
- Once the sauce has tightened up, I add the fettuccine into the pan along with most of the shrimp (I reserve some to garnish the finished dish with), and gently toss everything together just until combined.
- I finish the cajun shrimp pasta with a little flourish of fresh chopped parsley, then serve.
Recipe
Cajun Shrimp Pasta
by Ingrid Beer
This zesty cajun shrimp pasta has a flavorful and smoky “kick” from the creole seasoning and the creamy roasted red pepper sauce!
Category: Entree
Cuisine: American
Yield: Serves 4
Nutrition Info: 545 calories
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces uncooked fettuccine
- 1 pound medium peeled and deveined shrimp (16/20 count)
- Avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt-free cajun creole seasoning
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- Pinch cayenne pepper (optional, add if you like more “heat”)
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- ½ cup (about 4 ounces by weight) finely diced roasted red peppers from a jar
- 6 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
- Pinch red pepper flakes (optional, add if you like more “heat”)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 (14.5 ounce / 411 gram) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list to have ready and organized for use.
- Cook the fettuccine according to the package instructions, and keep warm.
- Next, add the shrimp to a bowl, drizzle over it about 1 tablespoon of avocado oil or olive oil, and sprinkle in the cajun creole seasoning, the granulated garlic, and a pinch or two of cayenne pepper, if using. Toss to coat.
- Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, and drizzle in about 2 tablespoons of the oil. Once hot, add the shrimp and sear it on the first side until golden-brown and crusty, about 2 minutes. Flip and sear a minute or so more, until crusty on the other side. Remove shrimp from the skillet and set aside.
- To that same skillet add in the tablespoon of butter plus about 2 tablespoons of the oil, and add in the diced onion along with the diced roasted red peppers, stirring to combine. Saute together for about 2 to 3 minutes, until softened and slightly golden.
- Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes (if using), along with the tomato paste, and cook for about 30 seconds or just until aromatic.
- Add in the crushed tomatoes, the chicken broth and the heavy cream and stir to incorporate, and allow the sauce to gently simmer for a couple of minutes just to slightly thicken.
- Next, add the cooked fettuccine into the sauce, along with about half of the shrimp plus about half of the chopped parsley, and gently toss to combine.
- If serving directly from the skillet, top with the rest of the shrimp and the parsley. Or, pour the pasta into a serving dish and then top with the rest of the shrimp and sprinkle over the rest of the chopped parsley.
Tips & Tidbits for my Cajun Shrimp Pasta recipe:
- Peeled and deveined shrimp for ease: I buy either fresh or frozen peeled and deveined medium-size (16/20 count) shrimp. I love not having to peel it myself—it saves a lot of time!
- Choice of pasta: Fettuccine pasta is my personal favorite for this type of dish, but you can also use linguine, spaghetti, bucatini, penne, or even farfalle (bow-ties).
- Cream or half and half: While there isn't much cream in this recipe, if you're trying to keep things even lighter, you can substitute half and half for the cream. The cream will give a bit more “body” and a touch more richness, but half and half is a fine option as well.
- Heavy bottom pan: A large heavy-bottom pan such as a cast-iron skillet is perfect for this recipe, as you want a nice “blackened” sear or crust on the shrimp. You will then cook your sauce in that same pan, add the pasta back in, and toss everything together before serving. Just make sure it's a large enough pan to accommodate.
Hungry for more ultra cozy pasta recipes? Check out this Shrimp Scampi, this Mushroom Pasta, this Pasta Puttanesca, this Bistro Sausage Pasta, or this Bucatini Pasta with Garlic Butter Sauce!
Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2018, and has been updated with even more love!
Kim
Which prepared Cajun seasoning do you use?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Kim, the brand that I just so happened to use was "The Spice Hunter" salt-free cajun creole seasoning blend; however, there are other brands as well, and you can use whichever you prefer. Hope you enjoy!
Kim
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe! I find cooking intimidating. I only get inspired to do it when I see a recipe that looks delicious and is EASY. I have really been enjoying your blog. I find myself pinning so many recipes to try. Thank you.
The Cozy Apron
I am excited you’re planning on preparing this, Kim! I’m sure you will pull this off brilliantly, just put lots of love into it! ❤️ (That’s truly the big “secret” to cooking .) And thank you so much for your kind words.
Crystal
“Camp dog” creole seasoning is about the best I have found. It has to be ordered out of Ville Platte LA.
The Cozy Apron
Crystal, thanks for sharing your favorite brand!
Jeanette Taylor Smith
I use OLD BAYwith Blackened /seasoning. It does have a very little salt and sugar in this 82 serving size net weight of 1.75 oz (49g).
In most of my southern recipes, I may use the original seasoning as a lighter side of cajun.
Ana Agnelli
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. I made tonight and it was delicious.
The Cozy Apron
Ana, thank you so much for taking a moment to share your experience with the recipe! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it!
James Moore
This was the absolute best new recipe we've tried in years! We used our own homemade "Emiril's Creole" seasoning. It has a little salt but worked great. We're looking forward to trying some of your other recipes. Thanks, Jim and Susan.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Jim and Susan, I am so very glad to read that! Wonderful!
What a compliment you've paid, and I'm so very excited that you two will be trying more of our recipes! So glad to have you as new readers.
Happy cooking...and eating, too! Thanks for sharing Jim.
Melinda
I have made a lot of cajun pasta in my day. This is by far the BEST! The only thing I did different was I added some chopped scallions while the sauce was cooking and some fresh ones to garnish. Other then that, I filled the recipe and it was delish! I will definately be making again!
The Cozy Apron
Hey Melinda, what a wonderful compliment! So glad you enjoyed this version.
And the green onions are a delicious add-in.
Hannah
I never comment on recipe blogs/recipes I try, but I can’t not comment on this. I’ve tried many Cajun pasta dishes with both chicken, shrimp, and sausage and they all fall flat. This one stands above the rest by far. We loved it, even my 7 year old who isn’t a spice fan. The only changes I made were to use some pre-chopped red pepper (frozen, leftover from another recipe) sautéed with the garlic and I didn’t measure my seasoning. (I’m terrible about that and never measure seasonings.) It ended up a bit on the spicier side, so I’ll adjust that next time. And there will be a next time because I’ve added it to my recipe collection! Thank you so much for sharing! Now I must check out more of your recipes!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Hannah, boy am I glad you did come back to share! You made me so happy to read your comment! 😉
I'm truly honored that you and your family (especially your 7 year old who isn't typically a fan of spice) enjoyed this dish, and that you've added it to your meal rotation—yay!
Again, thanks for sharing this experience with me, and I hope you find some more recipes here on the site to try out.
Happy cooking Hannah!
Kavinayaa Kannan
I'm planning to try this out for our 5th Anniversary. Cant wait ❤
The Cozy Apron
Aw, I hope you enjoy Kavinayaa!
Happy 5th anniversary to you both!
Kavinayaa Kannan
Thank you
Ann W
Delish! After a busy day of decorating the house for Christmas this was an easy and quick dish. I have also added this to my recipe collection. Definitely a keeper. I have passed this on to my brother who enjoys to cook as well.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Ann, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I'm also grateful you passed along the "love" to your brother...may he find as much comfort and pleasure in it as you did!
I appreciate you sharing your experience here—thanks!
Sue
This recipe looks delicious! I would like to make ahead in a casserole style, freeze and serve for a dinner party. Do you have any suggestions as to how to adapt the recipe to make it just as delicious but make ahead?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Sue!
Unfortunately, I cannot recommend that you prepare this particular recipe in this way. Shrimp does not do well when cooked, then frozen, then reheated again; it will become mealy and, ultimately, overcooked from basically cooking it twice (the reheating will continue to cook it.)
This is one of those dishes that is really meant to be prepared just before serving, as it is pretty quick cooking where you simply sear/saute things off in the pan, throw in the ingredients for the quick sauce, and toss cooked pasta noodles together with it.
We have other pasta dishes that are more casserole style, or bakes—as a matter of fact, we have a delicious baked ziti, and a handful of lasagnas which you could prep this way; but this particular pasta is not one of them.
I hope you can peruse a few more of our recipes and find something to fit your needs a little better if you're looking for a more make-ahead recipe! 😉
Kelly
Is the cast iron skillet required? Would love to try this but I don’t have one of those yet!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Kelly, no worries! Just use a heavier bottom pan, one that is on the larger side. Hope you enjoy!
Liz
Made this dish tonight to rave reviews! I am absolutely in love with this creamy sauce -- restaurant-quality is an understatement. 10/10. Thank you for sharing your talents! -Liz
The Cozy Apron
Thanks so much for saying so, Liz! So honored for the rave review, and so glad you enjoyed! 😉
Crystal
I made this tonight for my family and we fell in love! I have to watch my salt, so I used a Mrs. Dash salt free extra spicy blend. We are also watching carbs at dinnertime so we paired this with tofu shirataki noodles, for almost no calories or carbs. Really felt like we were indulging in a restaurant quality meal from the comfort of our own home. I added those tips in case anyone else wants to try them 🙂 thanks for an AMAZING recipe, and I will be trying more of them!
The Cozy Apron
Crystal, you sweetheart! Thanks for sharing your tips—they're great!
So glad you all enjoyed the recipe, and I always say there's nothing quite like enjoying a delicious, restaurant-quality meal in the comfort of one's own home, indeed. It's so much cozier that way! 😉
Happy cooking to you, Crystal, and I hope you find many more recipes to try out and enjoy!
Sami kazi
I made this for my boyfriend and roommate, they liked it so much they asked me to make it again for them the next day. Only difference is i freehanded with the amount of seasoning and used different proportions of shrimp, and i also added chicken. Was sooo good. Done paying for cajun pasta at restaraunts. Thank you for this pretty easy recipe!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Sami, I love that!
So glad you all enjoyed the recipe, and I think that your addition of chicken surely made this scrumptious, offering even more protein and heartiness. Thumbs up on that!
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with me, and I'm happy to read you won't be paying for cajun shrimp pasta at restaurants anymore! 😉
Jon
Do you think this would be good with broccoli in it? Would like to add a veggie maybe other than roasted tomatoes but not sure what pairs well with spicy pasta.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Jon! I always say add whatever you like best; but I think that the broccoli cut nice and small would be fine, or even asparagus cut into bite-size pieces would be nice, or red bell pepper slices. (If it were me, I'd add okra, but I happen to love okra, and know that not everyone's a fan. 😉 )
Deb
I used Penzey's Spice Cajun Seasoning. I also forgot to get the red peppers so had sun dried tomatoes (jar in oil) on hand) and they worked great!
The Cozy Apron
Deb, so glad you enjoyed the recipe, and way to mix things up!
Tavia
Made this tonight and it came out amazing. Thanks for the recipe and the easy step by step instructions.
The Cozy Apron
Tavia, thanks so much for sharing! So glad you enjoyed!
Village Bakery
Great recipe, Ingrid. I made this over the weekend and it was yummy! -Joe
The Cozy Apron
Joe, that's so great! Very happy to read that, and I thank you for sharing your experience with me!
Shelly Nordquist
Absolutely delish! A hit w my three boys.
Thank you!!!
Ingrid Beer
Wonderful job, momma! So very glad to read that.
When the kids' bellies are full and happy, then that, of course, makes a mom happy, and she ends up enjoying her dinner even more. 😉
Thanks so much for sharing that with me Shelly!
Peggi
I am wicked full and it’s all your fault, Ingrid! This was such a delicious recipe, thank you so much for sharing. Definitely one that I will be making again and again. I will even up the heat next time since to my husband and I, it was only mildly spicy even though I added both the cayenne and crushed red pepper. I’m going to read more of your recipes now!
The Cozy Apron
Haha! I love it Peggi! 🙂
So very glad you and your hubby enjoyed the pasta, and yes—up that heat! I love mine nice and spicy too, and adding more spice is always a good thing when you can handle it.
I hope you find more tasty recipes to prepare and be nourished by! Happy to cooking to you!
Monique
I just made this tonight for my husband and I, and I doubled the measurements so we had meals for our work day tomorrow. The only thing I changed was heavy cream for coconut cream. It added a different dimension! He's dairy intolerant. He's very stoked and so am I! Thank you so much for this recipe! It is fantastic!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Monique, I loved reading that! It touches me to know you both will be enjoying the leftovers for work tomorrow, gaining more comfort and nourishment from the recipe.
I think the substitution of coconut cream for your dietary needs is such an interesting one, and I'm glad that the flavor was still just as tasty. Way to get creative!
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with me, and I hope you find more recipes off the site to enjoy together!
Deanna
I made this and threw in some little neck clams last minute. Amazing!!!
The Cozy Apron
Deanna, those sound like a genius addition! 😉 How tasty!
Perhaps you will inspire others to try that out, so I thank you for sharing. So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Joy
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I stumbled on it while a work and immediately knew that I would make this dish when I got home. It is simply amazing, my husband and son could not get enough of it and asked that I never loose this recipe. Thank you again
The Cozy Apron
Joy, thank you so much for sharing your experience with me—it put such a smile on my face!
I'm always so glad to read that a recipe is a success, especially when the entire family enjoys it. Thank goodness you don't have to worry about ever losing it—you can always find it (and many more delicious recipes!) right here! 😉
Happy cooking to you!
GENA
Looking forward to making this for a graduation party this weekend. I need to fill an 11 x 9 x 2 in pan. How much should I multiply the recipe? I don't have a cast iron skillet. Would a magnalite work?
The Cozy Apron
Hi there Gena, how exciting!
Here's the thing: it would be easier for me to answer that question if I knew how many people you were serving. I can only guess, because I'm trying to imagine the pan, so I would say double the recipe. But again, that's only a guess.
And as far as a skillet, you'll want something bigger and deeper since you're making more. If it has a heavy-bottom, that's great. (Use whatever will work for you, and get the job done.)
Hope you all enjoy!
Kayla J
Wow! This cajun shrimp pasta is so great! I made it tonight for my boyfriend and I. He told me it was one of the best things I’ve ever cooked! Thanks again for the wonderful recipie.
The Cozy Apron
Kayla, thanks so much for sharing this with me—I love it! 😉
Kudos on a job well done, and may you both continue to get a lot of enjoyment and nourishment out of this tasty dish!
Jody
This was delicious! I increased the creole seasoning (I used Zatarains-not salt free). So, so good!
The Cozy Apron
Hey Jody, thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the recipe! And extra creole seasoning can never hurt, right? 😉
Devin Sanchez
I’ve made this so many times!!! It is a huge family hit and a great choice for a quick and cheap recipe!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Devin, thanks so much for sharing your experience with me!
I'm honored that the recipe has graced your family table many times, and provided a bit of comfort and nourishment to hungry bellies.
Happy to cooking to you! 🙂
Nikki
I made this last night & it was so yummy & easy to make!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Nikki, that's fantastic! So happy to read that you enjoyed the dish.
Bob Auffret
Thank you Ingrid tried this dish the other night it was amazing as mentioned in previous comment it will be done again and again
The Cozy Apron
Bob, that is fantastic! Thanks so much for taking some time to share your experience with the recipe here, and I'm so glad to read it will be part of your rotation going forward. Happy cooking to you!