Blackened Shrimp Pasta
Warning: Don’t mess with this Blackened Shrimp Pasta!
You are staring at a Cajun inspired, creamy, velvety pasta dish topped with juicy, plump shrimp, and filled with so much bold flavor. This is how we spice up our dinners (and our lives), and you should too. Also, brace yourself because your taste buds are about to do the happy dance.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tony Chachere’s. All opinions and text are mine.
Love Cajun recipes? Don’t forget to also try out my Muffuletta Pasta Salad, Fish Po’ Boy, and Grilled Cajun Chicken recipes.
Blackened Shrimp Pasta…a Cajun pasta recipe
The secret to the amazingness that is Blackened Shrimp Pasta is Tony Chachere’s flavor-packed Spice N’ Herbs Seasoning.
It is the non-negotiable spice that makes this Cajun Shrimp Pasta dish the bomb that it is. We love all things blackened in our household, and have declared this is to be the blackening seasoning to rule all blackening seasoning.
We rub this all over the shrimp, and then add a bit more to the sauce.
The sauce is a creamy and flavorful white sauce, kinda like an Alfredo sauce. With a Cajun twist, of course.
And the best part? (oh yes there’s more) This seasoning already has salt and pepper in it (hello, convenience!), and contains no MSG (oh yes!!).
Okay now. DOUBLE OBSESSION.
How to make Blackened Shrimp Pasta
My heart is bursting with SO MUCH LOVE for this no fuss Blackened Shrimp Pasta that you can cook in under 35 minutes. Say WHAT?!?
Yep. 35 minutes is all you need to bring this Cajun pasta dish into your life!
It’s like restaurant-quality dinner all in the comforts of your home. Minus the unhealthiness and excessive amount of $$ spent on eating out.
Seriously, so worth it.
All you need to do is this: cook shrimp, cook pasta, cook sauce. Then combine everything and FEAST on this delicious Blackened Shrimp Pasta.
Start with sautéing the shrimp on a super hot skillet. Make sure the shrimp is all nice and charred and blackened before pulling them out.
Then you boil some pasta in water, and to save time go ahead and also start making that gooey, cheesy, creamy sauce.
After that, throw pasta into the sauce and toss and toss and toss until the noodles are well coated with all the creamy goodness.
Pro tip: tongs are totally the way to go when tossing noodles of any kind.
Don’t forget those blackened shrimp you made earlier and top them on the pasta.
Hey you, Blackened Shrimp Pasta, you.
SUCH a delicious, flavorful, satisfying Cajun seafood pasta dish.
What kind of shrimp to use?
The best shrimp to use for this dish is peeled raw shrimp. Do not use cooked shrimp, and using unpeeled shrimp will be less flavorful because the seasoning will be on the shells.
Our policy: DO NOT let seasoning of any kind go to waste, especially not on shrimp shells.
Can you substitute shrimp for chicken?
Absolutely! I highly recommend making this dish with either shrimp or chicken! They are both super tasty paired with the creamy pasta.
When making this dish with chicken, follow the same instructions to make the pasta and cream sauce. The amount Tony Chachere’s Salt N’ Herb Seasoning needed for seasoning the chicken may vary slightly from shrimp.
The basic rule of thumb is to use it like salt. When it is salty enough, it is perfectly seasoned!
Tips for making Blackened Shrimp Pasta
Blackened Shrimp Pasta is a super simple dish to make, and here are a few tips to make it even easier…and tastier!
- Use a skillet that can withstand high heat when cooking the shrimp. Cook the shrimp on high heat to create a nice blackened texture. It is after all blackened shrimp. 😉
- If pasta is done cooking long before it’s time to add to the sauce, rinse cooked pasta with cold water to prevent it from continuing to cook and becoming soggy. Then toss pasta in olive oil to prevent them from sticking together.
Make this Cajun Shrimp Pasta today and let us know how you like it!
What to serve with Blackened Shrimp Pasta?
Here are some yummy sides to pair with this Blackened Shrimp Pasta recipe!
- Roasted Lemon Garlic Broccoli
- Easy Garlic Parmesan Asparagus
- Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
- Berry Citrus Kale Salad (by Crumb Top Baking!)
- Sweet Maple Apple Pecan Salad (by The Fresh Cooky!)
DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE? Please comment below and give us a 5-star rating! This will help others find this recipe on Google and Pinterest. We very much appreciate your help! 🤍
More Cajun Recipes!
Some of our other Cajun/Cajun inspired favorites!
- Cajun Chicken
- Cajun Steak and Potato Foil Packs
- Muffuletta Pasta Salad
- Fish Po’ Boy
- Baked Cajun Fries with Cheese Sauce
Blackened Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
Blackened Shrimp
- 3/4 lbs raw peeled shrimp
- 2 tsp Tony Chachere’s Spice N’ Herbs Creole Seasoning
- 2 tsp vegetable oil + more for pan frying
Pasta and sauce
- 8 oz linguine pasta
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup chicken broth + more if needed
- 4-5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 tsp Tony Chachere’s Spice N’ Herbs Creole Seasoning
- 1 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3-4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese + more for garnish
- chopped fresh parsley garnish
Instructions
Blackened Shrimp
- Pat dry defrosted shrimp to remove all access excess water.
- Combine 2 tsp Tony’s Spice N’ Herbs Creole Seasoning and 2 tsp vegetable oil in a small bowl. Mix well.
- Coat shrimp evenly with seasoning and oil.
- Heat skillet or cast iron skillet on high with a few drops of vegetable oil.
- Once skillet is heated, pan fry shrimp for ~2 minutes on one side, then flip shrimp and cook for another ~2 minutes on the other side. Do not overlap or overcrowd skillet. Cook in two batches if needed. (See Note 2)
- Once shrimp is cooked, remove shrimp from heat and set aside.
Pasta + Sauce
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to boil. Add linguine to water and cook based on suggested time on the package. Remove promptly and toss in olive oil to prevent pasta from sticking together.
- Add butter and minced garlic to a skillet (see Note 3). Once butter is melted and garlic is fragrant (do not brown or burn garlic), add flour.
- Stir to combine, then add milk, chicken broth and 1 ½ tsp of Tony’s Spice N’ Herbs Creole Seasoning. Stir and bring to boil. Optional: add more chicken broth if sauce is too thick.
- Add Parmesan cheese and mix well. Remove from heat.
Combine and Serve
- Toss pasta with sauce, and top pasta + sauce with blackened shrimp.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and more parmesan cheese
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
may vary slightly.).
Note 2: To blacken shrimp, make sure you are cooking shrimp in high heat and there
is no excessaccess water on shrimp when you add to the skillet. Also, do not move
shrimp around before flipping to create a nice blackened, charred texture.
Note 3: If using the same skillet used to cook shrimp, wipe off or clean off skillet
before cooking pasta sauce on it.
love this kind of recipe! So simple & easy to prepare …with the Tony”s Spice N Herb’s seasoning.
I’m so glad you like it! 🙂
This was THE BEST shrimp pasta that I have ever had! I used Emeril’s Blackened seasoning blend (it is what I had on hand) and mixed in some cooked fresh veggies (broccoli, asparagus, corn off the cob). I had to use spaghetti noodles and 2% milk, but these were my only alterations and it turned out amazing! Thank you so much for the delicious recipe! Hubby said it was the best shrimp he has ever tasted 🙂
Aww that’s awesome!! So glad you and your husband enjoyed it so much! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
This came out really good. 🙂 Served it with the baked asparagus. Delish!
That sounds yummy! I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
My family loved this dish. Very flavorful (Tony’s Spice N Herb’s is awesome!) and filling. Served with a green salad. Perfect dinner!
Yay! So happy to hear that your family loved this!
This is always a favorite around my house. Easy to make and everyone loves it.
That’s great! So glad!
This is so flavorful! I really appreciated how easy it was to make, too.
Thank you for sharing! I’m so glad!
I had never thought to put blackened shrimp on pasta!! This was a total game changer!! SO GOOD!
It’s sooo good, right!? Glad you tried it and loved it!
This is such a good recipe for a weeknight dinner! So very easy.
Thanks, Susannah!
I made this for my family and there was nothing left for me. Next time I make this I will use less of the seasoning. This was so good.
Thank you for sharing! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it.
I’m looking to make this soon! Is grated parmesean the kind in the green can, the pre-shredded in a bag, or is it freshly grated from a wedge? Thank you!!
I would say avoid the green can – anything that is refrigerated whether it is already grated or from the block should be fine! They just tend to make the dish taste better! 🙂
What other seasonings can I use other than the one that you listed in the recipe?
Any type of Cajun seasoning or blackened seasoning works great!