Creamy Cajun Sausage Spaghetti is made with pasta, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, and bold seasoning. This easy pasta recipe is bursting with Southern flavor.
If you’re craving a dinner that’s bold yet comforting, and bursting with Southern-inspired flavor, this Cajun Sausage and Spaghetti is calling your name.
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Creamy Cajun Pasta
This hearty pasta dish brings bold Cajun flavors with Cajun chicken sausage, a rich and creamy tomato sauce, and just the right amount of spice.
I love that this recipe is easy enough for those busy weeknights and still fancy enough when you are entertaining guests.
You will feel like you are enjoying a restaurant style pasta dinner!
Cajun chicken sausage, tender spaghetti, and a creamy tomato-based sauce come together to create an irresistible bowl of comfort.
This Cajun pasta recipe is the perfect balance of spice, richness, and hearty comfort food vibes.
Peppers, celery and onions are known in Cajun cooking as the holy trinity.
This flavorful combination of vegetables brings sweetness, flavor and texture to the pasta and the Cajun seasoning, along with the Cajun sausage, brings just the right amount of heat.
Every forkful is creamy, spicy, cozy and satisfying, and packed with layers of flavor.
If you are a pasta lover and you love spicy comfort food, this Cajun Sausage and Spaghetti needs to be on your dinner table tonight. Add garlic bread and a tossed salad and enjoy!
Spaghetti night just got an upgrade with this easy Cajun spaghetti!
And trust me when I say that this creamy Cajun spaghetti recipe is sure to become a favorite weeknight pasta dinner in your menu rotation.
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How to make easy Cajun sausage spaghetti
This is a quick overview of how to make this smoked sausage spaghetti recipe. Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
- Step 1: Cook the spaghetti according to packge directions for al dente and reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Meanwhile, cook the Cajun chicken sausage until browned. Set aside.
- Step 2: Cook the bell pepper, celery, onion, Cajun seasoning and kosher salt. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Step 3: Add the diced tomatoe and tomato sauce.
- Step 4: Stir in the heavy cream and reserved pasta water.
- Step 5: Stir in the reserved sausage.
- Step 6: And add the cooked spaghetti, tossing until everything is combined. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.
Hint: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese is always better than store-bought grated cheese.
Expert recipe tips
- Slice the sausage evenly so it cooks and browns evenly.
- Cook the pasta just to al dente so it is a good texture when tossed with the hot sauce.
- Feel free to add less Cajun seasoning than the recipe calls for and adjust to taste as the sauce cooks. Homemade Cajun seasoning and different brands of store-bought seasoning will vary in heat level.
- I call for reserving some of pasta water to help thin the sauce. The starch from the pasta water adds to the texture of the sauce.
- If you prefer an even thinner sauce, just add additional pasta water.
- Finish with freshly grated Parmesan for added flavor and salty notes.
Substitutions
- Cajun chicken sausage - Smoky andouille sausage or kielbasa can replace the Cajun chicken sausage.
- Heavy cream – If you prefer a lighter sauce, use half and half instead of heavy cream.
- Green bell pepper - Replace green bell pepper with red bell pepper, orange bell pepper or yellow pepper for sweeter flavor and added color.
- Rotel diced tomatoes – I used mild Rotel diced tomatoes but you can use any flavor or spice level of Rotel tomatoes that you prefer.
- Rotel diced tomatoes – For a slightly saucier sauce, and less heat, replace Rotel tomatoes with a can (14.5 ounces) of diced tomatoes.
- Parmesan cheese - Pecorino Romano cheese will work well in place of Parmesan cheese.
- Fresh Garlic - You can replace the fresh garlic cloves with garlic powder
Variations
- Spicy Version - If you really love spicy, you can add crushed red pepper flakes, extra Cajun seasoning or canned spicy diced tomatoes for more heat.
- Vegetable Pasta - Cook mushrooms or zucchini with the holy trinity, or stir in baby spinach when you add the pasta and sausage to the sauce.
- Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta – For a seafood recipe, you can replace half of the sausage or all of the sausage with shrimp for a Cajun shrimp spaghetti version.
- Cheesy Baked Pasta – Prepare the recipe and then transfer it to a baking dish, top with a combination of grated Parmesan and shredded mozzarella or shredded cheddar cheese, and bake until bubbly.
- Gluten-Free Option – You can make it gluten-free without changing the sauce. Just replace the spaghetti with gluten-free spaghetti for a gluten-free version.
Storage
- Refrigerate - Store any spicy sausage pasta leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat – You can reheat the pasta on the stovetop or in the microwave. You may need to add more cream or chicken broth to loosen the sauce. This recipe reheats beautifully for quick lunches and dinners.
- See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Ingredients
Ingredients for a creamy Cajun sausage pasta recipe
- Spaghetti – Spaghetti is a classic long pasta that soaks up the creamy Cajun tomato sauce beautifully. This pasta shape while provides a hearty base.
- Olive Oil – Olive oil is used to sauté the sausage and vegetables. It also adds richness and helps to build the layers of flavor.
- Cajun Chicken Sausage – Cajun chicken sausage adds a smoky, spicy depth of flavor and bold Louisiana-inspired flavor to the recipe.
- Onion – Onion, part of the holy trinity, adds natural sweetness and savory balance to the spicy sausage and creamy sauce.
- Celery – Celery, also pat of the holy trinity, adds texture and a clean, grassy, slightly earthy flavor.
- Green Bell Pepper – Green bell pepper, another part of the holy trinity, adds color, and a slight bitter flavor.
- Garlic – Garlic adds warm, aromatic flavor to the sauce.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes – Diced tomatoes with seasonings help to create the tomato base of the sauce. The bits of tomatoes add texture and the seasoning adds flavor.
- Tomato Sauce – Tomato sauce gives the creamy sauce consistency, smoothness and richness.
- Pasta Water- Pasta water helps to smooth out the sauce and give it the perfect consistency. You can also use chicken broth instead of pasta water.
- Cajun Seasoning Blend – Cajun seasoning is a bold blend of spices that brings heat, smokiness, and authentic Cajun flavor to the recipe.
- Kosher Salt - Enhances and balances all the flavors and makes them pop.
- Heavy Cream – The heavy cream turns the tomato sauce into a creamy, luxurious coating for the spaghetti. It also helps to balance the heat and spice of the recipe.
- Parmesan Cheese – Parmesan cheese adds a nutty, salty richness.
- Fresh Parsley – Fresh parsley adds a fresh herbal flavor and a pop of color.
Easy Spaghetti Recipes
What to serve with spaghetti
Serve bread and a salad with your spaghetti dinner!
Cajun Sausage Spaghetti Recipe
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 package (12 ounces) Cajun style chicken sausage, sliced
- 1 small onion diced, 1 cup
- 1 small green bell pepper diced, 1 cup
- 1 stalk celery diced, 1 cup
- 1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can (10 ounces) mild Rotel diced tomatoes
- 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup pasta water or chicken broth
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
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Instructions
- Cook spaghetti according to package directions for al dente pasta. Reserve ½ cup pasta water then drain the spaghetti and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet, with deep sides, over medium heat. Add sliced sausage and cook until browned, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage from the skillet and reserve.
- To the same skillet add onion, bell pepper, celery, Cajun seasoning and kosher salt and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the heavy cream and reserved pasta water and simmer for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add the cooked spaghetti and reserved sausage to the skillet, tossing until evenly coated.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.
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