Cajun pasta is proof positive that pasta can adapt to just about any kind of flavor profile. It’s one of the reasons it’s so so popular. This Cajun pasta recipe is comforting, a little spicy, and comes together in one pot for minimal clean-up. It makes for an easy weeknight dinner or quick meal prep and, like lots of spicy food, it gets even more delicious after a few days in the fridge. Now let’s dive into this delicious one-pot recipe!
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How to Make Cajun Pasta
Cooking with “the holy trinity” In Cajun cooking, means dishes start with onion + green bell pepper + celery. It’s known as “the holy trinity” and is used as the base of many recipes, similar to how the French use mirepoix. If for some reason you don’t like/can’t have one of the trinity ingredients, you can substitute with more of the other two ingredients or use a traditional mirepoix (carrots instead of green bell pepper), although the flavor will be a little different.
Can I use a different color bell pepper? Traditionally, no. But we don’t let tradition keep us from wasting ingredients or eating delicious meals!! So I say use what you have or use what you like. Green bell peppers are traditionally used because they are readily available and they have a less sweet flavor than other bell peppers. They tend to be more savory (and they’re typically less expensive than yellow, orange, or red bell peppers.)
Ways to customize this recipe. As written, this recipe is a little bit spicy. I added 1/8 tsp of cayenne and I could feel the heat! If you are sensitive to heat, omit the cayenne altogether, reduce the chili powder a little bit (or a lot bit), and replace it with paprika. If you LOVE spice, feel free to add cayenne and/or some of your favorite hot sauce. You can also buy a spicy sausage to really crank up the heat–chorizo, for example, can get pretty hot!
You can substitute 4 teaspoons of Cajun/Creole seasoning of your choice for all of the seasonings in this recipe.
Related: Weekly Meal Prep: 12 One-Pot Dinners Under 30 Minutes
Other ways to customize this Cajun pasta recipe
- Switch up the protein: shrimp, diced or shredded chicken, shredded jackfruit, sliced mushrooms, ground sausage/pork/beef would all be delicious.
- Add some more veggies! Greens, cauliflower, carrots, peas, and zucchini would all be delicious in this pasta
- Swap out the grain: I used short pasta but this would work with any pasta or orzo, and maybe even rice (you may need to reduce some of the milk for rice and cut back on the cream cheese). You can even eat this over grits or polenta (reduce the liquid so it isn’t too soupy).
Related: Meal Planning For Beginners (Meal Plan Template Inside!)
How to store and reheat Cajun pasta
You can meal prep this Cajun pasta with no problem; it will keep in the fridge, covered, up to 4 days. It also can be frozen for up to 3 months. It does well if you reheat it in the microwave from the fridge (adding a little bit of water or oil helps it from getting too dry.) You can also just pop it on the stovetop and use the same approach with water or oil. Sometimes pasta needs to be rehydrated when you reheat it.
If you would like to reheat this from frozen you can do one of two things. Feel free to defrost it in the fridge and then reheat it in the microwave or stovetop. You can also cook and defrost it directly from frozen. In that case, we like to put it in the oven and cover it loosely with foil. This reheats well in the microwave or on the stove. Happy prepping!
Equipment you’ll need for this Cajun pasta recipe
This isn’t too much! I like keeping things simple whenever I can.
- Large pot or Dutch oven
- Meal prep containers
- Quality chef’s knife
- Cutting board
Other great pasta meal prep recipes you’ll love
- Meal Prep Tuscan Chicken Pasta Skillet
- 20-Minute Ground Beef Pasta With Swiss Chard
- Meal Prep Pasta Primavera
- Sheet Pan Ratatouille Pasta
- Pumpkin Pasta With Ground Turkey, Mushrooms & Kale
One-Pot Creamy Cajun Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 stalk celery diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 1/8 tsp cayenne optional, or more to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 sausage links of your choice sliced; andouille-style is good, so is chorizo
- 15 oz canned diced tomatoes fire-roasted and Rotel style also work
- 2 cup broth of your choice
- 6 ounces short pasta such as penne
- 1/2 cup milk any kind
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese optional, but recommended
- parsley optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat and add the oil. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery with a sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent and the veggies are starting to brown, 7-10 min. If things are sticking to the pan, feel free to add a splash of water.
- Add the garlic, chili powder, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, cayenne (if using), salt, pepper, and sausage with a splash of water to scrape up the brown bits. (You can also use a little bit of dry red wine here; it's called deglazing the pan). Stir until the spices evenly coat the ingredients and cook until the sausage is nearly done, 5-7 min.
- Add the tomatoes (including their juices), broth, and pasta. Increase the heat until the mixture comes to a low boil. Stir well, cover, and reduce to a low simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally and monitor the water level. If the liquid seems to be evaporating quickly, reduce the heat a little and add water as needed. If the pasta is almost ready but the rest looks too soupy, let it cook with the lid off for a minute or so.
- When the pasta is ready, reduce the heat. Add the milk and cream cheese and stir until the cream cheese is fully melted and incorporated. Add the Parmesan cheese gradually, if using, and stir until melted. The sauce will thicken as it cools so don't be alarmed it initially looks like there is extra liquid.
- Assemble. Divide the pasta among three meal prep containers and allow to cool completely before refrigerating Garnish with parsley (if desired).
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