Cajun Sausage & Prawn Pasta

Cajun Sausage & Prawn Pasta

This is the kind of pasta that announces itself straight away. Smoky, spicy, creamy, and unapologetically bold, Cajun sausage and prawn pasta is not here to whisper in the background. It’s rich without being heavy, spicy without being aggressive, and packed with enough texture and flavour to keep every forkful interesting.

What makes this dish so satisfying is how quickly it comes together compared to how big it tastes. In under half an hour, you’ve got golden sausage, juicy prawns, sweet red pepper, and a glossy Cajun-spiked cream sauce clinging to pasta properly. No long simmer, no overthinking, just smart sequencing and confident flavours.

This is comfort food with attitude. It’s the pasta you make when plain creamy sauces feel boring and tomato-only sauces don’t quite cut it.

Why Cajun flavours work so well in creamy pasta

Cajun seasoning is built for dishes like this. Smoky paprika, garlic, herbs, and chilli create depth instantly, which is exactly what you want when you’re cooking fast. Instead of layering ten different spices, you get warmth, savouriness, and a gentle heat from one blend.

Creamy sauces can sometimes dull spice, but Cajun seasoning does the opposite. The smoke and garlic punch through the richness, while the chilli adds warmth without overwhelming the dish. A small amount of tomato paste anchors everything, giving the sauce savoury depth and stopping it tasting flat.

The result is a sauce that feels indulgent but still lively, rich but never cloying.

Sausage does the heavy lifting

The sausage is the backbone of this dish. Good-quality sausages bring fat, seasoning, and texture in one go, which is why browning them properly at the start matters so much.

As they cook, they release flavour into the pan, and that flavour becomes the base of the sauce. The Cajun spice doesn’t replace that, it builds on it. If the sausage is rushed or under-coloured, the whole dish feels weaker for it.

Slice them, get them golden, and let them do their job.

Prawns for balance, not dominance

The prawns are there to lighten things up.

They add sweetness and juiciness that cuts through the richness of the sausage and cream, and they cook quickly enough that they stay tender if you treat them properly. They’re added briefly, just long enough to turn pink, before the sauce goes in and finishes them gently.

Overcooked prawns turn rubbery and dominate the dish in the wrong way. Here, they’re a contrast, not the main event.

Red pepper, the quiet hero

Red pepper might seem like a supporting player, but it plays an important role. Its natural sweetness balances the spice and salt, and as it softens it melts slightly into the sauce, adding body without heaviness.

It also adds colour and freshness, which keeps the dish from feeling too dark or dense.

The sauce is simple, but the order matters

This is not a complicated sauce, but the sequence is important.

Garlic, tomato paste, and Cajun spice go in together so the paste can cook out and the spices can bloom in the fat. Chicken stock loosens everything and lifts the flavours from the pan, while cream rounds it out and brings everything together.

Parmesan at the end thickens, seasons, and adds savoury depth. Pasta water gives you control over the final texture so the sauce coats the pasta instead of sitting at the bottom of the bowl.

This is a sauce that’s meant to cling, not drown.

Cajun Sausage & Prawn Pasta Recipe

Ingredients

200 g penne pasta
2 good-quality sausages, sliced
1 red pepper, diced
2 tbsp Cajun spice
2 garlic cloves, minced
150 g raw king prawns
1 tbsp tomato paste
200 ml chicken stock
150 ml double cream
40 g parmesan, grated, plus extra for serving
10 g parsley, chopped

Salt and black pepper
Oil, for cooking

Method

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil and cook the penne for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions. Before draining, reserve a mug of the pasta water, then drain and set aside.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large frying pan over medium to high heat. Add the sliced sausages and cook for a few minutes until deeply golden on both sides. Don’t rush this, colour here means flavour later. Once browned, push the sausages to one side of the pan.

Add the diced red pepper to the empty side of the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until it starts to soften but still holds its shape.

Add the minced garlic and raw prawns. Cook for about 1 minute, just until the prawns start to turn pink.

Stir in the tomato paste and Cajun spice. Cook for another 30 seconds, stirring well so everything is evenly coated and fragrant.

Pour in the chicken stock and double cream. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened.

Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss everything together so the sauce coats the pasta. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce and make it glossy.

Stir through the grated parmesan and chopped parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper if needed.

Serve immediately with extra grated parmesan over the top.

What good Cajun pasta should look like

The sauce should cling to the pasta, not pool underneath it. The prawns should be tender and juicy, not curled tight. The sausage should have colour and texture, not softness. If the sauce tightens too much, pasta water fixes it instantly.

Glossy is the goal.

Ways to tweak it without breaking it

If you want more heat, add chilli flakes or a pinch of cayenne.
If you want it smokier, add extra smoked paprika.
If you want it richer, add a splash more cream or extra parmesan.
If you want freshness, finish with lemon zest or extra herbs.

The structure is solid. You can push it around without losing what makes it work.

What to serve it with

This pasta stands up on its own, but a simple green salad with a sharp dressing works well if you want contrast. Garlic bread is optional but never a bad idea.

Serve it hot, straight from the pan, while the sauce is loose and glossy.

Storage and leftovers

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat gently with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce. Freezing isn’t ideal, but it won’t fall apart if you do.

Why this recipe earns its place

Cajun sausage and prawn pasta is bold, comforting, and reliable. It’s fast enough for a weeknight, exciting enough to feel like a treat, and balanced enough that you don’t feel knocked out halfway through.

It’s exactly the kind of recipe that justifies proper written content around it, because it’s not filler food. It’s food people actually want to cook and eat.