Cajun shrimp and sausage pasta - each bite is a savory explosion of Italian sausage meat, perfectly cooked pasta, crunchy bell peppers, and all complemented by a rich and velvety tomato sauce that's both tangy and comforting.
Easy pasta dish - everything is cooked in one skillet and with simple ingredients.
Try other pasta recipes like pepperoni bake, stuffed shells, or sausage soup next!
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🛒Ingredients
- Sausage - I've used hot Italian sausage, removed from casings or sliced into medium-thin pieces. Any smoked sausage works, but avoid overly spicy ones to balance with additional seasonings.
- Pasta - I prefer fusilli, rotini, rigatoni, bowtie, and penne for their sauce-absorbing qualities and less mess compared to fettuccine, linguine, or spaghetti. Save the elbow macaroni for crock pot mac and cheese!
- Aromatics - while you can use ground garlic and onion powder, the fresh versions add extra flavor, intensify other tastes, and pair exceptionally well with shrimp.
- Shrimp - large or extra large shrimp, about 40-60 or 26-30 count (deveined shrimp) for this recipe, frozen and thawed. I prefer removing the tails if shrimp is served in a dish with sauce.
- Cajun - make your own homemade cajun seasoning or opt for store-bought, such as McCormick’s. If you want it to be a little healthier, use low-sodium or no salt cajun seasoning instead.
- Tomato-Cream sauce - we use cream cheese for thickness and creaminess. Bring it to room temperature first before adding to sauce.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes - will add lots of flavor but regular crushed tomatoes are fine too. If you like the sauce a bit smoother, use a good quality brand of tomato sauce or homemade Marinara instead.
- Bell peppers - we like thick-cut veggies cooked until slightly softened with a crunch. Alternatively, you can use fresh spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, peas, asparagus, kale, bean sprouts, or corn.
For the full list of ingredients, please scroll down to where you'll find the recipe card.
🥘 How To Make Shrimp and Sausage Pasta
STEP 1: Season shrimp with a mix of half Italian seasoning and half Cajun, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat, and let it marinate for 30 minutes.
STEP 2: In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
Quickly cook the seasoned shrimp for a couple of minutes until no longer gray. Set aside.
STEP 3: In the skillet, sauté onion and bell peppers over medium heat until softened but still crunchy.
Add in garlic and saute for 30 seconds more.
Season with leftover Italian herbs and cajun.
Don't add salt or black pepper just yet.
STEP 4: Squeeze the sausage meat out of the skins into the same skillet and cook for a couple of minutes until browned.
STEP 5: Add the dry pasta, crushed tomatoes, broth, and thyme stalks.
Close the lid and simmer on medium for 13-15 minutes until the pasta is cooked through.
STEP 6: Return the cooked shrimp, add cream cheese, and mix until all combined. If needed, add more broth to ''thin'' the sauce.
Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary.
Serve with freshly grated parmesan, red pepper flakes (optional), or other fresh herbs (thyme or rosemary).
We also like to squeeze fresh lemon juice for serving.
🦐 Make Next: Sheet Pan Shrimp and Asparagus
📋Tips
- Cook shrimp the right way - if you want juicy shrimp, don't overcook it. It will literally take you just 1 minute or less per side (top and bottom).
- Cajun - Adjust spice to taste; the recipe is mildly spicy for kids. Serve extra spices for adults on the side. Cajun works well with sausage and shrimp.
- Flavor - Avoid excessive salt and pepper during cooking. Adjust seasoning at the end if needed, as the sausage brings plenty of flavor.
- Don't overcook the pasta - Cook it al dente, as it continues to "cook" after removal from heat, ensuring a well-textured dish.
Storage Instructions
- 🍱To Store. Store the shrimp cajun pasta in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
- 🥶To Freeze. Freezing the pasta dish is doable, but both pasta and shrimp may lose texture upon thawing. The sauce, even with added cream or broth, won't be as fresh as on day 1.
- 🔥To Reheat From Frozen. Freeze the pasta in portions for 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge, then reheat on low heat with extra broth, water, or milk. Avoid overcooking during reheating.
- 🔥To Reheat Leftovers. Reheat with more broth or water on low heat until the sauce simmers, preventing the pasta from absorbing excess liquid.
👪What To Serve With Shrimp and Sausage Pasta
- Bread: bruschettas, garlic bread, cornbread.
- Salad: Caesar Salad, Cucumber and Tomato Salad, Avocado Corn Salad, Mediterranean Salad, and potato Pesto Salad.
- Vegetables: Asparagus, Cauliflower, Butternut Squash, Mushrooms, Eggplant, Cajun Corn on the cob.
Variations
- Dairy free - substitute cream cheese with coconut milk, cream, or soy-based cooking creams. Parmesan is optional; you can omit it or use vegan cream cheese or vegan Parmesan as alternatives.
- What Can I use besides shrimp? I also love to make the same pasta just with the sausages on their own or make a popular variation of Cajun Chicken Pasta.
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📖Recipe
Creamy Tomato Shrimp and Sausage Pasta Recipe With Peppers
Ingredients
- 10 ounce shrimp fresh or frozen, see notes
- 14 ounce Italian sausage or breakfast sausage, raw or smoked I used 2 large
- 2 ½ cup uncooked pasta , I used larger fusilli
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 large onion, diced, about ¾ cup
- 1 teaspoon garlic cloves, crushed or minced
- 1 large red or green bell pepper , sliced medium thick
- 1 can 15 oz fire-roasted tomatoes, or diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasonings
- 1 ½ teaspoon cajun seasoning
- 1 pinch salt
- black peppee to taste
- 3 ¼ cup beef broth, or veggie or chicken broth
- 3-4 fresh thyme stalks
- 4 tablespoons cream cheese for a touch of creamy texture but you can add a whole 8 oz pack here too for extra creamy flavor, Note: the pasta will become less spicy due to this
For Serving
- grated Parmesan cheese
- red pepper flakes
- fresh parsley
Instructions
- Season shrimp with half Italian seasoning and half cajun. Salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and toss shrimp until it's coated. Let marinate for 30 minutes.
- In a large skillet or cast-iron pan add a little cooking oil over medium-high heat. Cook the seasoned shrimp for just a couple of minutes until it is no longer gray. This will happen very fast. Set aside.
- In the same skillet, over medium heat, saute onion and bell peppers until softened but not completely. It should remain crunchy. Add in garlic and saute for 30 seconds more. Season with leftover Italian herbs and cajun. Don't add salt or black pepper just yet.
- Squeeze the sausage meat out of the skins into the same skillet and cook for a couple of minutes until browned.
- Add the dry pasta, crushed tomatoes, broth, and thyme stalks. Close the lid and simmer on medium for 13-15 minutes until the pasta is cooked through.
- Return the cooked shrimp, add cream cheese and mix until all combined. If needed, add more broth to ''thin'' the sauce. Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary.
- Serve with freshly grated parmesan, red pepper flakes (optional), or other fresh herbs (thyme or rosemary). We also like to squeeze fresh lemon juice for serving.
Notes
- Which type of sausage will work in this recipe? I prefer raw sausage that is not precooked before. Or you can also use ground sausage meat or simple ground beef, pork or leaner turkey, or chicken. You can either slice the sausage or remove the casings and cook until browned. Hot or Mild Italian sausage, or Pork breakfast sausage, chicken sausage, or Bratwurst, Kielbasa, or Andouille sausage.
- Shrimp: Raw and frozen - opt for raw frozen shrimp as in most cases the shrimp you see behind the counter in the stores was initially frozen and then defrosted for the display. Thaw it before use.
- What size shrimp to use? You’ll need about 9-10 oz of medium, large or extra large shrimp, about 40-60 or 26-30 count (deveined shrimp). I prefer removing the tails if shrimp is served in a dish with sauce.
- How long does it take to cook shrimp? It will depend on size, but for a medium, to jumbo shrimp, it generally takes about 1 minute per side (top and bottom).
- Using Gluten-free pasta - If using gluten-free pasta, depending on the brand, you may need to cook it a bit longer until it's soft but not too soft as the pasta continues to cook in the sauce even more. Some corn pasta types needs double the time of cooking to soften.
🤷Frequently Asked Questions
Milk, evaporated milk, or creme fraiche can replace cream cheese in this shrimp pasta recipe. Note that they won't thicken the sauce as much as cream cheese or heavy cream.
The main difference between Italian sausage and regular sausage is the seasonings. A particular spice that makes an Italian sausage so different is the addition of fennel or fennel seeds.
For best results, I recommend sauteing or lightly searing the shrimp. It only takes a minute or so to sear it on both sides and the texture is tender and juicy. For any other method shrimp will
Sure, we need to rinse the shrimp under cold water to clean it and remove any loose shell bits or dirt.
It should depend on the dish and for who and for what occasion you are serving it. For pasta, I prefer cooking the shrimp without tails, the flavor is great and minus the mess after. For appetizers, definitely with tails on.
However, it's true that cooking shrimp with tails on is considered to add more flavor to the overall dish.
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