Cajun Shrimp Pasta is features a spicy cream sauce (like cajun Alfredo sauce), juicy shrimp, and fresh herbs. You can tone tone the spice in the creamy sauce by using less cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes. Ready in about 30 minutes, this pasta dish is a family favorite – and great for weeknight meals. Use fresh or frozen shrimp.

Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta Recipe
My family goes wild over this cajun shrimp pasta recipe! And I can’t blame them because it’s outrageously delicious… and I don’t even typically like creamy sauces on my pasta recipes. This shrimp scampi is much more in my “comfort zone”.
BUT!!! Heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and pepper flakes make this creamy sauce beyond delicious. And shrimp, bell peppers, onions, basil, and parsley add a welcome pop of freshness. I can’t resist diving in for a second helping when I make this pasta dish!

We make this creamy cajun shrimp pasta recipe every Christmas Eve. We serve it as a part of our seven fishes feast -and it’s always one of the first dishes to go! But it equally works well for weeknight meals, because it’s ready pretty fast. So good with a glass of wine, a Caesar salad, and some crusty bread to sop up all the delicious creamy sauce).
Can I Make This a Gluten Free Pasta Dish?
Yes! There are tons of great gluten free pasta recipes on the market these days. My personal favorite gluten free pasta is Jovial, especially their fusilli and spaghetti. I suggest undercooking the gluten free pasta by 1 minute, then letting it cook in the sauce until it’s the perfect al dente texture.
Ingredients for Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta
- Pasta: I used linguini here, but almost any pasta would work great in this pasta dish. Farfalle (aka bow ties), penne, and spaghetti are a few of my favorites. And there are even some great gluten free pastas out there now. Be sure to cook the pasta al dente and reserve some of the salted water in case you need to thin the creamy sauce.
- Olive Oil: You’ll use this ingredient to cook the seasoned shrimp and to cook the pasta sauce. Use whatever olive oil you typical use for your pasta recipes.
- Shrimp: Peeled and deveined, with their tails on or off! Large fresh shrimp work best, but frozen will work in a pinch. Be sure to thaw and press as much excess moisture out of the frozen shrimp as possible. And if you’re using smaller shrimp, you may want to cook the shrimp a minute less.
- Cajun Seasoning: You’ll need garlic powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, black pepper, onion powder, and dried oregano to make our homemade cajun spice! You may need additional salt and pepper to season the dish later, but this is a great starting point!
- Butter: I prefer unsalted, but salted will work in a pinch! Just reduce the salt called for in the recipe by 1/4 teaspoon.
- Onion: Diced red onion adds flavor and color to this pasta dish! In a pinch, yellow or white onion will work fine.
- Peppers: Red and green bell peppers add crunch, flavor, and a gorgeous pop of color! If you only have one variety of bell pepper, that’s fine, too.
- Garlic: Like almost any good pasta recipe, this cajun shrimp pasta calls for a ton of garlic! Do not sub this with garlic powder or cut back on the amount!
- Crushed red pepper flakes: Red pepper flakes add spice to the creamy sauce! If you’re looking to cut back on the spiciness level, you could omit this ingredient.
- Tomato Paste: Adds just the right amount of tomato flavor and richness to the cream sauce! In a pinch, you can use a 1/2 cup of diced tomatoes instead. This will change the texture and flavor, but will still be delicious. I don’t suggest subbing crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce.
- White Wine: Use a dry variety, like Sauvignon Blanc. If you don’t consume alcohol, feel free to sub this with an equal amount of chicken broth. And a teaspoon of white wine vinegar.
- Chicken Broth: I like using chicken bone broth, which adds incredible flavor. But regular chicken broth will work fine. In a pinch, vegetable broth will also work.
- Heavy Cream: Aka whipping cream. You should not replace the heavy cream with milk, as it is an important ingredient for the creamy sauce.
- Parmesan Cheese: Skip the pre-grated variety, because it’s treated with preservatives that will prevent it from evenly incorporating into the sauce. Instead, buy a chunk of parmesan and use a cheese grater to freshly grate the cheese. You won’t regret it!
- Basil: Be sure to use fresh basil here! Dry basil should NOT be used. If you don’t have fresh basil, skip it.
- Parsley: Again, fresh is best. Actually, fresh is a must. Do not sub dried parsley here. If you don’t have fresh parsley, you can skip it.
Cajun Shrimp + Creamy Sauce = Heaven
- Cook the Pasta: You can place the drained pasta into a large bowl and cover it with foil or a large plate until needed. You can save a little pasta water for later. If your pasta looks too dry, add a little bit of the reserved pasta water until you achieve your desired texture. The salted water will loosen the pasta.
- Cook the Shrimp: Add the shrimp in a large deep skillet or dutch oven and cook just until pink. Be sure not to over cook here! Better to undercook the shrimp than overcook. As the seasoned shrimp will go back into the pan at the end and can finish cooking then.
- Cook the Bell Peppers: And onions, then toss in the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook. Mmm… your kitchen should smell amazing right now!
- Make the Creamy Sauce: Add the tomato paste and white wine, then pour in the chicken broth. Mix well until you have a smooth and creamy sauce. Stir in the heavy cream, parmesan cheese, basil, and parsley. Use low heat so your sauce can’t curdle.
- Add the Shrimp: Toss the shrimp and pasta back into the skillet and cook for just a minute or two. You want to warm the shrimp and noodles, without overcooking them, so timing is everything here. Toss well in the cream sauce to coat everything.
- Taste and Adjust: You may need to add additional salt, pepper, and/or other spices to make it perfect. You can also taste the cream sauce BEFORE you add the shrimp and pasta, and adjust then.
If you want a spicer cream sauce, you can add more crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper, or cayenne pepper. And if the sauce is too spicy, you can always add a teaspoon of sugar – granulated sugar or brown sugar. Just be sure to mix the pasta dish very well after adding any extra spices or seasonings.
More Pasta Recipes:
- Fresh Tomato Pasta Puttanesca
- 16 Cozy Pasta Recipes for National Pasta Day
- Special Occasion Spicy Lobster Pasta
- Easy Tomato and Spinach Pasta
- Pasta Puttanesca
- Easy Pasta with Broccoli
Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 g) pasta
- 3 Tablespoons (42 ml) olive oil
- 2 pounds (907 g) large fresh shrimp peeled, deveined, tails on
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 Tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter
- 1 small red onion diced
- 1 large red bell pepper diced
- 1 large green bell pepper diced
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup (57 g) tomato paste
- 3/4 cup (170 ml) dry white wine
- 1/2 cup (113 ml) chicken broth
- 2 cups (454 ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup (113 g) finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup (25 g) fresh basil finely chopped
- 3 Tablespoons (20 g) fresh parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a dash of salt, then add the pasta. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, or until al dente (this time will vary depending on the pasta variety you use, so consult the box). Drain the pasta and pour into a bowl. Cover to keep warm and set aside.
- In a large deep skillet or dutch oven, warm 1 and ½ Tablespoons (21 ml) of the olive oil over medium-high heat. While the pan heats up, place the shrimp in a large bowl and toss with the garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, paprika, onion powder, and dried oregano.
- Add the seasoned shrimp (and scrape in any excess spices) to the pan and cook until the shrimp are light pink on both sides, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Shrimp cooks very quickly, so don’t walk away here. Using a large fish spatula, transfer the shrimp to a clean plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining olive oil and butter to the same skillet, then add the onions, red peppers, and green peppers, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Do not let the garlic brown.
- Add in the tomato paste and white wine and, using a wooden spoon, mix thoroughly, breaking up the tomato paste until a smooth sauce has formed.
- Add in the chicken broth and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the heavy cream, parmesan cheese, basil, and parsley and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 more minutes.
- Add the shrimp and pasta back to the skillet and stir well to coat. Cook for another minute or two, or until the noodles are nicely coated in the sauce and the shrimp have had a chance to heat up.
- Remove from heat. Taste and season with additional salt, pepper, and/or cayenne as needed. Scoop into bowls and serve at once!
Great recipe with tons of flavor! If you don’t like spice, I’d definitely cut back on the pepper flakes (but we loved it as is).
The intense flavor of the Cajun spices blends perfectly with the creamy sauce. The shrimp is cooked to perfection, and every bite feels like a feast! You’ve managed to achieve a great balance of spicy and creamy, making it a true flavor bomb! When combined with the pasta, it’s both filling and satisfying.
Whew this was spicy! But so good! I’ll definitely make it again.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was a success. My husband says it’s a keeper so it looks like we will be eating this again.
Everything just all comes together.
thanks for a great meal