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Cajun shrimp pasta recipe in a bowl with a fork in it.
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5 from 11 votes

Cajun Shrimp Pasta 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!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Inactive Time15 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 1006kcal
Author: Teri & Jenny

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.

Nutrition

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