Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta with Sausage

 Ingredients

  • 1 lb. large shrimp, (peeled and deveined)
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper, (to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, (or Creole seasoning)
  • ½ teaspoon dried Oregano
  • 2 tablespoons Olive oil
  • 6 oz andouille sausage or smoked sausage, (thinly sliced)
  • 10 ounces fettuccine pasta
  • ½ yellow onion, (thinly sliced)
  • 1 red bell pepper, (thinly sliced)
  • 4 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, (or Creole seasoning)
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • ½ cup crushed tomatoes
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, (chopped)
  • 1 cup chicken broth, sodium free
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ⅔ cup Grated Parmesan
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, (chopped)

Instructions

  • Toss shrimp with salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning and Oregano, and coat well. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and drizzle bottom of pan with olive oil. 
  • Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes. Flip shrimp over and cook another minute or two. Then remove to a plate and set aside. Drizzle pan with a little more olive oil, add sausage and brown until nicely caramelized, about 4 – 5 minutes. Remove to plate, set aside.
  • Add pasta to salted boiling water and cook until al dente.
  • Lower heat to medium and add a bit more olive oil to the pan, add the onion, red bell pepper, Cajun seasoning, brown sugar, and a generous pinch of salt. Sauté until onion and pepper have softened a bit, scraping up any browned bits that you can. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Add crushed tomatoes, chicken broth and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan, simmer a couple minutes. 
  • Once simmering, add Parmesan and stir into sauce. When Parmesan is blended in, add cooked pasta and sausage and stir to combine and heat through, 2 – 3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste and then lastly, add shrimp.
  • Serve with chopped parsley.