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    Home > Blog > Dinner > Cajun Shrimp Pasta

    Cajun Shrimp Pasta

    by Jenny Park · Published: Feb 28, 2023

    Jump to Recipe
    The best, most delicious and flavor packed Cajun Shrimp Pasta Recipe you'll ever make! Cajun spice marinated shrimp is perfectly cooked and tossed together with spaghetti, sweet sautéed bell peppers, and a rich cream sauce with a kick! A great pasta recipe for any night of the week!
    Cajun shrimp pasta recipe in a bowl.
    A bowl of cajun shrimp pasta recipe with green onions.
    Overhead image of two bowls of cajun shrimp pasta.
    Two bowls of cajun shrimp pasta with green onions on top.
    Two bowls of cajun shrimp pasta.
    Cajun shrimp pasta recipe in two bowls with a fork in one.
    Cajun shrimp pasta recipe in a bowl with a fork on the side.

    We’re so excited about our recipe for Cajun Shrimp Pasta! It combines two of our favorite things, shrimp and pasta! The cajun seasoning and cream sauce are an added bonus and takes this dish from delicious to extraordinary.

    This recipe is also so simple to make and can we highly recommend tripling the cajun seasoning blend and saving some for whenever you want to add a burst of flavor to your dish. It goes well with shrimp, chicken, fish, veggies, so many things!

    How to Make Cajun Shrimp Pasta

    Ingredients

    Cajun shrimp pasta recipe ingredients.

    Process

    1. Place all Cajun spice mix ingredients into a small mixing bowl.
    2. Whisk together.
    Cajun shrimp pasta seasonings in a bowl.
    Cajun shrimp pasta recipe seasonings in a bowl mixed together.
    1. In another mixing bowl combine shrimp, oil and half of the spice mix.
    2. Toss together until shrimp is evenly coated. Allow mixture to sit for 15 minutes.
    Shrimp with seasonings on top in a glass bowl.
    Shrimp in a bowl mixed with seasoning.
    1. Fill a large pot with water, place over high heat and bring to a boil. Add a small handful of salt and add linguine. Cook linguine, stirring occasionally until al dente, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain pasta and set aside, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
    2. Place a large skillet over medium heat and melt 1 1/2 tablespoon butter. Add half the shrimp and sear on each side for about 3 minutes or until shrimp just turns opaque and barely cooks through. Transfer shrimp to a plate and set aside. Repeat with remaining shrimp.
    Linguine cooked and in a colander.
    Cajun shrimp cooking in a skillet.
    1. Return skillet to stove and melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add onion and bell peppers and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle vegetables with remaining spice mix and continue to sauté for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Deglaze skillet with pasta water and simmer until water evaporates and vegetables have softened. Transfer vegetables to plate with shrimp.
    2. Return skillet to stove and melt remaining butter. Pour cream into skillet and simmer until cream has reduced by 1/3, about 4 minutes.
    Bell peppers cooking in a skillet to make Cajun Shrimp.
    Cajun shrimp pasta parmesan added into the skillet.
    1. Pour hot sauce and grated Parmesan into reduced cream.
    2. Stir together until sauce thickens enough to coat a wooden spoon.
    Cajun shrimp pasta sauce with hot sauce added into it.
    Creamy pasta sauce for a cajun shrimp pasta recipe.
    1. Add pasta to sauce and toss together.
    2. Add shrimp, vegetables and cilantro to skillet and continue to toss together until everything is evenly coated in sauce. Season with salt and pepper and toss together.
    Linguine tossed in a creamy sauce for cajun shrimp pasta.
    Shrimp and peppers added to pasta to make cajun shrimp pasta.
    1. Top shrimp pasta with sliced green onion and serve.
    Two bowls of cajun shrimp pasta with forks on the side.

    Tools You Will Need

    • cutting board
    • knife
    • mixing bowls
    • measuring spoons
    • liquid measuring cup
    • wooden spoon
    • tongs
    • large sauté pan

    Variations for Shrimp Pasta

    • Although it’s a cajun shrimp pasta recipe we love subbing in scallops, chicken or even mushrooms for the shrimp from time to time, just to mix things up.
    • The bell peppers can be swapped out for thinly sliced poblano peppers, which still have a mild and bright flavor, but add just a little more heat and have a little more of an earthy flavor.
    • Spinach or kales leaves can be stirred into the cream sauce to bulk it up and to add some greens into the sauce.
    • We love using linguine for this shrimp pasta recipe because it’s not to thin or thick, but you can really use whatever pasta shape and size you would like!
    • If you want to lighten the sauce up you can use half and half or whole milk instead of cream. If you use whole milk, the finished sauce will be thinner than if you were to use cream, but will still coat the pasta.

    Prepping Our Cajun Shrimp Pasta Recipe Ahead of Time

    • Slice the onions and peppers up to 3 days ahead of time and store together in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
    • Thaw, peel and devein shrimp up to 1 day ahead of time and store in an airtight container. Drain any liquid that has accumulated and gently rinse shrimp before combining with cajun spice blend.
    • Make cajun spice blend up to 3 months ahead of time.
    • Sliced green onions and mince cilantro up to 2 days ahead of time and store separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
    Cajun shrimp pasta in a bowl with a fork.

    Tips for Buying Shrimp

    • Try to buy shrimp that is already peeled and deveined to save yourself time while preparing the shrimp pasta recipe.
    • Buy shrimp from the freezer section to save some money. The shrimp in the seafood case is usually previously frozen anyway. You’ll get a better deal from the frozen food section while essentially getting the same quality shrimp.
    • If you forget to thaw the shrimp in the refrigerator overnight, you can toss them into a colander and run cool water over them to quickly thaw them.
    Cajun shrimp pasta in two bowls with green onions on the side.

    More Shrimp Pasta Recipes You Will Love

    • Bowls of sweet corn risotto with Cajun shrimp and forks.
      Sweet Corn Risotto with Cajun Shrimp
    • A plate of seafood carbonara with a fork and a box of Barilla Collezione Bucatini.
      Seafood Carbonara
    • Creamy shrimp and corn ravioli on a plate with a fork.
      Creamy Shrimp and Corn Ravioli
    • A plate of shrimp linguine with cream sauce next to a box of Barilla linguine.
      Shrimp Linguine with Garlic and Saffron Cream

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    Cajun shrimp pasta recipe in a bowl with a fork in it.

    Cajun Shrimp Pasta Recipe

    5 from 9 votes
    PRINT RECIPE Pin Recipe
    The best, most delicious and flavor packed Cajun Shrimp Pasta Recipe you'll ever make! Cajun spice marinated shrimp is perfectly cooked and tossed together with spaghetti, sweet sautéed bell peppers, and a rich cream sauce with a kick! A great pasta recipe for any night of the week!
    RECIPE BY Teri & Jenny
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 30 mins
    Inactive Time: 15 mins
    Total Time: 55 mins
    Servings: 4

      INGREDIENTS  

    cajun spice mix

    • 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

    shrimp pasta

    • 16 extra large shrimp peeled and deveined
    • 1 tablespoon neutral oil
    • 12 ounces linguine
    • 5 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
    • 1/4 yellow onion thinly sliced
    • 1 red bell pepper seeded and thinly sliced
    • 1 yellow bell pepper seeded and thinly sliced
    • 2 cups heavy cream
    • 2 teaspoons hot sauce
    • 2 ounces Parmesan cheese
    • 1 tablespoon minced cilantro
    • 2 green onions thinly sliced
    • salt and pepper to taste

      INSTRUCTIONS  

    cajun spice blend

    • Place all Cajun spice mix ingredients into a small mixing bowl and whisk together.

    shrimp pasta

    • In another mixing bowl toss together shrimp, oil and half of the spice mix until shrimp is evenly coated. Allow mixture to sit for 15 minutes.
    • Fill a large pot with water, place over high heat and bring to a boil. Add a small handful of salt and add linguine. Cook linguine, stirring occasionally until al dente, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain pasta and set aside, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
    • Place a large skillet over medium heat and melt 1 1/2 tablespoon butter. Add half the shrimp and sear on each side for about 3 minutes or until shrimp just turns opaque and barely cooks through. Transfer shrimp to a plate and set aside. Repeat with remaining shrimp.
    • Return skillet to stove and melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add onion and bell peppers and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle vegetables with remaining spice mix and continue to sauté for an additional 2to 3 minutes. Deglaze skillet with pasta water and simmer until water evaporates and vegetables have softened. Transfer vegetables to plate with shrimp.
    • Return skillet to stove and melt remaining butter. Add cream to skillet and simmer until cream has reduced by 1/3, about 4 minutes.
    • Add hot sauce and grated Parmesan to cream and stir together until sauce thickens enough to coat a wooden spoon.
    • Add pasta to sauce and toss together.
    • Add shrimp, vegetables and cilantro to skillet and continue to toss together until everything is evenly coated in sauce. Season with salt and pepper and toss together.
    • Top pasta with sliced green onion and serve.

      NOTES  

    Prepping Our Cajun Shrimp Pasta Recipe Ahead of Time
    • Slice the onions and peppers up to 3 days ahead of time and store together in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
    • Thaw, peel and devein shrimp up to 1 day ahead of time and store in an airtight container. Drain any liquid that has accumulated and gently rinse shrimp before combining with cajun spice blend.
    • Make cajun spice blend up to 3 months ahead of time.
    • Sliced green onions and mince cilantro up to 2 days ahead of time and store separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
    Tips for Buying Shrimp
    • Try to buy shrimp that is already peeled and deveined to save yourself time while preparing the shrimp pasta recipe.
    • Buy shrimp from the freezer section to save some money. The shrimp in the seafood case is usually previously frozen anyway. You’ll get a better deal from the frozen food section while essentially getting the same quality shrimp.
    • If you forget to thaw the shrimp in the refrigerator overnight, you can toss them into a colander and run cool water over them to quickly thaw them.
    Calories: 1006kcal Carbohydrates: 74g Protein: 25g Fat: 69g Saturated Fat: 40g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 275mg Sodium: 1128mg Potassium: 515mg Fiber: 5g Sugar: 4g Vitamin A: 3882IU Vitamin C: 96mg Calcium: 328mg Iron: 3mg
    CUISINE: American
    KEYWORD: cajun shrimp, cajun shrimp pasta, shrimp pasta
    COURSE: dinner, Main Course

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    February 28, 2023 / 7 Comments

    About Jenny Park

    Jenny Park is half of Spoon Fork Bacon. She is also a food stylist and recipe developer. One of her favorite foods is donuts. #sfbJENNY

    Previous Post: < Previous Post Budae Jjigae (Korean Army Stew)
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    Reader Interactions

    February 28, 2023 / 7 Comments

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    1. Debbie

      March 01, 2023 at 11:36 am

      5 stars
      This was excellent! My entire family devoured it and asked for seconds. I’m making it again this weekend at everyone’s request! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!

      Reply
    2. Joanna

      October 14, 2022 at 6:54 pm

      5 stars
      It turned out absolutely delicious! Hands down the best seafood dish I’ve ever made and everyone loved it! We couldn’t stop eating…

      Reply
    3. Sandy

      March 29, 2022 at 11:16 am

      5 stars
      This was amazing. It was a hit on pasta night! I added a bunch of chopped kale to it as well. Fabulous! Thank you!!!

      Reply
    4. bershell

      December 01, 2021 at 4:34 pm

      5 stars
      This was super delicious 😋 😍
      I will definitely make it again!

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        December 02, 2021 at 6:44 pm

        so happy you enjoyed this pasta! I love it so much too!

        Reply
    5. Harper

      April 02, 2021 at 6:45 pm

      5 stars
      Made this last night and even the picky eaters in my family loved it! I will definitely be making this again!

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        April 03, 2021 at 9:18 am

        So happy to hear that!

        Reply

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