Shrimp and scallop pasta in Cajun cream sauce is a house favorite! Giant shrimp or king prawns, scallops and Andouille sausage (or use chicken or turkey Andouille sausage) sautéd with peppers and onions in a lighter spicy Cajun cream sauce tossed with gluten-free fusilli pasta noodles.
This is a sponsored post from Tresomega Nutrition written on behalf of me. All opinions are mine and I only support products I love and use myself.
Love seafood dinners? Try my Cod Fish Tacos, Coconut Milk Shrimp Skewers, and Simple Shrimp Ceviche next.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 30 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: About 40 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 515kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Spicy Cajun cream with sweet shrimp, tender scallops, and smoky Andouille sausage
- ✋ Difficulty: Moderate, a step up from my easy spaghetti without red sauce
Quick Answer
Sauté the onions and bell peppers until translucent and set aside. Cook the shrimp and scallops covered in olive oil about 5 minutes, just until the shrimp turns pink, then cool and cut into large chunks. Make the Cajun cream sauce by melting garlic, cream cheese, half and half, Parmesan, white wine, bouillon, tomato paste, and Cajun seasoning together on low. Cook the pasta, then toss everything together with the sauce and garnish with fresh parsley.
Jump to:
- Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make Shrimp and Scallop Pasta
- Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Shrimp and Scallop Pasta FAQs
- Other Recommended Seafood Recipes
- Shrimp and Scallop Pasta In Cajun Garlic Cream Sauce
I will stop you in your tracks now before you start thinking "cream and healthy" really do not mix well. You are right. They don't. So I have turned a traditional Cajun cream sauce seafood pasta recipe into a lighter version using a slight amount of half and half combined with Greek cream cheese which is light in fat!
Credit for this recipe goes to my husband because it all started from his vacation creamy seafood pasta cravings! One evening on our Virginia Beach family vacation, instead of tracking four families and five kids out to dinner we ordered food in and my husband got the most delicious spicy shrimp and scallop pasta in a cajun cream sauce. When we returned home he asked me to implement that same shrimp and scallop pasta because he just could not get his mind off how delicious it was!
All this creamy Cajun talk reminds me of my Louisiana friend, Laurie (hey, girl!). She is always making amazing Jambalaya and creamy meals, and I told her I am gonna one day try to create a "healthy southern food" version! Here we go: a healthier creamy pasta using light Greek cream cheese, quinoa fusilli pasta noodles and chicken sausage instead of beef or pork. Hubby didn't mind because he could not stop raving how delicious my version is!
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Greek cream cheese lightens the sauce. A slight amount of half and half combined with Greek cream cheese, which is light in fat, replaces the traditional heavy cream.
- Pull the seafood early. Shrimp keeps cooking after it leaves the heat, so removing it as soon as it starts to turn pink prevents it from becoming tough and overcooked.
- Large chunks eat better. Cutting the cooled shrimp and scallops into thirds gives you big, tender bites of seafood in every forkful.
- The sauce mellows as it sets. Covering the Cajun cream sauce on low for 15-30 minutes while the pasta cooks melts the cheeses and combines the flavors.
- Reserved pasta water saves the day. A quarter cup of the starchy noodle water thins the sauce to exactly the right consistency at toss time.
- Quinoa pasta adds nutrition. The gluten-free quinoa fusilli cooks perfectly and is packed with nutritional protein and iron.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- A lighter Cajun cream sauce. Greek cream cheese and a small amount of half and half keep it creamy without the heavy cream.
- A 30 minute meal. Cook the pasta while the sauce sets and dinner is on the table fast.
- Restaurant-worthy seafood. Giant prawns and large chunks of scallops make it feel like the vacation dinner that inspired it.
Key Ingredients
- Jumbo shrimp and scallops - start with the freshest raw seafood you can find. Giant prawns and large chunks of scallops taste best.
- Andouille sausage - use turkey or chicken Andouille sausage for a healthier version that is lighter in saturated fats.
- Gluten-free fusilli pasta - quinoa pasta cooks perfectly and is packed with nutritional protein and iron.
- Bell peppers and onion - sautéd until sweet and translucent.
- Whipped cream cheese, half and half, and Parmesan - the lighter trio that makes the Cajun cream sauce.
- Cajun seasoning - 1-2 tablespoons depending on your spice tolerance. You can even make your own homemade Cajun seasoning.
- White wine, tomato paste, and bouillon - the flavor backbone of the sauce.
As always, please see recipe card below for full ingredient list.
Substitutions and Variations
- Vary your shellfish. You can add lobster in this recipe too!
- Control the heat. I suggest starting with 1 tablespoon of Cajun spice and see if you want it spicier, adding up to 2 tablespoons. My husband and I like it very spicy (we were kinda sweating eating it!).
- Sausage swap. I prefer chicken sausage instead of beef or pork Andouille sausage since it is lighter in saturated fats and I do not eat red meat.
How to Make Shrimp and Scallop Pasta
Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
1Cook the vegetables. In a medium skillet heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the onions and bell pepper slices. Heat on medium-high until the onions become translucent, about 10 minutes, continuously mixing. Set aside.
2Prepare the seafood. In a skillet add olive oil then the shrimp and scallops. Cover and heat for 5 minutes on medium heat, just until the shrimp starts to turn pink and the scallops are no longer translucent. It will keep cooking, so remove it right away to prevent it from becoming tough. When cool, remove the shrimp shells and tails and cut the shrimp and scallops into large chunks. Slice the sausage.
3Make the Cajun cream sauce. In a saucepan heat the garlic on low-medium about 1 minute, then add the cream cheese, half and half, Parmesan, white wine, bouillon, tomato paste, Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix continuously to melt the cheeses, then cover and heat on low for 15-30 minutes while you make the pasta.
4Toss it together. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, reserving ¼ cup of the water. In a large bowl toss the noodles, sausage, shrimp, scallops, cooked peppers and onions with the desired amount of sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a little reserved pasta water. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Keep the seafood tender. Cook the shrimp and scallops just until the shrimp starts to turn pink, then transfer to a dish right away. Overcooking makes them tough.
- Watch the spice with kids. This shrimp and scallop pasta recipe is very spicy, so the kiddos might not like it too much. But go ahead and see if they do! Start with 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning.
- Save the extra sauce. This makes a lot of sauce, so you can save some for another meal if you like a light amount on the pasta.
- Make it a 30 minute meal. Cook the pasta while the sauce sets and everything comes together at once.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Serve this for a special dinner at home with a crisp chopped kale salad or a fresh caprese salad to cool the Cajun heat. It is a favorite for date nights, celebrations, and any time you want that vacation-dinner feeling at your own table.
If you love seafood pasta night, rotate it with my blackened rockfish or simple grilled chicken breast over noodles for the milder eaters at the table. For potlucks and sides, my bowtie pasta salad, cucumber feta mint bites, and tomato zucchini pie keep the table interesting, and on busy weeknights we fall back on healthy hamburger helper or a cozy creamy mushroom onion soup.
Thank you Tresomega Nutrition for sponsoring this post. You can purchase Tresomega Nutrition's products online at Tresomega, Sam's Club, Amazon and Walmart, and connect via their website, Facebook, and X.
Shrimp and Scallop Pasta FAQs
Heat the shrimp and scallops in a covered skillet with olive oil for about 5 minutes, just until the shrimp starts to turn pink. It keeps cooking after it leaves the heat, so remove it right away and transfer to a dish to prevent it from becoming tough and overcooked. Cut into large chunks once cooled.
That is up to you! Start with 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning for a milder dish and go up to 2 tablespoons if you like it very spicy. At the full 2 tablespoons my husband and I were kinda sweating eating it, in the best way.
Traditional Andouille sausage, though I prefer chicken or turkey Andouille sausage since it is lighter in saturated fats. Cook it before slicing it into the pasta.
Yes! You can vary your shellfish by adding lobster to this recipe too. Cook it gently like the shrimp and scallops and cut it into large chunks.
We use gluten-free quinoa fusilli, which cooks perfectly and is packed with nutritional protein and iron. The spiral shape holds the creamy Cajun sauce beautifully, and any short pasta works too.
About 40 minutes total: 10 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cooking. Cook the pasta while the Cajun cream sauce sets and it comes together as a 30 minute meal.
Other Recommended Seafood Recipes
I hope you enjoy this Shrimp and Scallop Pasta! Tried it? I'd love to see your creations! Follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for a feature and more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to rate the recipe in the recipe area and leave a comment below.
Shrimp and Scallop Pasta In Cajun Garlic Cream Sauce
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Ingredients
- ½ lb. jumbo shrimp
- ½ lb. scallops
- 2 Andouille sausage links turkey or chicken Andouille sausage for a healthier version, cooked
- 12 oz. TresOmega gluten-free fusilli pasta noodles
- ½ red bell pepper cut into slices
- ½ green bell pepper cut into slices
- ½ cup white onion diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 8 oz. whipped cream cheese
- ½ cup half and half
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 vegetable bouillon no salt added
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1-2 Tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoons Himalayan salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon parsley chopped
- 1-2 Tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the vegetables: In a medium skillet heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the onions, red bell pepper slices and green bell pepper slices. Heat on medium-high until the onions become translucent about 10 minutes continuously mixing. Set aside until ready to use.
- Prepare the meat: In a skillet add olive oil then the shrimp and scallops. Cover and heat for 5 minutes on medium heat or until the shrimp starts to turn pink and the scallops are no longer translucent. Make sure not to over-cook them. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool. Meanwhile slice the sausage. When the shrimp and scallops are cool enough to handle remove the legs, shells and tails of the shrimp then cut each shrimp into thirds. Cut the scallops in half or thirds as well so you have the seafood in large chunks. Set the meat aside until ready to use.
- Make the Cajun cream sauce: In a saucepan or skillet add the garlic and heat on low-medium about 1 minute then add the cream cheese, half and half, Parmesan cheese, white wine, vegetable bouillon, tomato paste, 1-2 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning (for a super spicy dish use up to 2 tablespoons and for a more mild dish use 1 tablespoon), salt and pepper. Mix it continuously to melt the cheeses and combine the flavors. Cover and heat on low for about 15-30 minutes while you make the pasta.
- Make the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve ¼ cup of the water then drain the noodles. In a large bowl mix together the noodles, sausage, shrimp, scallops, cooked onions and peppers and desired amount of the sauce. If the sauce is too thick add a little of the reserve water from the noodles. Toss to combine the ingredients well and garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
Notes
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 6.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 515 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 16 g | 25 % |
| Saturated Fat 8 g | 38 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 3 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 138 mg | 46 % |
| Sodium 1305 mg | 54 % |
| Potassium 244 mg | 7 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 10 g | 3 % |
| Dietary Fiber 1 g | 4 % |
| Sugars 7 g | |
| Protein 32 g | 64 % |
| Vitamin A | 22 % |
| Vitamin C | 29 % |
| Calcium | 24 % |
| Iron | 11 % |
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