Cajun-Style Shrimp Alfredo
Published Feb. 7, 2024
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Prep Time
- 20 minutes
- Cook Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¾teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾teaspoon onion powder
- ¾teaspoon ground sweet paprika
- ¼teaspoon cayenne powder
- 1pound peeled and deveined shrimp (any size)
- 3tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3celery stalks, diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 1medium yellow onion, diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 1large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 3garlic cloves, minced
- 1jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and minced
- 1½cups heavy cream
- ¾cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 2tablespoons Creole mustard (or 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard plus 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard)
- 1pound fettuccine
- 2scallions, thinly sliced
- Hot sauce, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
1221 calories; 70 grams fat; 37 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 23 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 98 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 52 grams protein; 1161 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
- Step 2
Mix 1 teaspoon salt with the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and cayenne, then sprinkle all over the shrimp.
- Step 3
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook the shrimp, flipping once, until golden, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.
- Step 4
Add the butter to the skillet to melt, then stir in the celery, onion and bell pepper; season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and jalapeño and cook another 2 minutes.
- Step 5
Stir in the cream, bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened and reduced by a third, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the cheese and the mustard and whisk until the cheese has melted.
- Step 6
While the sauce simmers, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 13 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
- Step 7
To the empty pot, add the cooked pasta, the sauce, the shrimp, ½ cup of the reserved cooking liquid and half of the scallions. Toss to combine, adjusting with the remaining pasta water to achieve a creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
- Step 8
Divide among plates or bowls and sprinkle with the remaining scallions. Serve with more Parmesan and hot sauce, if desired.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Brooke McMurray
I would add the shrimp to the sauce at the end of Step 5 and let it absorb the flavors of the sauce as it cooks. Then, off the heat, add cooked pasta and pasta water to combine. Cooking shrimp beforehand and then adding at the end tends to leave you with rubbery shrimp. For added flavor I would remove the shrimp tails and make a quick shrimp stock to add at the end along with or instead of the pasta water.
debbie
I really loved this but thought it was unnecessarily hard. Shrimp shouldn’t be cooked at the beginning. I added mine after step 4 until they got to the right color. Then removed them and added the cream and cheese. It was really great and I ended up using all the reserved pasta water when I combined everything. Needed more hot sauce like crystal
Karen M
Wow, this was great! I opened the app to make what I planned for dinner, and this was the recipe for the day. I realized I had everything needed in my freezer/fridge, and we decided to change our plan. I made this exactly as written and it was wonderful. Note that my husband’s homemade noodles (he makes all our pasta) were the icing on the cake. This was tasty and easy, and we will have this again.
Nicole
Soo good! Only thing I did different was dust the shrimp lightly with flour (season flour with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika seasoning mentioned in the recipe). Would definitely make again.
Don’t fry meatballs
Great dish! I added baby spinach I had in the fridge at the same time as the cream for extra veggies.
mimi
This was very good! Love the Cajun twist on the otherwise heavy Alfredo. I disagree w the comment saying shrimp doesn’t need to be cooked first. It gives the base flavor for the veggies. My only issue was the whole milk (which I subbed for cream) curdled in high heat while I was busy trying to separate strands of stuck fettuccine - be careful simmering the sauce here. Otherwise an excellent dish, if not a quick one
Sylvia
Followed recipe except no celery, and took the advice to add shrimp at end of step 5. Also cooked some boneless chicken tenderloins separately using Cajun spices and added all to the saucepan with pasta water, mixed to combine over low heat. Served with simple green salad; family of 4 loved it and had leftovers. Pretty easy and would cook again. Waaay better than anything from a jar.
Aquidneck
Surprisingly mild. Tasty. Made as-is. Not a keeper.
Emily
How would this be with crab?
Brushjl
Great pasta, wonderful texture and terrific flavor. Also quick and easy!
Raine Scott
Oh my goodness. I made this tonight with a substitution, specifically spices. I hope I'm allowed to write about a product sold by Costco. I have to watch my salt intake, and they have a product Kirkland, Organic No-salt Seasoning. There is basically 21 organic spices contained in the little powerhouse. I used this to sprinkle on the shrimp before cooking. It definitely made this dish amazing. It has cayenne red pepper in it, but, it's not too overpowering. My whole family loved this recipe.
Melanie J
Made this with cajun sausage instead of shrimp- delicious! The whole family loved it! It will be added to our rotation.
Polly
This was good but I agree with others that it was unnecessarily hard. Must be very careful not to overcook shrimp so would agree that waiting until end to add/cook shrimp may work better.
happybill
This was fabulous, cooked exactly as written.
Anila
Just made this for dinner, very tasty. Added more garlic, because garlic. Used 4T butter and 1 cup cream, 1/2 cup half and half. Used a slotted spoon to scoop the undrained pasta into the large saute pan with everything else. Came out nice and creamy. Added a bag of baby spinach as suggested to make it a one pot meal. Did need extra hot sauce, but we like a good kick. My only suggestion is reducing the pasta to 3/4 lb as I felt the ratio of pasta to shrimp and vegies was too much.
SD
I’m not sure how this could take 45 minutes unless that doesn’t count prep time. It’s good as is, but not enough heat to be “Cajun-style” in my opinion. I will make adjustments to the seasoning.
Jefferson's Dad
If you will notice, the last item of the list of ingredients is "Hot sauce, for serving", so everyone can adjust the heat to their liking, we all have different tastes. The time is clearly broken down: Total Time 45 minutes Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 25 minutes...please adjust to your skill level and then you will know how long you need to allow to prepare the recipe. Enjoy cooking!
Lighten it up
This was so good! I lightened it up by not using heavy cream but half half, and only 3/4 cup. I added 2 triangles of Laughing Cow cheese and more pasta water than called for. I will make it again!
Kc
This reminds me of Crawfish Monica, a perennial favorite at the annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Shrimp makes it more accessible, at least for me; unlike crawfish, there’s almost always shrimp in my freezer.
Laurian
I used a poblano pepper (didn’t have a jalapeño) and reduced mustard. Added a little cumin and ginger too. The cream and spice really provide a nice set of flavors. I would bump the cayenne up next time.
Donna
I took a few liberties and the dish was still delicious! Thanks for the inspiration!
Shrimp allergy substitutions?
For those who have cooked this dish, do you think it would be good with chicken instead of shrimp? Our daughter is severely allergic to shellfish so I never even bring it in the house. She loves Alfredo. I’m wondering how this would be with chicken.
Lindsey M.
I made this last week and think it would be good with several proteins. Chicken and salmon have potential. Personally, I'd probably try it with andouille sausage.
Sam B
I made with chicken instead because it’s what I had. Just cubed chicken breast, tossed with the spice mix, and sautéed with the veggies after they softened. Worked great!
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