Creamy Cajun Chicken Chorizo and Shrimp Pasta
Spice up your weeknight with this creamy Cajun chicken chorizo and shrimp pasta. Made from simple ingredients, this creamy pasta recipe is perfect any night of the week. The entire dish comes together in 30-40 minutes and only requires two pans. This spicy pasta recipe is easy to make and delicious.
About this creamy pasta recipe
For this creamy pasta recipe, I used two chorizo chicken sausage links and cut them down into coins. I prefer using chicken sausage because it is lighter than traditional sausage, but just as flavorful. Plus, the chorizo spice adds an extra level of flavor that is hard to resist.
When boiling the pasta, make sure it’s al dente. It will continue to cook in the sauce. Also, be sure to reserve about 1/4 cup of pasta water for the sauce. If it gets to thick you can always add more pasta water.
To make this recipe dairy free, simply use vegan butter and a splash of coconut milk instead of the cream cheese. The coconut milk might make the sauce less creamy, but it is a good substitute.
For some extra spice, I added some fresh sliced jalapeno to my dish. This step is entirely optional. I recommend enjoying this dish with a light simple salad or a slice of crusty bread to soak up the creamy sauce. This creamy pasta recipe makes 4 light dinner servings or two hearty dinner servings. Please see below for the nutritional information.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Reheat in the microwave until heated through.
Creamy Cajun Chicken Chorizo and Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
Seasoning mixture:
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Few turns cracked black pepper
Pasta, chorizo chicken sausage, shrimp, and sauce:
- 8 ounces mini rigatoni, al dente
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water
- ½ lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined, about 12 shrimp
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced, about 2 cloves
- 10 ounces cherry tomatoes
- 2 links chicken chorizo sausage, cut into coins
- 1 can diced tomatoes, 14.5 ounce can, with juice
- 3 ounces cream cheese
Equipment
- pasta pot
- 3.5 quart saucepan
Instructions
Prepare the pasta:
- Boil a pot of water and cook your pasta according to the package. I cooked mine al dente since it will continue to soften in the sauce. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water. Drain off excess water using a colander and drizzle the pasta with olive oil. Set it aside.
Prepare the sauce, chorizo and shrimp:
- In a 3.5-quart saucepan add butter and olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the peeled and deveined shrimp, and cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set them aside.
- Next, add the minced garlic and diced onion to the pan.
- Once the onion begins to soften and the garlic is fragrant, add the cherry tomatoes and sliced chicken chorizo sausage.
- Let this saute in the pan until the sausage begins to brown and the cherry tomatoes begin to blister.
- Add the reserved pasta water and 1 can of diced tomatoes with juice.
- Next, you’ll add the seasonings. Stir well.
- Add the cream cheese and stir until it is melted and well combined.
- Add the cooked shrimp and simmer over medium-low heat.
- Finally, toss in your cooked pasta and serve warm.
3 Comments on “Creamy Cajun Chicken Chorizo and Shrimp Pasta”
This recipe was delicious, I will definitely make it again!
Not only is this fantastic tasting, but the way the recipe is constructed is one of the best I have ever seen. The little check boxes so you don’t forget anything; the clear order in which to perform tasks; even equipment needed. I will look for more recipes with this format on this website. Thank you so much!!
This looks fantastic, but I would have to try it on a cheat night due to the Sat Fat content. It looks great.