Print

Creamy Cajun Sausage Pasta with Shrimp

Closeup top view of plate with creamy Cajun sausage pasta with shrimp garnished with basil.
Print Recipe
Save Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

This Creamy Cajun Sausage Pasta with Shrimp is a quick 30-minute meal that’s bursting with bold, spicy and smoky flavors! Juicy sausage, succulent Cajun shrimp, al dente pasta, fresh cherry tomatoes, bell peppers and onion come together in a creamy, protein-packed cottage cheese pasta sauce! Finished with fresh basil, it’s the perfect easy weeknight dinner and guaranteed to please!

Ingredients

Scale

Shrimp:

  • 4.6 ounces / 130 grams peeled and deveined Shrimp or Prawns (frozen weight, 4-8 pieces if using size 16/20) – thawed and rinsed thoroughly
  • ½ teaspoon Cajun Seasoning
  • ⅛ teaspoon Kosher Salt (optional – note 1)
  • 1 teaspoon Olive Oil, for cooking

Creamy Cajun Sausage Pasta with Shrimp:

  • 2 links (4.7 ounces/132 grams) Smoked Andouille Sausage (I used Johnsonville New Orleans Andouille Recipe Smoked Sausage) – sliced into ½-inch coins
  • ¼ medium / 50 grams Red Onion – finely chopped
  • 3.5 ounces / 100 grams Mixed Mini Sweet Peppers (or use red bell pepper or a mix or red, yellow and green) – deseeded, thinly sliced
  • 2-3 / 5 grams Garlic cloves – minced
  • 3-4 pieces / 10 grams fresh Red Chilies, to taste (optional – I used Thai Bird’s Eye red chilies but any variety can be used, omit for milder dish, note 2*) – finely chopped
  • 3 ounces / 86 grams Cherry Tomatoes – quartered
  • 5 ounces / 142 grams uncooked Lumache Pasta (also known as shellbows and pipe rigate, or use your preferred short-cut pasta – note 3)
  • 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
  • ½ tablespoon / 7 grams Unsalted Butter
  • ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt, to taste
  • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked Black Pepper, to taste
  • ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika (hot or sweet)
  • ½ tablespoon Cajun Seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon Dried Thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon Dried Oregano
  • ½ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon ground Cayenne (optional), to taste
  • ½ cup / 113 grams Whole Milk Cottage Cheese – blended (4% fat – note 4)
  • 1 teaspoon Sherry Vinegar (note 5)
  • 2-4 tablespoons reserved Pasta Cooking Water, as needed
  • To Serve (optional): sliced fresh basil, chopped parsley or cilantro (coriander)

Instructions

Prep:

  1. Prepare the shrimp: Thaw the frozen shrimp and rinse thoroughly. Pat-dry and add to bowl. Season with ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning and kosher salt (if using). Mix to coat and set aside.
  2. Prepare the rest of the ingredients: Slice the andouille sausage into coins and set aside. Chop/slice the red onion, sweet peppers, garlic, red chilies (if using), and cherry tomatoes as indicated in the ‘ingredients’ section.

Creamy Cajun Sausauge Pasta with Shrimp:

  1. Cook the pasta: Cook the lumache pasta al-dente in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water, then drain and set aside. (I run cold water over the pasta to prevent it from sticking and cooking further but this is optional.)
  2. Cook the sausage and shrimp: Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium-sized deep sauté pan or deep edged skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned shrimp to one side of the pan and the sausage to the other. Sear for a minute, then flip both and allow to sear the other side. Sauté for another minute or so, until the shrimp is cooked and the sausage has browned. Transfer to a clean bowl, leaving the fat released from the sausage in the pan.
  3. Sauté the aromatics and veggies: Melt ½ tablespoon unsalted butter in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and sliced sweet peppers. Sauté for a minute until just starting to soften. Add the garlic and chilies and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  4. Stir in cherry tomatoes and seasonings: Add the cherry tomatoes and all of the seasonings – the kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, Cajun seasoning, dried thyme, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and ground cayenne. Mix to combine.
  5. Add the pasta, shrimp and sausage: Add the cooked pasta, shrimp and sausage and mix to combine until everything is evenly coated in the seasonings. Switch off the heat.
  6. Stir in the cottage cheese: Allow to cool briefly for 2-4 minutes, then add the blended cottage cheese, sherry vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of reserved pasta water. Mix until evenly combined, adding more pasta water if and as needed, until the sauce is creamy and of your desired consistency.
  7. Serve: Divide evenly and garnish with sliced fresh basil, or chopped parsley or coriander. Serve immediately.

Equipment

Notes

  1. Cajun Seasoning and Kosher Salt. Some store-bought Cajun seasoning blends come with salt added already. Adjust salt to taste for the shrimp and the pasta dish. If using table salt, use a little less than half the amount specified as it is saltier than kosher salt.
  2. Fresh Red Chilies. Use more or less to tailor this dish to your heat level preference. Leave them out completely for a milder dish or if dining with children. Same for the ground cayenne and crushed red pepper flakes.
  3. Lumache Pasta. Other short-cut pasta shapes that would work great in this dish would be farfalle (bowtie pasta), penne pasta, ziti, and fusilli.
  4. Cottage Cheese. I used blended whole milk cottage cheese and recommend it for the best texture and flavor. Low-fat cottage cheese (2%) will work too but the flavor may be slightly more tangy and less creamy than if using 4% cottage cheese.
  5. Sherry Vinegar. A type of wine vinegar made from sherry wine. It’s produced in Andalusia, Spain. The best substitute would be white wine vinegar but start with half a teaspoon. Or use 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar for a delicious, but sweeter flavored take on this Cajun pasta.
  6. Storing and reheating. Store leftovers in a sealed airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through, until hot throughout. You can also reheat in a pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add a splash of water to help loosen up the sauce.
  7. Double the recipe. This recipe makes enough for 2 adult sized servings but can easily be scaled up. Click the ‘2x’ button at the top of the recipe card to display double the ingredient amounts to make 4 servings. Use a large skillet or Dutch oven to cook if doubling the recipe.
  8. See the ‘Variations’ section in the post above if you’d like to customize this recipe for specific dietary needs or flavor preferences.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thatspicychick.com/creamy-cajun-sausage-pasta-shrimp/