Crispy Cajun Shrimp Fettuccine with an incredibly simple creamy sauce and crispy cajun shrimp with a little hit of heat. This can all be on your dinner table in 20 minutes tops!
Crispy Cajun Shrimp Fettuccine
This recipe is really all I could think about today, it was a long work day and as the hours dragged on I began to crave something creamy, dreamy, carby, and filled with flavorful plump shrimp. Pretty specific craving huh? Luckily I had this one stored in the old brain bank and decided to take it out for a test drive.
And I’m so glad I did because this dish was stellar. Packed full of perfect cajun seasoning, which is simultaneously spicy, sweet, smokey, and complex. The perfectly cooked shrimp is crispy and plump, all swimming in a rich creamy sauce served up on twirl-able and slurp-able fettuccine.
What Does Cajun Mean
When we’re talking about food, Cajun is usually referring to a spice blend which originated from Acadians living in Louisiana. Dry Cajun spice blend is made of paprika, cayenne pepper, herbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
That’s where this beautiful spice comes into play, it will not only help form a beautiful crust on the shrimp, but it will also flavor our sauce. If you’ve never cooked with this spice, or at least never created a pasta dish using it, then I’m happy to introduce you to your new favorite meal. Perfect for a chilly night or any where you’d rather just curl up with a big bowl on the couch.
What You Need For Crispy Cajun Shrimp Fettuccine
- Pasta –Â Fettuccine is what I chose to use today, but feel free to use any kind or shape you happen to have lying around.
- Shrimp –Â Large, deveined and deshelled.
- Seasoning –Â Cajun seasoning, you can pick it up at your local grocery store and is the flavor key for our entire dish.
- Flour –Â We’re just using all purpose today to thicken up our sauce.
- Butter and olive oil –Â To brown our shrimp in, it’s important to use both to achieve a brown butter flavor without burning it.
- Liquids –Â We’re using both low sodium chicken broth and heavy cream. You can substitute a lighter cream if you’d like to cut the fat.
- Seasoning –Â Salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish –Â Fresh ground Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley.
How To Make Crispy Cajun Shrimp Fettuccine
- Cook the pasta: Cook fettuccine according to package instructions.
- Prepare the shrimp: Sprinkle the shrimp with 1 tbsp of cajun spice and toss well. Drizzle the flour over the shrimp and toss in a bowl to make sure each shrimp is covered in flour.
- Cook the shrimp: In a deep skillet add the butter and olive oil and heat over high heat. Add shrimp and cook on each side about 2 min until crisp. Remove shrimp from the skillet and set aside.
- Form the sauce: In the same skillet add chicken broth and heavy cream. Season with additional cajun spice if preferred and/or salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then add the Parmesan cheese and whisk. Add fettuccine and shrimp back to the pot and toss.
- Finish the dish: Garnish with parsley and additional Parmesan cheese.
Choose The Right Cajun Seasoning
Try to buy a Cajun seasoning with no salt to avoid making this recipe to salty. If your seasoning does have salt then just add salt to taste, be sure to taste test regularly.
How To Prep Your Shrimp
You’ll want to start at the small legs on the shrimp. Simply pull those off and the rest of the shell should start to release. Pull off the rest of the shell. To remove the vein along the top simply cut a slit with a small knife down the middle of the shrimp’s back before removing the black vein with the tip of your knife.
Can I Use Other Proteins?
You sure can! I like to add cubed up chicken breast to either pair alongside the shrimp or to replace it all together. If you’re really getting into the Creole spirit, feel free to add some spicy sliced up sausage to the dish.
Can This Shrimp Pasta Be Made In Advance?
You can absolutely make this in advance and as a matter of fact, the longer this sits, the better it will taste because the flavors will develop even better. However, do keep in mind that this pasta won’t be as creamy anymore as when you first make it because the fettuccine will absorb all the sauce.
If planning to make this ahead, another option would be to just make the sauce, and when ready to serve, cook the pasta and heat the sauce together with the pasta. This way it will taste fresh and it will still be super creamy and delicious.
How To Store Leftover Cajun Shrimp Fettuccine
Store this pasta in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last 4-5 days, which makes it perfect for your weekly meal-prep!
Can You Freeze Cajun Shrimp Fettuccine
In an airtight container, this pasta will last 3-6 months in your freezer. I would freeze this in individual servings so that it will be easier to thaw. You can thaw this in the microwave, or covered in the oven at 350 F until the pasta is heated through. If you reheat in the oven, the pasta will absorb some of the sauce. Keeping it covered will help it from getting dry.
Craving More Shrimp? Try These Delicious Recipes:
- Brazilian Shrimp Soup
- Avocado Shrimp Salsa
- Firecracker Shrimp
- Easy Shrimp Fried Rice
- Honey Garlic Shrimp
- Shrimp Scampi
- Garlic Butter Shrimp
Looking for more recipes? Follow on... My Newsletter Pinterest Facebook Instagram
Crispy Cajun Shrimp Fettuccine
Ingredients
- 8 oz fettuccine
- 1 lb large shrimp deshelled and deveined
- 1 tbsp cajun seasoning
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup chicken broth low sodium
- 1 cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Cook fettuccine according to package instructions.
- Sprinkle the shrimp with 1 tbsp of cajun spice and toss well. Drizzle the flour over the shrimp and toss in a bowl to make sure each shrimp is covered in flour.
- In a deep skillet add the butter and olive oil and heat over high heat. Add shrimp and cook on each side about 2 min until crisp. Remove shrimp from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet add chicken broth and heavy cream. Season with additional cajun spice if preferred and/or salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then add the Parmesan cheese and whisk. Add fettuccine and shrimp back to the pot and toss.
- Garnish with parsley and additional Parmesan cheese.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Try to buy a cajun seasoning with no salt to avoid making this recipe to salty.
- You can use cubed chicken for this recipe instead of shrimp.
- Store this pasta in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last 4-5 days, which makes it perfect for your weekly meal-prep!
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Rae Cuffee says
I loved this recipe! Can’t wait to try with chicken! I’m thinking a cajun jambalaya pasta!
Jeanette Lyden says
This was delicious. I doubled both the fettuccine and shrimp so I increased the cajun seasoning I made my own) to one and half tablespoons, the flour to three tablespoons, an extra tablespoon of butter and the broth and cream to a cup and a half and the parmesan to 3/4 of a cup. Came out great.
ADESHA says
My friend recommended this recipe and it was good..
I made mine a little thin though..
I think I added too much heavy cream or chicken broth..
but it still came out great..
Nancy says
I’ve made this recipe a couple of times. We love it.
Audra Rice says
This is a family favorite .
Kristine says
It was great. Not too spicy. Just enough kick. I made my own cajun seasoning. This was quick and easy recipe.
Joanna Cismaru says
So glad you liked it!
Marlene says
Delicious ! Easy! Will be a go to meal !!
Judy Stark says
This dish was amazingly good…my husband and I just kept saying “oh my gosh, oh my gosh, this is SO good” while we were eating. Didn’t change a thing except a few more shrimp because they are a favorite of ours. Thank you for sharing this with us all. Just discovered your website…I have made several of your recipes and they rock…every single one I’ve tried. You have an amazing talent!
Nicole Beaulieu says
Thank you so much, Judy! I’ll pass the message along 🙂