Cajun. Seafood. Pasta. Yes please! Those are three of my favorite things. This dish hits all of the taste buds.
I created this recipe for our friends at Skippers Bay Lobster. Originally it was meant for lobster, but it is great with shrimp and lots of other seafood.
About This Recipe
Linguine is great becuase the creamy flavorful sauce clings onto this thick long pasta. Typically, linguine is best for clam or seafood pastas or light tomato or cream sauces. We use whole wheat linguine often for a healthier option.
Shrimp Buy peeled, deveined, tail off shrimp to make your life easier. I always have a 2 pound bag of frozen peeled, tail off deveined shrimp in my freezer. I can quickly thaw them for dinner in the sink with a colander under running water.
Other Seafood Options Originally this recipe was for Skippers Bay Lobster. They sell perfectly cooked Maine Lobster along with their Lobster Nectar which is drippings from the lobster shells when they pick it. It is pure liquid gold! You can add 1/2 lb of cooked lobster meat at the end instead of shrimp.
Bell Peppers give this dish a cajun foundation and a nice pop or color. Red or green bell peppers are great. In cajun and creole cuisine they use ”The Holy Trinity” for the base of lots of their dishes. ”The Holy Trinity” consist of onions, bell peppers and celery. Etouffe, gumbo, and jambalaya all start with this base.
Tony’s Chachere is a versatile Cajun/Creole seasoning blend. If you want to make your own cajun blend, try making my blackening seasoning. (See Below)
Blackening Seasoning Combine all ingredients below.
- 1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Tbsp Onion Powder
- 1 Tbsp Dried Parsley
- 1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
- 1 Tbsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Cayene
- 2 Tbsp Kosher Salt
Broth I know most people don’t have seafood broth at their house, which is normal and totally fine. If you want a more seafood forward flavor, use seafood broth. For a richer flavor, use chicken broth.
Cream adds the smooth richness to this dish. You can substitute additional broth for cream for a lighter dish.
Green Onion & Parsley both add a fresh cajun twist to this dish.
Pairings Open a bottle of light crisp white wine like Albarinio or Pinot Grigio. Bake some fresh Foccacia Bread for the perfect side.
Recipe
Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Cajun. Seafood. Pasta. Three of my favorite things! This dish hits all of the taste buds.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. Linguine (half of a standard package)
- 1 lb. Shrimp, peeled, deveined and tail off
- 2 tsp. Tonys Chacheres Creole Seasoning, divided (or make my Blackeining Seasoning listed above)
- 2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 Yellow Onion, small diced
- 3 cloves of Garlic, minced
- 1/2 Red Bell Pepper, small diced
- 1/2 Green Bell Pepper, small diced
- 3 Green Onions, thinly sliced, white and green part separated
- 2 Tbsp. All Purpose Flour
- 2 Cups Broth, Chicken or Seafood
- 1/2 Cup Cream
- 2 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, for garnish
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Directions
- Step 1 In a large stock pot filled with water and 1 Tbsp kosher salt, boil water and cook pasta according to the package. Drain and set aside.
- Step 2 Season the shrimp with 1 tsp. Tonys Chacheres.
- Step 3 In a large pan on medium heat, heat the olive oil and sauté shrimp until cooked through. Turn off heat and set shrimp aside in a bowl.
- Step 4 Using the same pan, melt the butter on medium heat and sauté onions, garlic, bell peppers and the white ends of the green onions for 5 minutes until soft. Add 1 tsp Tony’s Chacheres and flour and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Step 5 Slowly whisk in broth and cream and bring to a simmer. Simmer until thickened. Season to taste.
- Step 6 Stir the shrimp into the sauce. Stir in the cooked linguine and bring the dish to a simmer until the sauce clings to the pasta nicely. Garnish with fresh parsley and green onions. Enjoy!
About The Author
Lauren is a classically trained, professional chef. A culinary school graduate, she has spent time working organic farms in the Italian countryside and was the pastry/sous chef at a high profile restaurant in Dallas prior to becoming a full-time personal chef. Her cooking style is often referred to as “rustic.” Being a personal chef, she is not bound by a single type of cuisine and has had the opportunity to experiment with hundreds of regional recipes from all over the world.
