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Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta

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This Cajun shrimp pasta comes together in about 15 minutes (yes, really!) and is made with less than 10 ingredients. Succulent shrimp infused with zesty Cajun spices is served over al dente linguine tossed in a light cream sauce. This meal is easy enough for a weeknight dinner but also fun enough for date night!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 lb. linguine pasta, cooked al dente
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 lb. thawed raw extra-large shrimp (26-30) or jumbo shrimp (21-25), peeled, deveined, and tail-off
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons dry white wine (or chicken broth)
  • 16 oz. heavy cream
  • 4 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley + more for garnish
  • Kosher salt
  • fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large saute pan over medium heat.
  2. Pat shrimp dry with paper towel and add it to a medium bowl. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning and a couple large pinches of salt and pepper. Toss to coat the shrimp evenly in the seasoning and oil.
  3. Add seasoned shrimp to the pan.
  4. Cook shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side or until just opaque.
  5. Use tongs to carefully remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
  6. Add garlic and a couple pinches of salt and pepper to the pan and cook, stirring frequently for about 30 seconds.
  7. Add white wine and deglaze the pan, scraping the yummy bits off the bottom. Cook over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
  8. Add heavy cream and Parmesan to the pan along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
  9. Cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until the cheese melts. Cook for another couple of minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  10. Add cooked linguine to the pan and toss to coat. 
  11. Add cooked shrimp back into the pan, toss to coat in the sauce, and cook until warmed through.
  12. Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy!

Equipment

Notes

  • Moderately salt your pasta water. Add 2-4 tablespoons of Kosher salt to your pot of boiling water just before adding the pasta. This will become second nature if you don't already do it. It's the first chance you have to season the pasta and it makes a world of difference in the taste of the final dish.
  • Cook your pasta just until al dente. This will ensure that it won't get mushy or overcooked when it's combined with the sauce.
  • Dry the shrimp before seasoning! Pat the shrimp dry thoroughly with paper towels. This will help the oil and seasoning mixture to coat the shrimp more evenly and will give it a better sear when it's cooked.
  • Don't overcrowd the pan with shrimp! This will cause the shrimp to steam instead of searing so you'll miss out on those delicious golden brown bits on the outside. If you need to cook the shrimp in two batches in order to space them out enough that's fine.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://midwestfoodieblog.com/cajun-shrimp-pasta/