Cajun Shrimp Pasta is fettuccine and fresh shrimp in a delectable creamy creole seasoned sauce. This mouthwatering dish is easy enough for a weeknight meal yet elegant enough for company.
My daughter and I are huge shrimp fans and this is one of our favorite dishes. When I walked into our local grocery store and saw jumbo gulf shrimp on sale I knew exactly what I was going to cook. This Cajun Shrimp Pasta is easy enough for even the novice cook. It is absolutely scrumptious and you can adjust the creole seasoning to your liking. For a complete meal serve with Sauteed Mushrooms and Onions and a bowl of Strawberry Ice Cream
How to clean shrimp
Arrange a clean area to work near the kitchen sink. You will need cold running water. If the heads are still attached to the shrimp find the first hinge in the shell behind the eyes and cut there to remove the heads. Most groceries and markets remove the heads prior to sale.
To shell the shrimp pull on the legs and the shell will begin to peel away. You can remove the tail or keep the tails on for dishes like shrimp cocktail. Now take a small pairing knife and make a shallow cut down the center of the back to the top edge of the tail area. To remove the black intestine run the cool water over the back of the shrimp and rub so the vein will come out easily. Dry the shrimp with paper towels and refrigerate until ready to cook.
How do you make Cajun Shrimp Pasta?
First cook the fettuccine according to package instructions and drain well.
Meanwhile prep the shrimp by peeling, removing the tails, and deveining. Dry the shrimp well and sprinkle with creole seasoning. Now in a large skillet melt some butter over medium high heat. Add shallots and cook for five minutes, then add your shrimp and cook for two to three minutes flipping halfway through. Add the garlic to the skillet with the shrimp in the last thirty seconds of cooking and stir constantly. Do not crowd the pan with the shrimp. If necessary plate the shallots, shrimp and garlic then add a little butter to the skillet and cook the remaining shrimp.
Remove the shrimp, shallots and garlic to a plate, add the chicken broth to the skillet and cook to reduce by half. Scrape the bottom of the skillet to remove any brown bits. Reduce heat to low, add the cream and cook to reduce by half. Stir the sauce often and whisk in the Parmesan cheese when optimum thickness has almost been obtained. Season to taste with more creole seasoning. Add the shrimp and shallot mixture back to the pan with the sauce. Finally add the cooked fettuccine noodles back to the pan and toss to coat. Top with a sprinkle of fresh or dried parsley.
How to tell if shrimp is cooked
Shrimp cook incredibly fast. If overcooked they turn rubbery, are not near as good, and maybe just barely tolerable. When shrimp are done they turn light pink on the outside and are no longer translucent but more white. Another way to identify when shrimp are cooked through is they curl into a ‘C” shape but you don’t want that “C” too tight. The head and the tail should not be touching. You have to be ready to go and remove them from the pan as quickly as possible. If you have never cooked shrimp before purchase a little more than the recipe calls for and do a test run with just a few in some butter over medium high heat. Stay right there with the shrimp. It moves very fast.
Helpful tips for making Cajun Shrimp Pasta
- For best results time the completion of the cooked fettuccine to coincide with the shrimp and sauce.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese and not the stuff in the canister as it has so more flavor and melts better.
- If at all possible use fresh water large shrimp. I like to use 21-25 count shrimp. Don’t overcook them. They only need about 1-1 1/2 minutes on each side. They will be added back to the pan in the final step of the recipe.
- Finely chopped onions can be substituted for the shallots if needed.
- Creole or Cajun seasoning will work for this recipe. If you are sensitive to salt than watch how much you use or find a low or salt free version.
Cajun Shrimp Pasta is my idea of a perfect meal. Absolutely delicious, quick, dependable and easy. Put this on your too try list and let me know if you it enjoy as much as we do!
Other pasta recipes you will love!
- Easy Skillet Chicken Alfredo Pasta
- Bacon Asparagus Cajun Pasta
- 20 Minute Creamy Mushroom Chicken Pasta
- Easy Skillet Baked Ziti
- Ginger Chicken Stir Fry
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This post was originally published September 28, 2018 and was republished on May 15, 2020 with new content.
PrintCajun Shrimp Pasta
This easy family friendly fettuccine pasta combines pan seared garlic shrimp with a creamy Cajun seasoned pasta sauce.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 12 ounce uncooked fettuccine noodles
- 1 lb jumbo gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2–3 tablespoons creole seasoning
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 shallots thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to package instructions and drain well.
- Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and sprinkle them with 1 1/2 tablespoons creole seasoning turning halfway through.
- In a large skillet melt butter over medium high heat. Add shallots and cook for 5 minutes. Add shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes flipping halfway through. Add the garlic to the skillet with the shrimp in the last 30 seconds of cooking and stir constantly. Do not crowd the pan with shrimp. If necessary plate the shallots, shrimp and garlic then add a little butter to the skillet and cook the remaining shrimp. Remove mixture to a plate and set aside.
- Add the chicken broth to the skillet and cook to reduce by half while scraping the bottom of the skillet to remove any brown bits. Reduce heat to low, add the cream and cook to reduce by half; stirring often. Slowly whisk in Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with creole seasoning. Add the shrimp and shallot mixture back to the pan with the sauce. Add the cooked fettuccine noodles back to the pan and toss to coat. Top with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.
Notes
- or best results time the completion of the cooked fettuccine to coincide with the shrimp and sauce.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese and not the stuff in the canister as it has so more flavor and melts better.
- If at all possible use fresh water large shrimp. I like to use 21-25 count shrimp. Don’t overcook them. They only need about 1-1 1/2 minutes on each side. They will be added back to the pan in the final step of the recipe.
- Finely chopped onions can be substituted for the shallots if needed.
- Creole or Cajun seasoning will work for this recipe. If you are sensitive to salt than watch how much you use or find a low or salt free version.
Keywords: cajun pasta, pasta with shrimp, creamy cajun shrimp pasta, cajun shrimp pasta alfredo
William J Gordon
I have some spinach that I need to use soon before it goes bad. Would wilted spinach added to this recipe be ok or would it ruin it? Also, could I mix shallots and scallions since I don’t have enough shallots and need to use the scallions soon.
One more question. Is there a brand of Cajon spice that you would recommend?
Thanks.
Beth Pierce
Sorry about the delay. There were lots of comments to get through. Yes you could add wilted spinach and scallions to this and I think it would be delicious. I personally like Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning but some people think it is too salty. Next time I will try to get to your questions faster.
Tatum Burke
This was even better than I imagined! I used shrimp that was already deveined and it was perfect!
★★★★★
Krystle
The sauce is so good I wanted to eat it by the spoon. Restaurant quality yet so easy to make.
★★★★★
Betsy
This dish is absolutely perfect! So delicious! The flavor on these shrimps is incredible! I served this up with a side of corn on the cob and spicy baked beans and we were all in heaven. Wonderful!
★★★★★
Gina
Oh this looks delicious!!! I live in a rural area and frozen shrimp are the only shrimp available in our local grocery store. Can this be made with frozen shrimp? Thanks so much!
Beth Pierce
Yes it can. Just thaw the shrimp in the refrigerator first. That can take somewhere between 12-24 hours.
Glenn & Ronni
My wife and I had great fun making this dish. We substituted unsweetened coconut milk for the heavy cream. it worked great. I also added sautéed mushrooms to my plate which enhanced the flavor and texture for me.
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
That is great! So glad that you liked it and thanks for the great tips!!
Brian
What the heck are Fresh Water Shrimp???
Beth Pierce
There are freshwater and saltwater shrimp. Really either are fine as long as it is not farmed shrimp.
wilhelmina
We love shrimp too! This was a perfect way to eat them too, easy and scrumptious!
★★★★★
Matt Taylor
Looks so amazing! I love shrimp pasta recipes, can’t wait to try this!
★★★★★
Toni
This quickly became a favorite at my house! Everyone loved it!
★★★★★
Monty
Made it with what I had on hand, which meant white onion and scallion instead of shallot; and half shrimp/half chicken. Easy and really good. My cajun seasoning was very salty. I will have to look for a low salt variety.
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks Monty! So glad that you liked it. I probably should write up a recipe for Cajun seasoning since I hear that a lot about the salt.
Jamie
This looks incredible! We love cajun flavors so we’ll definitely be trying this in the future. Mouthwatering!
★★★★★
Lily {Gastro Senses}
Absolutely lovely. Simple yet delicious and easy to make!
★★★★★
Lisa Huff
Ohhhh shrimp and pasta, two of my absolute favorites! Love how easy this pasta dish is to make!
★★★★★
Angela
Wow! This is so delicious! So many wonderful flavors… my whole family loved it!!
★★★★★
Sisley White
This looks incredible! It looks good enough to dive into. I can’t wait to make it.
★★★★★
Barb Holland
in mazatlán for 4months. Shrimp dishes here 3 times a week. Will make this dish as soon as i can get the spices. Thanks
Beth Pierce
I hope you enjoy it. It is so delicious!