Cajun Sausage Pasta
This Cajun Sausage Pasta is a flavorful and easy 20-minute dinner recipe! The creamy cajun sauce is packed with flavor and pairs beautifully with the smoky andouille sausage.
I’m always on the lookout for quick and easy dinner recipes! This one I made 4 times in one month because it was so easy and tastes amazing! If you are looking for more recipes like this one, be sure to try my Cajun Chicken Orzo, Creamy Tuscan Chicken, Pasta with Zucchini Sauce, and Boursin Pasta, or recipes!
Why This Recipe Works
- Creamy sauce base. This pasta recipe is amazing because the sauce is really creamy and flavorful! The cream cheese and milk paired together make it creamy, but don’t worry, the sauce doesn’t taste like cream cheese thanks to the cajun seasoning.
- Precooked sausage reduces cook time. The beautiful thing about this andouille sausage pasta is that the sausage is precooked so all you have to do is heat it up in the pan! This helps reduce time, making this the perfect quick and easy dinner!
- Easy 20-minute dinner recipe. This recipe literally only takes 20 minutes to make! It’s so easy and yet so delicious, too! I made this recipe like 4 times in a month because it was so quick and my family loves it! If you’re looking for delicious and easy Friday night dinner ideas, this recipe is perfect!
Ingredient Notes
- Andouille Sausage: Andouille sausage is a smoked sausage that uses pork. It has a distinct flavor to it and is commonly used in cajun recipes gumbo and jambalaya.
- Cajun Seasoning: This is a blend of oregano, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and thyme. For sensitive palates or tiny mouths, you may want to cut the measurement of this in half.
- Cream Cheese: Feel free to use full fat, fat free or half fat. The cream cheese is what makes the sauce so creamy! The tartness of the cream cheese helps mellow out the kick from the cajun seasoning.
- Milk: If you want extra, extra creamy sauce, use half and half or heavy cream. The milk simply helpsbreak up the cream cheese to make it more sauce-like.
- Pasta: You can use whichever pasta you’d like!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Cook the vegetables. While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter and add the garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute. Add the sliced peppers and cook for 3-4 minutes, then add the sausage and season with the cajun seasoning. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until warmed.
- Make the creamy cajun sauce. Add the milk and cream cheese, stirring until the cream cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese, pepper, salt, and cooked pasta. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
Andouille sausage is precooked so all we’re doing is warming it up. If you want extra cajun flare you can purchase cajun andouille sausage, that’s what I used and it was phenomenal!
If you have kiddos eating or if you prefer foods that aren’t super spicy, then I would recommend reducing the cajun seasoning by half. I used 1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning and my two boys loved it! The cream cheese definitely helps balance and mellow out some of the spice.
Variations: Add sliced onions in while cooking the peppers. Add some fresh spinach at the end and stir until the spinach wilts.
Pairs with penne, gemelli, orecchiette, or campanelle pasta. You can really use whatever type of pasta you prefer or have on hand, but using a pasta that has some kind of lip, cylinder or scoop shape is the best because it will hold the sauce better.
What to Serve with Cajun Sausage Pasta
Serve the pasta with a side of buttered vegetables, hasselback potatoes, or a crunchy cabbage salad.
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
If made ahead of time, this pasta will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
To reheat, add a splash of milk to the pasta and warm on the stove or in the microwave until warm. The splash of milk will help the sauce regain its saucy consistency.
I wouldn’t recommend freezing this cajun sausage pasta due to the milk and cream cheese in the sauce. Dairy tends to separate when frozen and thawed.
FAQs
If you are using the store-bought kind and you add a lot in, then your dish will be a little spicy — this is due to the cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes in the seasoning. However, if you are making your own, then just reduce the amount of cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes. I would say this cajun sausage pasta recipe is mildly spicy. Feel free to reduce the measurement of the cajun seasoning in the dish by half if you or your kids aren’t fans of spicy foods! I used 1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning and my kids ate this dish really well!
Andouille sausage is made from pork and is smoked.
The flavor of andouille sausage is unique. Regular sausage can’t really bring that delicious smoky flavor. The closest thing would maybe be kielbasa, but even then, I would stick to andouille. If you do end up using regular sausage, be sure to use sausage links, make sure they are cooked and note that the flavor will differ from the intended flavor of this recipe.
Related Recipes
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Cajun Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta - penne, farfalle etc.
- 2 tablespoons butter - salted or unsalted
- 3 garlic cloves - minced
- 1 red bell pepper - sliced
- 1 green bell pepper - sliced
- 12 oz andouille sausage - sliced into medallions about 1/4" thick
- 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning - for kids/family friendly I would do a little less, 1 1/4 teaspoon or even 1 teaspoon
- 4 oz cream cheese - softened and cubed
- 1 cup milk - I used 2%, could also use half & half
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese - freshly grated
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Equipment
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking heat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter and add the garlic cloves, cook for 1 minute. Add the sliced peppers and cook for 3-4 minutes, then add the sausage and season with the Cajun seasoning and cook for 4-5 minutes or until warmed.
- Add the milk and cream cheese, stirring until the cream cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese, pepper, salt, and cooked pasta. Serve immediately.
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4 Comments on “Cajun Sausage Pasta”
This was delicious! The fact it was quick and easy to pull together was an added bonus. We will definitely be adding it into our dinner rotation!
Another winner from Salt & Baker! My husband and kids all loved it. I thoroughly enjoyed the creamy Cajun sauce with the veggies and andouille sausage- delicious! I also added the onions and spinach recommended in the notes, and all of the flavors blended perfectly. This is a yummy, quick weekday meal that comes with no complaints! Highly recommend!
Made this tonight and it was amazing! I’ve tried Cajun pasta before with very mediocre results. This recipe blew all the rest out of the water. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you for making the recipe! So glad you enjoyed it Victoria!