Cajun Shrimp Alfredo Pasta
Published Jan 23, 2022
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Creamy Cajun Shrimp Alfredo Pasta with fettuccine noodles is easy to make and only takes 30 minutes! Made with simple ingredients right from your fridge or pantry, this pasta dinner will soon become one of your favorites!
Want more Italian dishes to enjoy? Try my Shrimp Alfredo, Easiest One Pot Lasagna, Shrimp Scampi with Pasta, and Spaghetti Carbonara.
For more Cajun-inspired dinner ideas, check out my posts for Cajun Grilled Salmon, Chili’s Cajun Alfredo Chicken Pasta, and Grilled Cajun Lime Chicken.
Fettuccine alfredo is one of my most favorite pasta dishes. Shrimp is one of my most favorite seafoods. Cajun seasoning is my most favorite of seasonings…can you see where I’m going with this yet? Yes, so combining these three things into one delicious shrimp pasta dishes was a total no-brainer! I think you’ll agree!
Ingredients
- Shrimp – I use medium shrimp that’s already been peeled and with the tails removed, it’s just way less work this way!
- Olive oil – Extra virgin olive oil is the way to go in most recipes, any name-brand is great!
- Minced garlic – I use minced garlic from a jar but you can mince your own.
- Flour – Any all-purpose flour, any brand, will work great in this Cajun shrimp fettuccine alfredo recipe.
- Milk – Any milk is fine here. The more fat content the milk has though, the thicker and creamier your sauce will be.
- Fettuccine noodles – Any name-brand fettuccine noodles are fine here. You can actually sub spaghetti or any other long noodle too for that matter.
- Reserved pasta water – The reserved pasta water is key to making a creamy, carby sauce. Be sure to save some after you drain the pasta.
- Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated parmesan works best here. Store-bought, pre-shredded has an anti-caking agent added to it to keep it from sticking which makes it harder to melt and cream together. However, you can use whatever parmesan you like, just know it might not completely melt smoothly.
- Parsley – Chopped fresh parsley makes the best garnish, but you can use dried or skip it all together.
Here’s How You Make It
- First, cook the fettuccine noodles according to the package’s directions. Drain them, making sure to reserve 2 cups pasta water. Then toss the pasta with a bit of olive oil, and set aside. (not pictured)
- Next, get out a large skillet and melt 1 tablespoon butter in it over medium heat. Then stir in 1 teaspoon of olive oil. (not pictured)
- Add the thawed shrimp to the skillet, sprinkle Cajun seasoning all over the shrimp, and then stir for 4-7 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked through and opaque. (photos 1-2)
- Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a dish and cover the dish to keep the shrimp warm. (not pictured)
- Without cleaning out the skillet, melt more butter over medium heat, then stir in the minced garlic for about 1 minute or til fragrant. (not pictured)
- To the garlic and butter mixture, stir in the four for another minute. Now, to finish the roux, gradually whisk in the milk first, then whisk in the reserved pasta water. (photo 3)
- Add the freshly grated parmesan cheese and salt and stir until the parmesan is dissolved. Taste, and add salt and pepper as desired. (photo 4)
- To the sauce, add back the cooked fettuccine noodles and return the shrimp to the skillet too. Give it all a good toss. (photos 5-6)
- Finally, garnish with chopped, fresh parsley and additional grated parmesan if desired, and serve.
Why This Recipe Works
- So easy – So, so, so very easy to put this shrimp fettuccine alfredo recipe together. Honestly, the shrimp cooks up so fast, and you make pasta according to the package directions, throw some Cajun spice on, mix up a quick alfredo sauce and you’re done!
- Shrimp – Easily one of my favorite seafoods, shrimp is just delicious and my whole family loves it. Plus, if you buy peeled and deveined, that’s even less work for you. All you have to do is toss the shrimp in and cook for 4-7 minutes till it’s done.
- Great leftovers – If you have any Cajun shrimp fettuccine alfredo leftover then you’ll be happy to know it’s still yum the next day. I just reheat mine in the microwave.
- Versatile – You can use any pasta you have on hand with this shrimp alfredo recipe. Also, you could sub chicken for shrimp (just cut into bites and cook a little longer) or add broccoli or some chopped kale in with the sauce – you get the idea.
Expert Tips
- This Cajun shrimp fettuccine alfredo will keep in the fridge for about 3 days. I do not recommend freezing it.
- I prefer to grate the parmesan cheese using a micro plane. If you do not have one, one of the smaller hole sizes in a box grater will work too. The finer your shred, the easier it will be to stir into the sauce to melt.
More Shrimp and Pasta Recipes
- Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo
- Shrimp Boil Foil Packs
- Cajun Shrimp and Rice Skillet
- Shrimp and Broccoli Alfredo
- Best Easy Lasagna
- White Chicken Lasagna
Did you make this recipe? FANTASTIC. Please rate the recipe below and be sure to tag me on social when you share a photo on social – I love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Cajun Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Recipe
Creamy, spicy, delicious Cajun shrimp fettuccine alfredo is easy to make and only takes 30 minutes! Made with simple ingredients right from your fridge or pantry, this meal will soon become one of your favorites!
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and tails removed, patted dry with a paper towel
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk, (see note)
- 8 ounces fettuccine noodles
- 2 cups reserved pasta water
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, (see note)
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cook fettuccine noodles according to package directions. Drain (*Reserve 2 cups pasta water*), toss with a bit of olive oil, and set aside.
- In a large skillet melt 1 tablespoon butter. Stir in 1 teaspoon olive oil.
- Add shrimp to the skillet and sprinkle Cajun seasoning all over the shrimp, then stir for 4-7 minutes until shrimp is opaque.
- Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer shrimp to a dish and cover to keep warm.
- Without cleaning out the skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in garlic for 1 minute til fragrant.
- Stir in flour for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, then reserved pasta water.
- Add parmesan cheese and salt and stir until parmesan is dissolved. Taste, add salt and pepper if needed.
- Add cooked fettuccine noodles to the skillet and return shrimp to the skillet. Give it a good toss.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and additional grated parmesan if desired, and serve.
Notes
Storing leftovers: will keep in the fridge for about 3 days. I do not recommend freezing it.
The parmesan cheese: be sure to use freshly grated parmesan cheese, pre-shredded cheese is packed with a coating to keep it from sticking together in the packaging that tampers with its ability to melt smoothly into sauces.
Grating the parmesan: I prefer to grate the parmesan cheese using a micro plane. If you do not have one, one of the smaller hole sizes in a box grater will work too. The finer your shred, the easier it will be to stir into the sauce to melt.
The milk: I prefer to use fat free half and half, or heavy cream (for an richer sauce), but whole milk will work as well. The higher the fat content, the richer your sauce will be.
Nutrition
Calories: 446kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 1045mg | Potassium: 405mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1336IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 461mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this?Leave a star rating or comment below!
Great recipes I want to make every day thank you for all the recipes and the details ❤️
You’re so kind! Thank you for your review 🙂
Great flavor, but do no make my mistake and add all the pasta water in as directed, add small amounts at a time. I had to make 2 separate rous to get the consistency to what it should be. At least i could freeze the extra sauce it ended up making.
Ratios for liquid are WAY off! I thought it seemed off reading the recipe and should have trusted my gut. I had to make about 1/3 cup of additional roux and add it to thicken the sauce. I would try milk only and add the pasta water as needed but definitely not 2 cups of it.
Luckily while I was cooking this I realized that 2 cups of pasta water would make an extremely thin sauce, so I only added 1 cup. 1 cup of pasta water made a sauce that was the right consistency, but made waaay too much sauce for 8oz of pasta. It was good in the end, but the measurements were definitely off (and my leftovers are very heavily sauced!!)
I recommend updating the ingredients list to say half and half or heavy whipping cream instead of milk, or cut the pasta water down 1 cup (or less), otherwise you will get a really thin sauce. I knew better, but followed the recipe anyway and have a runny sauce that I had to take additional steps to thicken so we didn’t end up with Cajun shrimp Alfredo soup. I will make again I will just adjust accordingly.
Fantastic recipe!
This recipe was mostly great- I had to do some tweaking because despite following the recipe exactly it turned out super runny. I had to add more flour and let it simmer for 10 or so minutes for it to be thick enough. Had I known it was intended to be made with heavy cream or half and half instead I’m sure it would’ve turned out fine. Other than that, not too bad.