This creamy Cajun shrimp and sausage pasta dish was inspired by the flavors of gumbo. Like lots of gumbos, this recipe starts with a roux that adds depth and complexity to the creamy sauce. We like this with a simple green salad and crusty bread.
Ingredients
- unsalted butter: 0.25 cup
- all purpose flour: 0.25 cup
- medium onion: 1 piece (chopped)
- celery: 1 cup (chopped)
- red bell pepper: 0.66667 cup (chopped)
- green bell pepper: 0.66667 cup (chopped)
- clove garlic: 2 piece (minced)
- Cajun seasoning: 2 tsp
- chicken broth: 0.5 cup
- thinly sliced, fully cooked smoked sausage: 0.5 pound
- red pepper flakes: 0.25 tsp (crushed)
- black pepper: 0.5 tsp (freshly ground)
- salt to taste (see Cook's Notes):
- raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (see Cook's Notes): 0.5 pound
- heavy whipping cream: 0.5 cup
- ounces spaghetti: 12 piece (cooked)
- fresh parsley: (for garnish, chopped, optional)
- lemon slices: (for garnish, optional)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Melt butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat until foamy, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour to foamy butter, whisking quickly to make sure there are no lumps. Continue stirring until roux turns a dark, reddish brown, about 5 minutes.
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Stir in onion, celery, bell peppers, and garlic. Cook and stir until the vegetables have begun to be tender, about 5 minutes.
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Stir in Cajun seasoning and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add sliced smoked sausage and season with red pepper flakes, black pepper, and salt to taste. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 10 minutes.
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Remove cover, increase heat to medium high, and return to a boil. Add shrimp and cream, and cookuntil shrimp turn pink and are curled into a C-shape, about 3 minutes.
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Serve warm over cooked spaghetti. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon slices, if desired.
