Creamy Cajun Shrimp Penne

Name: Creamy Cajun Shrimp Penne
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 500 g shrimp; 3 g cayenne pepper; 3 g paprika; 3 g onion powder; 1.5 g black pepper; 5 g chopped fresh parsley; 30 g unsalted butter; 20 ml olive oil; SAUCE; 60 g yellow onion; 50 g red bell pepper; 5 g chopped fresh parsley; 50 g tomato paste; 3 g cayenne pepper; 3 g paprika; 2 g garlic powder; 3 g onion powder; 1 beef bouillon cube; 75 ml reserved pasta wate; 250 ml heavy cream; 100 g grated Parmesan cheese

0 Beoordeel

Najat

Photo by Najat

This creamy cajun shrimp pasta comes together in 30 minutes with penne, a rich Parmesan cream sauce, and perfectly seared shrimp, an easy weeknight recipe for creamy shrimp pasta.

30 minutes

4 Portions

Easy

About This Shrimp Penne Pasta Recipe

This shrimp penne pasta recipe pulls together everything people love about Cajun-style cooking: bold, smoky spice, a rich tomato cream sauce, and juicy, perfectly seared shrimp. The shrimp gets coated in a homemade Cajun spice blend and quickly seared in butter and olive oil, so it stays tender. Meanwhile, the sauce builds flavor from sautéed onion, garlic, and bell pepper before tomato paste, cream, and Parmesan turn it into something silky and rich enough to coat every piece of penne.

Key Ingredients

Shrimp: fresh or thawed frozen shrimp both work well here, just make sure they’re peeled and deveined before seasoning so they cook evenly and quickly.

Cajun spice blend: a mix of cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper, used on both the shrimp and in the sauce to build flavor in layers rather than all at once.

Penne pasta: its ridges and tube shape hold onto the creamy sauce well, though other shapes like rigatoni or fettuccine work are well suited.

Heavy cream: the base of the sauce’s richness, giving it that classic silky, cajun shrimp pasta alfredo-style texture.

Parmesan cheese: freshly grated melts more smoothly into the sauce than pre-shredded, which can leave the sauce grainy.

Tomato paste: adds depth and a subtle tang that sets this apart from a plain alfredo, giving the sauce its signature color and richness.

Beef bouillon cube: a small but important flavor booster that rounds out the savory base of the sauce.

Reserved pasta water: the one thing that brings this recipe toghether. Its starch helps bind the sauce to the pasta and lets you loosen the sauce if it thickens too much.

More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love

If you’re a fan of rich, creamy pasta dinners, here are a few more recipes worth adding to your rotation:

Million Dollar Spaghetti: a baked, cheesy spaghetti casserole layered with a creamy filling, comfort food at its finest.

Marry me Pasta: sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan come together in a creamy sauce so good it’s earned its name.

Ingredients

Portions

PASTA

500 g shrimp, peeled and deveined (1 lb)

3 g cayenne pepper, (1 tsp)

3 g paprika, (1 tsp)

garlic powder

3 g onion powder, (1 tsp)

1.5 g black pepper, (½ tsp)

5 g chopped fresh parsley, (1 tbsp)

30 g unsalted butter, (2 tbsps)

20 ml olive oil, (1½ tbsps)

SAUCE

60 g yellow onion, finely chopped (about ⅓ cup, ½ small onion)

garlic cloves

50 g red bell pepper, about ⅓ of one pepper (⅓ cup diced)

5 g chopped fresh parsley, (1 tbsp)

50 g tomato paste, (3 tbsps)

3 g cayenne pepper, (1 tsp)

3 g paprika, (1 tsp)

2 g garlic powder, (⅔ tsp)

3 g onion powder, (1 tsp)

1 beef bouillon cube, (stock cube in UK)

75 ml reserved pasta wate, (⅓ cup)

250 ml heavy cream, (1 cup)

100 g grated Parmesan cheese, (1 cup)

Tips

Don’t overcook the shrimp in the initial sear. They only need about 2 minutes since they’ll finish cooking when tossed back into the hot sauce at the end, overcooked shrimp turn rubbery fast.

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add salt, then the penne, stirring well so the pasta doesn't stick together. Cook for 8-11 minutes, until al dente. Before draining, scoop out and reserve ⅓ cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.

Gekruide garnalen met cayennepeper en paprikapoeder

In a deep bowl, toss the shrimp with the cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and parsley until combined.

Gekruide garnalen bakken in roomboter en olijfolie

Heat the butter and olive oil together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes, just until they turn pink and opaque. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside, they'll finish cooking later.

Ui knoflook en rode paprika bakken voor Cajun pastasaus

In the same skillet, add the onion, garlic, red bell pepper, and parsley. Cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Stir in the tomato paste, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Crumble the beef bouillon cube over the top and add the reserved pasta water. Stir well and let simmer for 2 minutes.

Slagroom toevoegen aan de kruidige Cajun pastasaus

Pour in the heavy cream and let the sauce simmer for 4-5 minutes, until it thickens nicely. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and cook until melted and smooth.

Add the drained penne to the creamy sauce and toss until well coated. Fold in the seared shrimp and toss once more to combine everything evenly. Serve while hot.

Romige penne met garnalen en Cajun kruiden

Veelgestelde vragen

Can I make this recipe without shrimp?

Yes, this sauce is versatile enough to work as a base for chicken or even a vegetarian version with mushrooms.

Can I use a different pasta shape for this shrimp penne pasta recipe?

Absolutely. While penne holds the sauce nicely in its ridges, this creamy cajun shrimp pasta recipe works well with rigatoni, fettuccine, or linguine too. Just adjust the boiling time according to the package instructions.

What's the difference between this and cajun shrimp pasta alfredo?

They’re closely related. A traditional alfredo relies mainly on butter, cream, and Parmesan, while this version adds tomato paste and bell pepper to the sauce for extra depth and a subtle tang, plus the Cajun spice blend that gives it its signature flavor.

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Creamy Cajun Shrimp Penne

30 minutes · 4 porties · Easy

Ingredients

500 g shrimp (peeled and deveined (1 lb))
3 g cayenne pepper ((1 tsp))
3 g paprika ((1 tsp))
3 g onion powder ((1 tsp))
1.5 g black pepper ((½ tsp))
5 g chopped fresh parsley ((1 tbsp))
30 g unsalted butter ((2 tbsps))
20 ml olive oil ((1½ tbsps))
SAUCE
60 g yellow onion (finely chopped (about ⅓ cup, ½ small onion))
50 g red bell pepper (about ⅓ of one pepper (⅓ cup diced))
5 g chopped fresh parsley ((1 tbsp))
50 g tomato paste ((3 tbsps))
3 g cayenne pepper ((1 tsp))
3 g paprika ((1 tsp))
2 g garlic powder ((⅔ tsp))
3 g onion powder ((1 tsp))
1 beef bouillon cube ((stock cube in UK))
75 ml reserved pasta wate ((⅓ cup))
250 ml heavy cream ((1 cup))
100 g grated Parmesan cheese ((1 cup))

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add salt, then the penne, stirring well so the pasta doesn't stick together. Cook for 8-11 minutes, until al dente. Before draining, scoop out and reserve ⅓ cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
In a deep bowl, toss the shrimp with the cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and parsley until combined.
Heat the butter and olive oil together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes, just until they turn pink and opaque. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside, they'll finish cooking later.
In the same skillet, add the onion, garlic, red bell pepper, and parsley. Cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Stir in the tomato paste, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Crumble the beef bouillon cube over the top and add the reserved pasta water. Stir well and let simmer for 2 minutes.
Pour in the heavy cream and let the sauce simmer for 4-5 minutes, until it thickens nicely. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and cook until melted and smooth.
Add the drained penne to the creamy sauce and toss until well coated. Fold in the seared shrimp and toss once more to combine everything evenly. Serve while hot.

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Creamy Cajun Shrimp Penne

About This Shrimp Penne Pasta Recipe

Key Ingredients

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