Cajun Shrimp Pasta tossed in a zesty lemon cream sauce with lots of veggies: this crazy colorful pasta dish is fast and flavorful!
Helloooooooo Summer!
It’s not calendar official yet but, fun fact about living in the Florida Panhandle, we only have two seasons! Fall and Summer.
That’s it… seriously!
Our Fall feels like Summer, our Winter feels like Fall, and then it’s right back to Summer temps that melt your face off. My weather app basically reads “hotter than Hades” from May to October.
Wait why are we talking about weather?! Let’s talk about FOOD!
Cajun Shrimp Pasta with Lemon and Veggies
Spiked with a zesty lemon cream sauce, cajun shrimp pasta is full of flavor and flecked with enough veggies to keep you from carb-loading. One serving of pasta is 2 ounces per person and that can seem like a real drag when you want a big bowl of noodles. This dish is here to change that!
With an entire pound of broccoli florets, a cup of fresh corn, and lots of juicy seasoned shrimp, you won’t even notice that you’ve only got 2 ounces of pasta on your plate. This zesty cajun shrimp pasta dish is a total rockstar like that!
Cajun Shrimp Pasta with Lemon and Veggies
Ingredients
- 8-12 oz raw shrimp (fresh or frozen)
- 1 lb chopped broccoli florets
- 4 oz fettuccine pasta
- 1 cup corn, fresh, canned, or frozen**
- 3 TBSP unsalted butter* (divided)
- 1 tsp cajun seasoning blend, plus extra to taste
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4-1/2 salt to taste
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp regular paprika
- 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper for an optional kick of heat
- 1 lemon
- ½ or 3/4 cup heavy cream or half cream half milk
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese plus extra for topping
- optional garnish: fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Prep shrimp as needed (clean/peel/defrost). Tails may be left on or off depending on preference.
- Slice your lemon in half. Juice half the lemon into a small bowl and cut the remaining half into wedges. Measure out all remaining ingredients.
- Bring a pot of water to boil and add your pasta.
- Boil pasta for 5 minutes, add broccoli florets, then cook an additional minute or so until pasta is al dente and your broccoli is bright green.
- Pat shrimp dry and season on both sides with salt, pepper, cajun seasoning, paprika, and optional cayenne.
- Heat a large pan or skillet to medium-high heat and add 1 TBSP butter.
- Once butter is melted and pan is heated, add your shrimp and garlic.
- If you're using fresh corn, add it with the shrimp. Using canned or thawed/frozen corn? Add it towards the end.
- Saute until garlic is fragrant and shrimp is pink and opaque, approx. 4 minutes.
- Transfer shrimp and garlic to a bowl, leaving the juices behind.
- While the pan is still at medium-hot heat, add the juice of half your lemon and stir to release the brown bits from pan. Hello flavor!
- Add the remaining butter and cream (start with 1/2 cup and add more as needed/desired) and any extra cajun seasoning to taste. Whisk until slightly thickened. Then add your broccoli, pasta, and parmesan cheese. Mix to coat then add the shrimp. Top with lemon wedges, optional parsley, and as much parmesan as your heart desires.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
swaps and such
- Feel free to go nuts with the veggies here! Asparagus would be excellent swirled into this creamy cajun pasta as would spinach and mushrooms.
- I kept the sauce on the light + lemony side without adding too much cream or cheese, but if you’re jonesin’ for something extra indulgent, feel free to make this dish saucier and/or cheesier to your liking. It’s super versatile!
- Any pasta will work here, from spaghetti noodles to bowties!
- Need a gluten-free option? Try it with your favorite chickpea or quinoa pasta or swap in some gorgeous green zucchini noodles.
Oh my goodness! It’s like a bite of a sunny beach day! We loved it! I shared the recipe with my mom and she has made it a couple of times too.
Hi Jenn! I picked up some beautiful Bay Shrimp from Joe Pattis today and knew just what I wanted to do with them. I made this recipe for dinner tonight! My parents came over to eat with us and everyone raved over it! I told my mom where I found the recipe and I shared with her the history of our friendship. So happy to know you and proud of all of your successes. Thanks for the spectacular easy breezy Saturday night dinner.
Christi you just made my day!!! I’m so glad the recipe was a hit with everyone and seriously, thank you so much for stopping by to bring a smile to my face! Love you so!
What could you use (if anything) to make this vegan? Looks sooooo yummy P.S. I feel the heat too! I live in Navarre and work in Pensacola!
Ahhhh hello neighbor! You could totally make this vegan 🙂 Do you have a go-to cashew cream sauce you like to make? It makes the most excellent base paired with a little earth balance “butter” and you could add all the spices and lemon zest/juice to that to make this creamy veggie pasta. My friend Cassie has an amazing post on cashew cream sauce on her blog if you don’t already have one you love: Cashew Cream
In place of the shrimp I’d add some baby portobello mushrooms (quartered + sautéed) – yum!
This is such a gorgeous dish! I’m definitely giving this one a try!
Hope you simply adore it Beth, thank you!
Shrimp and pasta are two of my favorite foods, and I love the cajun spice twist to this dish! Looks so yummy with the added crunch of the broccoli!
Thank you Marlynn!
We very rarely eat pasta, but when we do — this is how I want it.
Haha thank you Lisa! It would be fabulous with zucchini noodles too for a pasta-free swap!
Hot you day? It’s been raining every day here for three weeks straight! I am loosing my mind! P.S. I love my pasta loaded with veggies too!
Ohmygosh THAT TOO! We have heat, humidity, and rain galore lately and I’m getting stir crazy just looking at the upcoming forecast. I feel your pain!
This is my kind of seafood comfort food. I could eat this all summer.
Thanks Janette! Me too!
Lovely! Hubby is out tonight and he’s not fussed on shrimp so this is my tea sorted. Thanks Jenn! 🙂
I break out the quinoa when mine is away 😉 So excited you’ll be trying the recipe Amy! Thank you!