This Cajun Shrimp Alfredo Pasta recipe is made with tender shrimp in a creamy and flavorful Cajun Alfredo sauce. This Shrimp Alfredo Pasta is very easy to make and ready in less than 30 minutes!
We keep a batch of our homemade Cajun Seasoning mix in the pantry to make rich and hearty recipes like this shrimp pasta as well as other dinner favorites like our light and healthy Baked Cod.
Cajun Shrimp Alfredo
This Cajun Shrimp Alfredo is incredibly tasty and sure to satisfy your pasta cravings. Shrimp is seasoned to perfection with Cajun seasoning mix and cooked until perfectly tender.
The tantalizing flavors of Cajun spices blend with the richness of the creamy sauce giving the sauce a nice kick and boosting its already delicious flavor.
Why You should Make This Recipe
- Fun twist with lots of flavor: This pasta recipe is loaded with flavor!!
- Quick and easy: This pasta recipe is easy to make and ready in 25 minutes!
- Versatile: This Cajun Pasta is also incredibly versatile. You can make this hearty and tasty dish with chicken, sausage or different seafood like scallops, crawfish or crab meat. You can also make it vegetarian. Add bell peppers, onions and/or mushrooms.
Cajun Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Ingredients
- Pasta: You can use homemade pasta, fresh pasta or any dry pasta. I love using fettuccine or spaghetti, but short noodles like penne, farfalle or fusilli are my son’s favorite.
- Shrimp: I always keep large frozen shrimp in my freezer. For convenience, buy peeled and deveined shrimp. Fresh shrimp or prawns can be used. Any size of shrimp works well.
- Olive Oil
- Butter: Unsalted or salted
- Cajun Seasoning: You can add a bit extra to make your shrimp pasta a bit spicy. Try my super easy Homemade Cajun Seasoning Recipe. I bet you have all the ingredients at home already!
- Heavy Cream: You can also use Half and Half.
- Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated is always best.
- Garlic Powder and Ground Black Pepper
- Green Onions and Chopped Parsley: Both optional but a great addition.
How To Make Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta
- Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente.
- While the pasta cooks, season the shrimp with Cajun seasoning.
- Place butter and olive oil in a skillet and cook the shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side.
- Remove the shrimp from the skillet. Add the cream, the garlic powder and ground pepper. Simmer on low heat.
- At this point, your pasta should be about ready. Before draining it, reserve one cup of the pasta cooking water. You will use the pasta water if the sauce gets too thick.
- Add the Parmesan cheese to the sauce and simmer on low heat. The sauce should not boil. If it does, it will separate and look oily.
- Add the drained pasta into the skillet followed by the Cajun shrimp. Toss gently and season with additional Cajun seasoning to taste. Top with green onions and chopped parsley (optional).
Choose The Right Cajun Seasoning Mix
Cajun seasoning, the spice blend from the bayou area of Louisiana is made of paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and other herbs and spices.
If you use store-bought Cajun seasoning, make sure you purchase a low-salt or no-salt mix to prevent the dish from becoming too salty. You can also make your own mix. Here is my favorite homemade Cajun Seasoning Mix.
How To Store And Reheat Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta (Does it Freeze Well?)
Creamy Shrimp Alfredo pasta is best when eaten fresh immediately after it is made. If you have leftovers, they will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days.
Reheat the shrimp pasta on the stove top over low heat, adding additional cream if needed to loosen it up or in the microwave gradually (in small intervals) until warm.
Unfortunately, I don’t recommend freezing pasta with shrimp and Alfredo sauce. The sauce tends to separate after defrosting and reheating and the shrimp may get rubbery.
Can This Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Be Made Gluten Free?
The Cajun Alfredo sauce in this recipe is gluten-free. If using store-bought Cajun seasoning mix, check that it doesn’t contain any gluten. Toss the sauce with gluten free pasta noodles for a complete gluten-free meal!
Can Frozen Shrimp Be Used To Make Alfredo Shrimp Pasta?
I always keep a bag of frozen shrimp in my freezer so I can make shrimp recipes any time. Defrost the shrimp before cooking it. You can defrost shrimp quickly by placing it in a colander under cold running water.
Cajun Shrimp Alfredo Tips
- Before draining your pasta, remember to save some cooking water. If your sauce gets too thick or your pasta gets a bit dry, add some pasta water to make it creamy again.
- This Cajun Shrimp Alfredo is not spicy but has just a bit of a kick. If you love spicy food, add more Cajun seasoning or cayenne pepper.
- Some store-bought Cajun seasoning mixes are very salty. If that is the case, you may need to reduce the amount of seasoning mix you add to sauce.
- We always have a batch of homemade Cajun Seasoning mix in the pantry. Homemade seasonings are more affordable and you can customize it to your taste.
- Shrimp cooks quickly. When the shrimp turns pink, it is done! If you are not sure if the shrimp is completely cooked through, cut one in half. The inside should be white and no longer translucent.
- You can make the Alfredo sauce with Half & Half or even whole milk, although the consistency will be a bit lighter. Heavy cream produces the richest and creamiest sauce.
Take A Look At These Amazing Cajun Recipes:
- Cajun Chicken Meatballs in Creamy Sauce
- Cajun Grilled Shrimp Skewers
- The Ultimate Cajun Burger
- Blackened Fish Tacos
Take a Look At These Quick and Easy Seafood Recipes:
- Tom Yum Soup (Thai Hot and Sour Soup)
- Creamy Tuscan Shrimp
- Shrimp Ceviche Recipe
- Baked Salmon Recipe
This post was first published in 2018 and has been updated to provide the reader with additional information. The recipe remains the same.
Creamy Cajun Shrimp Alfredo Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 ounces linguine or your favorite shape of pasta
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ pound large or medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (plus more to taste)
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
- ¼ cup green onions, sliced (optional)
- 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped (optional)
- Cajun seasoning to taste (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions.
- Place the shrimp in a medium bowl and toss with the Cajun seasoning.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the butter and the olive oil. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook for about 1-2 minutes per side or until it turns pink. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and reserve.
- Into the same skillet, add the heavy cream, garlic powder and ground black pepper. Stir and simmer on low heat for about 4-5 minutes. Add the Parmesan cheese and mix well until slightly thick. If the creamy sauce gets too thick, you can add additional heavy cream or some of the pasta water.
- Drain the cooked pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- Add the cooked pasta and shrimp to the skillet. Mix gently with the sauce until well combined. If the dish looks a bit dry (and needs a bit more creaminess), you can add some of the reserved pasta water.
- Season to taste with additional Cajun seasoning and garnish with sliced green onions and parsley (optional). Serve immediately!
Recipe Notes
- Before draining your pasta, remember to save some cooking water. If your sauce gets too thick or your pasta gets a bit dry, add some pasta water to make it creamy again.
- This Cajun Shrimp Alfredo is not spicy but has just a bit of a kick. If you love spicy food, add more Cajun seasoning or cayenne pepper.
- Some store-bought Cajun seasoning mixes are very salty. If that is the case, you may need to reduce the amount of seasoning mix you add to sauce.
- We always have a batch of homemade Cajun Seasoning mix in the pantry. Homemade seasonings are more affordable and you can customize it to your taste.
- Shrimp cooks quickly. When the shrimp turns pink, it is done! If you are not sure if the shrimp is completely cooked through, cut one in half. The inside should be white and no longer translucent.
- You can make the Alfredo sauce with Half & Half or even whole milk, although the consistency will be a bit lighter. Heavy cream produces the richest and creamiest sauce.
- This Cajun pasta dish is best when served immediately. However, it can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days.
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