My Cajun Shrimp Pasta is full of flavor and spice without being too spicy. It’s a filling weeknight dinner that’s surprisingly simple to make. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Restaurant-Quality Cajun Shrimp Pasta Recipe
This cajun shrimp pasta has become a weekly staple in our dinner rotation. Not just because it’s flavorful and filling, but also because it comes together in just half an hour of prep! You’ll simply season your shrimp, sear it, make the sauce, and add the cooked pasta. It’s easy and satisfying, and it makes a great Lenten dinner or any-time weeknight meal!
Flavor-wise, this dish is perfectly crave-worthy without being too light (as some shrimp dinners might be) or too heavy. The sauce is creamy without being too thick like an alfredo sauce, and it coats everything lightly. It’s a flavorful, perfectly spiced (but not too hot!) dish that your whole family will love.
Why use my recipe:
- Only 20 minutes of cooking.
- Uses a homemade cajun seasoning for the best flavor!
- Can be made with any pasta (though, psst, linguine is my favorite and the obvious best choice).
- Makes a filling and flavorful dinner option during Lent!
What You Need
Don’t be overwhelmed by the number of ingredients needed–the bulk of it is just spices and I’d bet you already have them in your pantry. Do you know what I don’t keep in my pantry? Cajun seasoning! So I just pantry basics to make my own (and you can control the heat best this way, too).
Here’s what you need:
- Shrimp. If you have access to fresh shrimp near you, great! If not, make sure to thaw your frozen shrimp, peel it, and pat it dry before proceeding.
- Pasta. You can really use any pasta, but I like a longer noodle like linguine or spaghetti. Penne is another popular choice.
- Spices. I prefer to make my own cajun seasoning because it gives me complete control over the spices, the flavor, and the heat (speaking of which, increase the cayenne pepper for a spicier dish!). The dish made as-is is pretty mild; my 1 year old and 3 year old can both enjoy it this way.
- Fire roasted tomatoes. Using fire roasted tomatoes incorporates a ton of flavor into this dish (I also use them in my chili!). Make sure to drain yours before adding them.
- Chicken broth. If you’d like to go homemade with this ingredient, feel free to use my instant pot chicken stock instead.
SAM’S TIP: You can leave the tails on or off your shrimp. I leave them on because they look nicer in my photos, but tails off is most definitely easier to eat!
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Cajun Shrimp Pasta
- Combine the spices, then measure out one teaspoon and hold on to this for later.
- Toss the shrimp with the spices in a large bag until coated.
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water, then drain.
- Sear the shrimp in an oiled pan over medium-high heat, working in batches (start this process while your pasta is boiling). Remove to a plate once done.
- Melt the butter in the skillet, then add the onion and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic until fragrant.
- Add the flour and remaining spices and cook until absorbed.
- Slowly drizzle in the chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pan as you go. Cook until 50% reduced, then stir in the tomatoes.
- Add the heavy cream and stir until combined.
- Add the pasta and parmesan and toss to coat.
- Add the shrimp and cook until warmed through, then serve.
SAM’S TIP: Don’t overcook your shrimp! You’ll know they are done when they turn a pink color and form a “C” shape. Shrimp that are tough and form an “O” shape are overcooked.
Frequently Asked Questions
The cream in this recipe makes the sauce hearty without being too rich. It also offsets the spices and smooths out the flavor nicely, so I don’t recommend skipping it entirely. If you simply can’t find cream, half and half might work instead, but you may not need as much of it.
This dish is best prepared fresh to avoid overcooking the shrimp and the pasta. This isn’t to say you can’t make it in advance, but that it won’t taste the same reheated.
No. It’s important to cook the shrimp with the spices to infuse the flavor. Plus, using already cooked shrimp would most definitely result in tough, overcooked shrimp in the final dish.
I know many of you have been enjoying the savory recipes lately, so I’m eager to hear how you like this one!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz (226 g) pasta I prefer linguine or spaghetti
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- ¾ teaspoons dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper double this for a spicier dish
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon table salt plus more to taste
- 1 lb extra large shrimp peeled, deveined, thawed and patted dry (tails on or off)
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons butter salted or unsalted
- 1 (140 g) medium yellow onion diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2-3 cloves
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (157 ml) chicken broth
- 14.5 oz (411 g) can fire roasted tomatoes drained
- ¾ cups heavy cream
- ½ cup (50 g) freshly grated parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. Once cooked, drain and keep warm until ready to use (if your pasta is done early, toss with a teaspoon of olive oil to prevent sticking). As pasta cooks, prepare shrimp.8 oz (226 g) pasta
- In a small dish, whisk together paprika, oregano, thyme, basil, garlic and onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt. Measure out one teaspoon of spice and set aside for the sauce later.1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika, ¾ teaspoons dried oregano, ¾ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon table salt
- Place shrimp in a large plastic bag and toss with remaining cajun seasoning until completely coated.1 lb extra large shrimp
- Pour olive oil in a large skillet and turn heat to medium-hi. Once hot, sear the shrimp in batches and transfer to a plate once cooked through.2 Tablespoon olive oil
- Reduce heat to medium and add butter to the skillet. Once melted, add onion and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes.2 Tablespoons butter, 1 (140 g) medium yellow onion
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.2 teaspoons minced garlic
- Sprinkle flour and remaining 1 teaspoon of cajun spice over the onion/garlic and cook, stirring, until all flour is absorbed.1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- While stirring, slowly drizzle in chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze any browned bits on the bottom. Cook until the broth has been reduced about 50%.⅔ cup (157 ml) chicken broth
- Add tomatoes and stir.14.5 oz (411 g) can fire roasted tomatoes
- Drizzle in heavy cream until combined.¾ cups heavy cream
- Add the cooked, drained pasta and parmesan cheese and toss until pasta is coated and cheese is melted. Return shrimp to the dish, cook until warmed through, and serve, topped with additional parmesan cheese if desired.½ cup (50 g) freshly grated parmesan cheese
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Bruce
I’m loving a dish of it right now. This stuff is great. I used just short of 1/4 tsp cayenne, and it is just the right level for me. I’m sure the 1/8 tsp will be too much for some people, but if you use less, you won’t be allowed to call it Cajun. When you make this delicious spice mixture, the smoked paprika really stands out, but the flavors all blend wonderfully in the finished dish. all the spices blend nicely. I thought the first bite was too tomatoey, but after that it was a great balance.
Another winner from Sam!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Bruce! 🙂
Sue Messer
I don’t have heavy cream can I use milk?
Sam
Hi Sue! Milk can work in a pinch but it’s thinner so your sauce won’t be quite as thick. I would use a little bit less than the 3/4c. 🙂
Val
Delicious! It tastes like something that could come from a restaurant.
Wish someone would have told me that “C” trick for shrimp 20 years ago..
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Joyce
I can’t buy fire roasted tomatoes in Australia. Suggestions for substituting???
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Joyce! You could use regular diced canned tomatoes, but the flavor will be different 🙁
Sarah
Made this once and my husband immediately asked me to make it again the following week, and the week after…. So that’s my life now, eating this weekly but it sure is delicious and worth it!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
🤣 We’re so happy to hear it’s been such a hit for your family, Sarah!
PamC
Just made this and this was a hit. Not too spicy but great flavor. Didn’t have fire roasted tomatoes so used regular. Definitely keeping this one in rotation!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Pam! 🙂
Graciela Marines
Didn’t know what to make for diner so I told my daughter to look on line and OMG, she found your recipe! I had all the ingredients. The shrimp where out of these world !!! and the sauce was amazing!!! Thank you so much. The hole family 😍 it
Sam
I am so happy to hear this, Graciela! Thank you so much for trying my recipe (and letting me know how it turned out!), I really appreciate it!
Blair
Louisiana, Southern Cajun Shrimp is very good.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Blair! 🙂
Tracy
How much cajun seasoning do I use if not making my own?
Sam
Hi Tracy! You can use cajun seasoning. You lose some of the control of the flavor and you may want to omit the salt as many cajun seasonings already have salt. You can add more later if need be. I would guess about 5 teaspoons to 2 tablespoons.
Dan Janecyk
I made this for my sisters and a friend, they loved it. I made this for my son and his wife so I used heaping spoons full of the spices plus a heaping 1/4 spoon of cayenne. We added Cajun sausage my son got in New Orleans that a chef said was the best. I fried the sausage separately with no spices and tasted it. After frying the shrimp with your spices the flavor was identical. The dish was very spicy and everyone loved it.
I’m 75 and started cooking 4 years ago and I love your recipes.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy it’s been such a hit for everyone, Dan! Thanks so much for trusting our recipes ❤️
Crystal
This recipe is great! My whole family loved it! Can I suggest something though.. in the print recipe section there’s been a change, now there’s a big header with purple background, and when we go to print it, it takes up so much ink. Printer ink is very expensive, can that background be taken out? Thank you so much for all the wonderful recipes!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Crystal! When you click the print recipe button at the top, it shouldn’t have that big purple section. You can even choose to take the picture out after the print page pops up. This should pop up in a different browser tab. I hope that helps! 🙂
melissa
This was easy to make and soooo delicious! My husband said its the best pasta dish he has ever had. I used 1/4 tsp cayenne and it was the perfect amount of heat for us. Thank you for another amazing recipe!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Melissa! Thanks for coming back to leave a review ❤️
Lola
Hi Sam
Thank you for the best pasta recipe ever🥰
It was the first time I made pasta.
But by mistake, I overboiled the pasta☹️
But the taste was great. I’m going to try it again😉
I’m from Japan 🇯🇵
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Lola! 🙂
Mike
As usual a great recipe with incredible flavor from Sam. It will definitely be a go to shrimp dish in the future.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Mike! 🙂
Noah VD
Made this for dinner tonight. Just used off the shelf Cajun seasoning and added some andouille sausage. Turned out great.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Misty Jones
5 stars as always!
Sam
Thank you! 🙂