Creamy Cajun Sausage Pasta

As full-time working parents, my husband and I know how tough it can be to put a wholesome, homemade meal on the table after a long day. After putting over 3,500 meals on our table since we’ve been married, this Cajun sausage pasta recipe has become a go-to weeknight meal for us. Our detailed five-step instructions will have you putting a filling and veggie-packed meal on your table in no time!

Busy parents (and people!) love 30-minute meal recipes for a reason – we’ve got things to do! This flavorful Cajun pasta is a fun way to mix up your average pasta night, and get a meal served up quickly too. This recipes is a staple on our weekly menu board, and in the homes of several of our friends too. After giving our Cajun sausage pasta recipe a try, we hope it will become a go-to in your home too.

Cajun Penne Pasta Ingredients

• Chicken Andouille Sausage. Using chicken sausage lightens up this dish, but still packs it with a nice spice and flavor profile. If preferred, you can use regular andouille sausage.
• Bell Pepper. I most often use a red bell pepper, but you can use yellow, orange, or green bell peppers too. I generally select whatever color pepper look best at the grocery store when I’m shopping for this recipe (or any other recipe using bell peppers).
• Diced Tomatoes. my favorite is petite diced, but you can use regular diced tomatoes or fire roasted diced tomatoes too.
• Cajun Seasoning. in addition to the andouille sausage, the Cajun seasoning with what really adds that Cajun punch to this dish. There are a lot of great spice blends out there, but my family really enjoys this Cajun seasoning by Tony Chachere.
• Penne Pasta. Our noodles for this recipe! See below for more pasta options and ideas.
• Heavy Cream and Parmesan Cheese. Used to make our Cajun sauce creamy.
• Chicken Broth. Used to help create our sauce, adding subtle flavor to our dish as well.
• Onion. Adds depth of flavor to our dish.
• Olive Oil. Used to sauté our veggies.
• Salt & Pepper. Used to season our dish (in addition to the Cajun seasoning).

See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all ingredient measurements and full recipe instructions.

Creamy Cajun Pasta Recipe Options

You have several options for the type of pasta to use in this creamy Cajun pasta recipe:

• Whole Wheat Pasta – this is the pasta I’ve chosen to use in this recipe because I try to incorporate more whole grains into my diet. Whole wheat pasta is also higher in fiber, higher in protein, and higher in vitamins and minerals than enriched pasta.
• Regular Pasta – not into whole grain pasta? No worries! Select your favorite standard pasta and enjoy.
• Gluten Free Pasta – selecting a gluten free pasta is a great option if you’re serving this dish to someone with celiac disease. 
• Chickpea or Lentil Pasta – there are more and more plant-based pastas on the market these days. Selecting a lentil or chickpea pasta can be a great way to add more plant-based protein and fiber to your diet!

There are also several shapes of pasta that work well in this recipe. I recommend choosing one of the following:

• Penne Pasta – this is the shape of pasta that I’ve recommended for this recipe
• Rigatoni Pasta
• Rotini Pasta
• Farfalle (Bowtie) Pasta

Not seeing your favorite pasta shape on this list? You can still give it a try! Just make sure to review the cooking time recommended on your pasta’s packaging to ensure you do not overcook it.

How To Make Cajun Pasta With Sausage

Sauté the onion, bell pepper, and sausage with olive oil. In a large high-rimmed skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil, diced onion, diced bell pepper, and sliced sausage and sauté until the onion is close to translucent (about 3-5 minutes).

Add the garlic and Cajun spices. Add in the minced garlic and Cajun seasoning and continue to sauté until the garlic is fragrant (about 30 seconds-1 minute).

Add the tomatoes, broth, cream, salt, and pepper. Pour the diced tomatoes into the pan and deglaze the pan as needed by scraping the bottom of the pan with your wooden spoon. Then add the broth, heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and add in the pasta.

Add the pasta. Stir the pasta frequently, pushing down noodles that are sticking above the liquid. Cook until the noodles are al dente (or done to your liking), about 10-12 minutes.

Stir in the parmesan and parsley. Remove from the heat and add the shredded parmesan and chopped parsley and stir to combine.

Serve and enjoy!

Cajun Sausage Pasta Recipe Substitutions

• Change the protein. In lieu of the chicken andouille sausage, you can use regular andouille sausage. Alternatively, swap out the sausage for chicken breast or shrimp (or get wild and add one of these proteins in addition to the sausage!).
• Alternative onion options. White onion or a small bunch of green onions can be used instead of the yellow onion if preferred.
• Option for more veggies. If you’d like to add some additional vegetables to this one pot Cajun pasta recipe, here are a few suggestions:
  • Add an additional bell pepper.
  • Add fresh spinach. I would recommend 1-2 cups, ribboned and mixed in at the same time as the parmesan and parsley.
  • Add celery. Onion + bell pepper + celery are often called the “holy trinity” in Cajun cooking, so this would be a natural addition if you like celery. Chop it finely and sauté it along with the onion and bell pepper.
• Adjust the heat. This pasta has a nice level of heat, but everyone has a different spice tolerance. Tone it down by cutting the amount of Cajun seasoning in half. Or amp up the spice by adding more Cajun seasoning to your taste.

Possible Dietary Restrictions?

This sausage Cajun pasta recipe can be modified easily to be both vegetarian and gluten free.  

• You have several options to make this into a vegetarian Cajun pasta recipe:
  • Select a plant-based andouille sausage in place of the chicken sausage.
  • Replace the sausage with white beans or chickpeas.
  • Replace the sausage with mushrooms.
  • Leave out the sausage all together.
  • Note: If you choose to make this into a vegetarian pasta, you may want to increase the amount of Cajun seasoning added to offset the flavor and spice that was originally intended to come from the andouille sausage.
• To make these into gluten free pasta recipe by selecting a pasta that is certified to be gluten free. There is a wide variety of gluten free pasta options now, making this an easy substitution! If you are serving this dish to someone with celiac disease, you should also confirm the Cajun seasoning you are using is gluten free (or make your own blend).