Prepare a restaurant-quality creamy Cajun shrimp pasta Alfredo with one skillet from the comfort of your own kitchen.
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If you love zesty, Cajun-inspired recipes, don’t miss this dump-and-bake Cajun chicken pasta, this New Orleans bbq shrimp recipe, and this dump-and-bake Cajun sausage pasta, too!
This is the BEST pasta I’ve ever made. I wish I could rate it more than 5 stars…
– Kaitlynn
An Easy Cajun Shrimp Alfredo Recipe that You Can Make at Home
Skip a trip to Chili’s, Applebee’s, or Friday’s, because this homemade Cajun shrimp Alfredo is so much better than anything you’ll find in a local chain restaurant! It’s made from scratch with simple ingredients that come together in a beautiful combination of flavors and textures.
Smooth, creamy Alfredo sauce perfectly balances the spicy shrimp and the savory Holy Trinity of vegetables. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or just tossing together a weeknight dinner for your family, this one-pot recipe is sure to be a hit!
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- Any size shrimp will work, but I prefer large or jumbo shrimp for their meatier texture. If you’re using smaller shrimp, they will cook a little bit faster, so keep a close eye on them.
- I use Zatarain’s Creole seasoning or this Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning, but any similar blend will work. These blends include salt, so you might not need to add any extra salt to the dish. Just taste and adjust to suit your preferences.
- Onion, green bell pepper, and celery form the “Holy Trinity” of vegetables. They provide a classic Cajun flavor base to the dish.
- Dried fettuccine or dried linguine both work well for this dish, so pick your favorite. If substituting with a different pasta shape, you’ll need to adjust the cooking time.
- Use very finely-grated Parmesan that you grate yourself on a microplane or on the small side of a cheese grater. I do not recommend a can of pre-grated Parmesan for this recipe, because it will not melt as smoothly into the sauce.
How to Make Cajun Shrimp Pasta Alfredo
This simple dinner comes together in one pan! The pasta cooks right in the same skillet with the sauce, so there are no extra dishes to wash at the end. It doesn’t get much easier than that! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Cook the shrimp with the seasoning in a large Dutch oven or large skillet. Keep a close eye on the shrimp. The total cooking time will vary depending on their size, so remove them from the skillet as soon as they are pink and opaque.
- Sauté the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic in the same pot.
- Add the milk and broth, and bring the liquid to a simmer.
- Stir in the pasta and cook until tender, about 11 minutes total for fettuccine or 9 minutes total for linguine. Stir the noodles regularly as it simmers so that it doesn’t stick to itself and clump together.
- Add the cream, Parmesan cheese, and green onions. Simmer until the sauce thickens and the cheese melts.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the cooked shrimp, toss so that everything is combined, and garnish with parsley.
Serving Suggestions
Pair the Cajun shrimp Alfredo pasta with a crisp green salad dressed in pepper jelly vinaigrette, or with a side of green veggies like garlic roasted broccoli, roasted asparagus, or Southern-style green beans. Other good options include this Southern cornbread recipe, cornbread muffins, homemade garlic bread, Aunt Bee’s 3-ingredient biscuit recipe, and cheese biscuits.
Storage Tips
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing the pasta dish because the cream-based Alfredo sauce has a tendency to “break” or separate when thawed, resulting in an undesirable texture.
Made this dish and it was very pleasing and satisfying…
– Nick
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Cajun Shrimp Alfredo
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, divided
- 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning or Creole seasoning
- ½ cup diced onion
- ¼ cup seeded and diced green bell pepper
- ¼ cup diced celery
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1 ½ cups whole milk, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 8 ounces dried fettuccine or linguine
- ½ cup heavy cream, at room temperature
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or cast iron braiser, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and Cajun seasoning; cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are pink and opaque, about 4-5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp to a plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the Dutch oven. When the butter melts, add the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic; cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the milk and broth; bring to a simmer. Add the uncooked pasta, stirring frequently for about 3 minutes. Continue cooking until the pasta is al dente, about 8 more minutes for fettuccine or 6 more minutes for linguine, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan, and green onions. Simmer until the sauce thickens and the cheese melts. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked shrimp. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
- Use very finely-grated Parmesan that you grate yourself on a microplane or on the small side of a box cheese grater. I do not recommend a can of pre-grated Parmesan, a bag of pre-shredded Parmesan, or coarsely-grated Parmesan for this recipe, because those options will not melt as smoothly into the sauce.
- The seasoning blend that I use includes a good amount of salt, so I do not add any extra salt to the dish. If your seasoning blend does not have salt in it, you will likely need to season the sauce with kosher salt to taste.
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
- If you prefer to use a different shape pasta such as penne pasta or bowtie pasta (farfalle), you’ll need to adjust the cooking time according to the package instructions. Penne and bowtie pasta will both require a total of about 11 minutes for al dente, while other shapes may be slightly more or less.
- Swap out the shrimp and use diced, boneless, skinless chicken instead.
- Cut the shrimp in half and add 8 ounces of sliced smoked sausage rounds (such as kielbasa or andouille sausage).
- The Cajun seasoning has a bit of heat, but you can make your dish even more spicy by stirring some cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes into the sauce. Or, add a dash of this blackened seasoning recipe.
- Add a few cups of baby spinach leaves to the pasta at the very end when you add the cream. The spinach will wilt almost instantly and will add a nice green touch.
- Add fresh herbs to the sauce, if desired. The parsley is a nice finishing touch, but fresh thyme, rosemary, chives, or oregano would all be delicious in the dish, too.
- Cooking just for two? Cut the ingredients in half. The rest of the recipe instructions remain the same.
- For a similar dish with chicken, try this pesto cream pasta.
More Shrimp Pasta Recipes to Try
Dump-and-Bake Shrimp Marinara
55 minutes mins
Shrimp Ramen with Peanut Sauce
15 minutes mins
Shrimp Pesto Pasta
30 minutes mins
Originally published in March 2021, this post was updated in March 2025.
I can’t wait to try the Cajun Shrimp Pasta…. looks delicious!
Thanks, Judy. I hope you enjoy it!
Made this dish and it was very pleasing and satisfying. I’m with you on grating your own cheese from a block or wedge. Thanks for sharing!
So glad to hear that, Nick. Thanks for taking the time to come back here and leave a note. 🙂
This is the BEST pasta I’ve ever made. I wish I could rate it more than 5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I used a mix of Zatarains Creole seasoning and Slap Ya Momma Cajun seasoning. I added more than the recipe called for just because I always add extra seasoning. No salt needed because my seasonings are naturally salty. Everything else was following the recipe.
So glad that you liked it, Kaitlynn! Thank you!
Excellent- So easy!
Thank you, Mark! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.