Blackened Shrimp Pasta
Blackened Shrimp Pasta ~ Cajun seasoned shrimp and linguine in a zesty, flavorful tomato sauce. A simple, weeknight meal elevated for entertaining too.
Between shopping, baking, wrapping, holiday parties and the actual holiday gatherings are meals we need to eat and prepare for our families and some out of town guests that *may* be staying a tad too long. That’s where Blackened Shrimp Pasta comes in.
Most times, but especially this crazy, chaotic fun time of year, there are certain food items I keep in my pantry ~ cans of diced tomatoes and dry pasta are a couple of them. There are so many things you can make with them and when you’re hungry, tired and short on time you can work actual magic with them. A good dry Cajun spice doesn’t hurt the cause either.
In the freezer, I like to keep shrimp and from there, well ~ you can probably guess where I’m going with this.
You’ll find other Blackened Shrimp Pasta recipes on Pinterest so heads up ~ this is not a creamy version. No heavy cream was harmed in the making of this dish. I intentionally created this recipe lighter because lately practically every dish I’ve indulged in contains heavy cream, enough butter to make it illegal and/or abundant amounts of cheese and there seems to be no stopping that train ’til the year, but we’ll get to that another day.
What this dish is not lacking is flavor ~ it packs a heavy punch ~ and because you’re making it yourself, you’re in control of the heat level. If you’re so inclined in the cheese department, you have my (totally unnecessary) permission to shower some parmesan cheese right down over the top and no one ~ absolutely no one ~ will judge you.
Blackened Shrimp Pasta Ingredients:
- olive oil
- butter
- 21-25 shrimp raw
- Cajun seasoning
- onion
- garlic
- mini bell peppers
- pasta water
- dry white wine
- can of diced tomatoes
- smoked paprika
- Worcestershire sauce
- fresh flatleaf parsley
- linguine (or other pasta)
- lemon
Tip #1: If your Cajun seasoning doesn’t contain salt, the shrimp and sauce may require some. You can check for taste near the end.
Rinse the shrimp, pat it dry with a paper towel and place it in a bowl. Sprinkle one tablespoon of Cajun seasoning over the shrimp and gently toss to coat them well.
Heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat in a large skillet, drop in the shrimp and sauté just 1-2 minutes per side without overcooking them, then remove them from the skillet and reserve.
Tip #2: Don’t slice the peppers too thin or they’ll disappear in the sauce.
Reduce the heat slightly then add the onion, bell peppers and grated garlic to the same skillet. Season it with 1/4 teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning and cook 2-4 minutes or until the onions have softened, stirring frequently so the garlic doesn’t burn.
Meanwhile cook the pasta one minute less than package directions (the pasta will finish cooking in the sauce). Scoop out 1/4 cup of pasta water then drain the pasta.
Add the pasta water to the skillet along with the wine, (undrained) can of diced tomatoes, smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce and the other tablespoon of Cajun seasoning. Simmer 5 minutes over medium-low heat letting the sauce thicken slightly.
Taste the sauce and adjust for salt and heat (I added a light sprinkle of both salt and Cajun seasoning to my sauce).
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat it and continue cooking the pasta in the sauce 2 minutes. Return the shrimp to the skillet, fold in the parsley and serve right away with sliced lemon and a loaf of rustic bread. A squeeze of lemon over the top at the end adds a nice brightness to the flavors of the dish.
I love the versatility of shrimp ~ how it goes from quick weeknight to a simple, elevated entertaining dish. Looking for more shrimp recipes? Try Spicy New Orleans Style Shrimp as an appetizer or main dish or this 20 Minute Spanish Shrimp and Rice dish.
Enjoy!
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Blackened Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 pound 21-25 shrimp raw, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons cajun seasoning + 1/4 teaspoon, divided
- 1/2 cup onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 1/2 cups mini bell peppers sliced
- 1/3 cup pasta water
- 1/4 cup white wine dry/not sweet (chicken stock can be substituted)
- 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 8 ounces linguine
- Optional: sliced lemon for serving
Instructions
- Rinse the shrimp, pat it dry with a paper towel and place it in a bowl. Sprinkle one tablespoon of cajun seasoning over the shrimp and gently toss to coat.
- Heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat in a large skillet then drop in the shrimp and saute 1-2 minutes per side without overcooking them then remove them from the skillet and reserve.
- Reduce the heat to low then add the onion, bell peppers and grated garlic to the same skillet. Season it with 1/4 teaspoon of the cajun seasoning and cook 2-4 minutes or until the onions have softened, stirring frequently so the garlic doesn’t burn.
- Meanwhile cook the pasta one minute less than package directions. The pasta will finish cooking in the sauce. Scoop out 1/4 cup of pasta water then drain the pasta.
- Add the pasta water to the skillet along with the wine, (undrained) can of diced tomatoes, smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce and the other tablespoon of Cajun seasoning. Simmer 5 minutes over medium-low heat letting the sauce thicken slightly.
- Taste the sauce and adjust for salt and heat (I added a light sprinkle of both salt and cajun seasoning.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat it and continue cooking the pasta in the sauce 2 minutes. Return the shrimp to the skillet, fold in the parsley and serve right away with slices of lemon for squeezing over the top.
Comments
Leave a Comment
Mary
December 10, 2017
Goodness Granny Gert! This recipe looks so darn good. Love all the flavors going on, especially the mini peppers. Pinned. Thanks for sharing! Chat later, my friend. Have a good week.
Bernie
December 11, 2017
Good Monday morning Mary! Thank you so much friend ~ your comments are always a great start to my day. Glad you enjoyed the recipe – have a good week.
Carmela
January 6, 2019
Oh my goodness! Me and my son made this today and it was DELICIOUS! The flavors and the freshness of the peppers is INSANELY wonderful! Thank you so mi h for sharing your recipe.
Bernie
January 31, 2019
Hey Carmela – I love that you and your son made it together — and that you loved it!! Thank YOU so much for taking the time to comment. I sincerely appreciate it. Enjoy the day 🙂
Carmela
January 6, 2019
Oh my goodness! Me and my son made this today and it was DELICIOUS! The flavors and the freshness of the peppers is INSANELY wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
Margaret
July 31, 2019
I doubled the recipe, the sauce is a killer.
I love this recipe,. its easy with tons of flavor.
Bernie
July 31, 2019
Thank you so much! I love easy recipes with bold flavor too – so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂