Creamy Cajun Style Pasta is such a delicious fusion of  bold flavors  that combines spicy Andouille sausage, succulent Cajun flavored Gulf shrimp, and fresh fettuccine noodles smothered in a thick, rich, cheese sauce consisting of parmesan and goat cheese with a hint of Cajun spice to tie everything in.

I love anything that calls for Cajun Spices and I decided to try a new recipe for a pasta dish with some leftover ingredients from making my Jambalaya the other night. After all, I still had a good pound of raw Gulf shrimp and fresh Andouille sausage left over, the idea of combining them with  a rich homemade cheese sauce and fresh pasta was just making me super excited!

I decided that I wanted to add more flavor to the Creamy Cajun Style Pasta and thought that diced Rotel tomatoes might just be that extra layer of flavor I was looking for. One thing about Rotel tomatoes that I love is the addition of chiles to the canned tomatoes, making it perfect for adding a bold flavor to almost any recipe that calls for tomatoes.

I also wanted to keep the dish neat and clean with minimal ingredients, which would really keep the andouille and shrimp the key focus in my Cajun Style Pasta dish tonight. I love veggies, but sometimes I really just crave and good meat and cheese recipe without all the other ingredients taking from the flavor…

Creamy Cajun Style Pasta

• 16 ounces fresh  fettuccine noodles
• 8 ounces Andouille sausage sliced
• 1 pound of raw gulf shrimp, shells removed
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1/2 of a teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon of hot sauce
• 2 and 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 of a cup of unsalted butter
• 4 ounces of goat cheese
• 2 cups grated Parmesan
• 1 (10 ounces) can of Ro*Tel diced tomatoes
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning
• Pinch of nutmeg
• kosher salt
• freshly ground  pepper

Directions

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm, stirring occasionally, about 3-4 minutes. Drain pasta without rinsing.
2. In a metal skillet on medium heat, place sliced andouille sausage and cook through till done, about 5 minutes. Remove andouille sausage and place on a plate till ready.
3. Meanwhile, place 1 pound of clean, shell-free, shrimp in a glass bowl along with olive oil, Cajun seasoning, and hot sauce, lightly toss the ingredients till the shrimp are thoroughly coated.
4. In the same metal skillet used for cooking the andouille sausage, place raw shrimp in the pan on medium heat and cook 4-5 minutes or till completely done. Remove from heat and place on the plate with andouille sausage.
5. Stir 2 cups of the cream and the lemon juice in a large skillet to blend. Add the real butter and goats cheese and cook over medium heat just until the butter melts, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.
6. Add 1 can of Ro*Tel diced tomatoes, cook 3 minutes on low heat then completely remove skillet from the heat.
7. Add the pasta and toss. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of cream, andouille sausage, shrimp, and Parmesan to the cream sauce in the skillet. Add the lemon zest, 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning, a pinch of nutmeg, salt, and freshly ground pepper.
8. Toss the pasta mixture over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute
9. Serve immediately.

© Heidy L. McCallum and The McCallum’s Shamrock Patch, 2015 unauthorized use and/or duplication of content/ material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Heidy L. McCallum and The McCallum’s Shamrock Patch with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.