I literally wrote this recipe a long time ago during a Long Set of Today’s Country. It worked out pretty well.
Cajun Shrimp & Pasta with Sausage
2 lbs. med-large shrimp (peeled and de-veined)
Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (or Creole seasoning)
1 teaspoon dried Oregano
4 tablespoons Olive oil
12-16 oz smoked sausage (thinly sliced)
1 lb. fettuccine, or your favorite pasta
1 yellow onion, halved and sliced into half-moons
2 red bell peppers (thinly sliced)
8 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (or Creole seasoning)
2 teaspoons brown sugar
6 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 cup crushed tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
1 ⅓ cups Grated Parmesan
2 tbsps parsley (chopped)
Cook shrimp
Toss shrimp with salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning and Oregano, and coat well. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and drizzle bottom of pan with olive oil.
Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes. Flip shrimp over and cook another minute or two. Then remove to a plate and set aside. Drizzle pan with a little more olive oil, add sausage and brown until nicely caramelized, about 4 – 5 minutes. Remove to plate, set aside. The same skillet will be used for making sauce.
Boil pasta
Add pasta to salted boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain, but don’t rinse. Set aside.
Make sauce
Use the same skillet, now empty. Lower heat to medium and add a bit more olive oil to the pan, add the onion, red bell pepper, Cajun seasoning, brown sugar, and a generous pinch of salt. Sauté until onion and pepper have softened a bit, scraping up any browned bits that you can. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add crushed tomatoes, chicken broth and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan, simmer a couple minutes.
Put it all together
Once simmering, add Parmesan and stir into sauce. When Parmesan is blended in, add cooked pasta, and sausage and stir to combine and heat through, 2 – 3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste and then lastly, add shrimp (to avoid over steaming it in sauce).
Garnish with chopped parsley.