Creamy Cajun Pasta with Sausage

Name: 📖 Creamy Cajun Pasta with Sausage
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 23 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 , 11oz package chicken andouille sausage, cut into discs*; 1 medium red bell pepper, diced; 1 medium yellow onion, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning; 1 , 14.5oz can diced tomatoes ((regular, petite, or fire roasted)); 32 oz chicken broth; 1/2 C heavy cream; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp pepper; 1 lb penne pasta* ((regular or whole wheat)); 3/4 C shredded parmesan cheese; 1/4 C minced fresh parsley

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This Cajun pasta recipe is a wonderful one pan dinner option! Ready in 30-minutes, this recipe is made with a creamy Cajun sauce and andouille chicken sausage. This pasta is a little spicy, creamy, and full of flavor.

Serving bowl of cajun pasta with plates of pasta around it, and a red and tan linen.

Whenever pasta is on the menu, my family is happy. Is this the same in your house?

This one pot Cajun pasta recipe is a fun way to mix things up! The Cajun flavor profile in this spicy chicken pasta recipe is bold, unique, and delicious. It’s really a nice change of pace from the typical Italian flavor profile we tend to default to when making pasta dishes.

Cajun pasta with andouille chicken sausage is an easy 30-minute meal that is quick enough to make on a weeknight! Or make it on a weekend for a special pasta dinner to enjoy with family or friends!

If you love this quick and delicious Cajun Pasta, you need to try this Creamy Lemon Pasta with Smoked Salmon and this Creamy Pumpkin Mac and Cheese too!

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Why You’ll Love This Chicken Sausage Cajun Pasta Recipe
Ingredients Needed
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
Chicken Sausage Calories vs. Regular Andouille Sausage Calories
Pasta Options For This Cajun Pasta Recipe
Step-By-Step Instructions
Possible Dietary Restrictions?
Expert Tips
Helpful Equipment
Recipe FAQs
Love This Recipe? You May Also Enjoy
📖 Creamy Cajun Pasta with Sausage

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Sausage Cajun Pasta Recipe

Easy to make. This recipe just takes a little cutting, a little measuring, cook, and enjoy!

Packed with Flavor! This pasta is super flavorful, bold, and spicy! While every Cajun seasoning is a little different, typical spices found in Cajun seasoning include black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika.

Ready in 30 minutes. It will take you approximately 30 minutes to make this spicy chicken pasta recipe. Making this a great option for a weeknight dinner.

One pan meal. Less dishes is always good with me!

Ingredients Needed

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.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Recipe Variations and 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.

Chicken Sausage Calories vs. Regular Andouille Sausage Calories

I’ve chosen to use chicken andouille sausage in this recipe for a few reasons. Personally, I prefer chicken sausage. Besides personal preference, another big factor in this decision is that the amount of calories in chicken sausage is much lower than regular sausage!

While this varies by brand, a serving of andouille chicken sausage has around 140 calories as compared to over 200 calories in a serving of standard andouille sausage. A serving of chicken andouille sausage is also lower in fat and has a similar amount of protein.

However, if you’re an andouille sausage purist, use the regular sausage in this recipe! It will taste amazing too.

Pasta Options For This Cajun Pasta Recipe

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.

12 image collage showing the process of making this sausage cajun pasta recipe.

Step-By-Step Instructions

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!

Serving bowl of cajun pasta with a serving spoon surrounded by plates of pasta around it, and a red and tan linen.

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, it would be a good idea to confirm the Cajun seasoning you are using is gluten free (or make your own blend).

Expert Tips

What is the best Cajun seasoning to use for this one pot Cajun pasta? There are a lot of great spice blends out there, but my family really enjoys this Cajun seasoning by Tony Chachere.

Helpful Equipment

Recipe FAQs

What is Cajun seasoning made of?

Cajun seasoning are generally made with black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Some Cajun spice mixes may also include salt, mustard powder, chile powder, and/or cumin.

Are Cajun and Creole seasoning the same?

Cajun seasoning and Creole seasoning are often considered interchangeable because their spice profile is very similar. However, there are some subtle differences in their ingredients. Cajun seasonings usually feature an array of ground peppers (black, cayenne, and white). Creole seasonings can be more herbal, featuring oregano, thyme, rosemary, and paprika.

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