Shrimp and Sausage Alfredo

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Today I’m sharing one of our favorite recipes ever! This Shrimp and Sausage Alfredo pasta is a regular dinner we have during the Summertime, because it doesn’t get better than freshly made Alfredo sauce with Cajun spices, sausage, and shrimp! It is easy enough for busy weeknights, or part of a delicious Sunday dinner.

What Kind of Shrimp and Sausage for Cajun Alfredo?

When it comes to ingredients for this recipe, we love any smoked sausage, but two of our favorites are Conecuh sausage, if you have it in your area, or Johnsonville andouille sausage. For shrimp, we prefer getting it from the seafood counter at Publix, but have also been known to use frozen shrimp on a busy weeknight. Either is great but obviously, fresher seafood is better.

Cajun Alfredo Ingredients

Here’s the full list of ingredients you’ll need-

• ½ tbsp olive oil
• ½ lb. fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 6 oz. cajun style andouille smoked sausage
• 8 oz. penne pasta
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• ½ tsp. Italian seasoning
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 ½ cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp. Cajun seasoning (our favorite cajun spice is Slap Ya Mama, but you can use any cajun or creole seasoning you love)

I feel like, as far as sauces go, this is a really easy sauce to make, it is the best homemade alfredo sauce. Let’s get into how to make this Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Alfredo.

Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Alfredo Directions

Start by boiling your penne pasta in a large pot of water, according to the directions on the box. While that’s going, slice your sausage into 1/4-1/2 inch slices. Add the olive oil and sausage to a large skillet, and cook the sausage over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.

Flip the sausages and add the shrimp to the pan. Let the shrimp cook 3-4 minutes more, flipping the shrimp halfway, until they are opaque and pink if you use raw shrimp. Here you can also season shrimp with a little bit of your preferred seasoning. Cook until shrimp are pink, but slightly opaque, and the sausages are heated through.

Drain the sausage and shrimp, and set aside.

Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain it and set aside. You’ll want to toss the pasta with about a tablespoon of olive oil, to prevent it from sticking together.

Now, let’s make the creamy sauce. Start by melting your butter in a large skillet. Add the garlic, and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the heavy whipping cream and cream cheese, and heat on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cream cheese has melted and mixture begins to simmer.

Whisk in the italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and cajun seasoning to make this a creamy Cajun alfredo sauce. Add the spicy Cajun seasoning slowly, tasting to make sure you get the right amount of kick.

Reduce heat to low, and whisk in freshly grated Parmesan. Continue whisking until the cheese has melted.

Add cooked pasta, shrimp, and sausage to the pan and stir to coat with the cream sauce. Serve immediately!

We absolutely love this recipe, it is one of our favorite pasta dishes. It makes the best creamy cajun pasta that the whole family will love.

For a printable version of this recipe, see below.

Substitutions & Tips:

• We love penne, but of course you can use fettuccine pasta or whatever your favorite pasta noodles are.
• You can opt to use pre-cooked shrimp. In that case, all you need to do is heat the sausage and shrimp until they are heated through.

Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta FAQs

What kind of cajun seasoning should I use?

Our favorite cajun seasoning right now is Slap Ya Mama. It is so good! You can use any other cajun seasoning blends, or your own homemade cajun seasoning.

Can I use pre-shredded parmesan cheese?

I highly recommend shredding your own parmesan cheese for this. In our experience, pre-shredded cheese just doesn’t melt properly when it comes to making sauces.

Can I make this with Fettuccine noodles?

Yes! You can absolutely serve this with fettuccine instead of penne. We just sometimes love to use penne or rotini, because of how well it holds onto sauce.

Can I make this cajun pasta recipe a little more spicy?

Yes, for a nice kick you can add a bit of cayenne pepper, or red pepper flakes to up the spice. I would add this towards the end and add a little at a time, to taste.

You might also like these other easy pasta recipes-

• Homemade Lasagna Hamburger Helper
• Easy One Pot Lasagna Soup
• Chili Mac

Have a question? Leave it in the comments below!