Cajun Sausage Pasta
This creamy cajun sausage pasta is smoky, spicy comfort food that comes together in one skillet. Rich cream sauce meets perfectly browned andouille with sweet peppers it's the kind of weeknight dinner that tastes like you spent hours when it only took thirty minutes.
Print Pin Servings: 6 bowl's
Calories: 580kcal
Cost: $14.50
Equipment
- 1 Large deep skillet or Dutch oven To brown sausage and cook entire pasta dish
- 1 Wooden spoon or spatula For stirring and scraping browned bits
- 1 Sharp knife and cutting board To slice sausage and chop vegetables
- 1 Measuring cups For broth and cream portions
- 1 Grater To grate fresh parmesan cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb smoked sausage or andouille
- 12 oz penne or fettuccine pasta
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 0.5 cup parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoon cajun seasoning
- 2 bell peppers
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoon olive oil or butter
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 0.25 cup fresh parsley
- extra parmesan for serving
- red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Slice smoked sausage into rounds. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage slices in single layer without crowding. Cook without moving until deep brown on both sides. Remove browned sausage and set aside.
- Add more oil to the same skillet if needed. Sauté diced onions until softened and translucent. Add sliced bell peppers and cook until slightly tender. Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Season vegetables with half the cajun seasoning.
- Add uncooked pasta to the skillet. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Cook until pasta is almost al dente. The pasta will finish cooking in the cream sauce.
- Reduce heat to medium-low before adding cream. Pour in heavy cream slowly while stirring. Add remaining cajun seasoning and paprika. Return browned sausage to the skillet. Stir in grated parmesan cheese until melted and sauce thickens. Simmer gently until sauce coats pasta perfectly.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or more cajun spice. Stir in fresh chopped parsley. Add splash of pasta water if sauce gets too thick. Let rest for 2-3 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra parmesan and red pepper flakes if desired.
Notes
The secret to restaurant-quality cajun sausage pasta is all about patience and temperature control brown that sausage until it's deeply caramelized, don't rush the vegetables, and absolutely never let your cream boil or you'll end up with broken grainy sauce instead of silky perfection. That's what separates amazing from disaster.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 580kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 920mg | Potassium: 380mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 680IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 2.8mg