Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Cajun Shrimp – Smoky, sweet, and creamy with just the right touch of spice.
Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Cajun Shrimp combines the natural sweetness and smokiness of roasted red peppers and garlic with a light cream base and a hint of heat. The sauce is spooned over fettuccine and finished with sautéed, Cajun-spiced shrimp, fresh parsley, and a dusting of Parmesan.
This recipe came from one of those “what’s for dinner?” afternoons. I had fresh red peppers from the farmers market and a head of garlic begging to be roasted. Shrimp won out at the store, and a little Cajun seasoning was perfect to balance the smoky-sweet vegetables. Add pasta and dinner appears like magic.
It’s a quick weeknight meal that’s elegant enough for guests. The sauce and shrimp are easy to double for a crowd, and if the vegetables are prepared ahead, the whole dish comes together fast. The sauce is so good you’ll want a spoon to finish it, and it’s often a hit with kids who ask for seconds.
Start by roasting the red peppers and a head of garlic. While store-bought roasted peppers and pre-roasted garlic work in a pinch, freshly roasted produce brings a deeper, brighter flavor.
While the peppers and garlic roast, toss peeled and deveined raw shrimp with olive oil, chili powder, paprika, onion powder, and black pepper and let them marinate about 20 minutes. If you have ancho or chipotle chili powder and smoked paprika, they add extra depth, but ordinary chili powder and paprika work fine.
Once the peppers and garlic are roasted, peel and roughly chop them. Dice an onion and chop flat-leaf parsley.
Heat a tablespoon each of olive oil and butter in a hot skillet and sauté the shrimp 4–5 minutes, flipping once, until they are just opaque. Be careful not to overcook—the shrimp should be tender, not rubbery.
Transfer the shrimp to a bowl. In the same pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil and butter and sauté the diced onion with a pinch of salt until it softens and begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add crushed red pepper flakes, the chopped roasted red pepper, and roasted garlic and cook briefly until fragrant.
Pour in dry white wine and bring to a gentle simmer, reducing by about one-third to one-half for 3–5 minutes. Add chicken stock and cream or half-and-half and return to a gentle simmer.
Remove the sauce from heat and pulse or puree to your preferred texture with an immersion blender or regular blender. The sauce doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth; a little texture is desirable. Stir in most of the chopped parsley, reserving some for garnish, and taste for seasoning—add salt if needed.
Either toss the cooked fettuccine with the sauce or plate the pasta and spoon the sauce over it. Top with the sautéed shrimp and finish with the remaining parsley and freshly grated Parmesan.
Serve with roasted asparagus and the same dry white wine used in the sauce for a coordinated meal.
If you enjoyed this Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Cajun Shrimp, feel free to leave a comment and share how it turned out for you.
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Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Cajun Shrimp
Ingredients
Roasted Red Peppers
- 2 red peppers, roasted and roughly chopped
Roasted Garlic
- 1 head garlic, roasted and removed from outer skins
Shrimp
- 24 ounces peeled and deveined raw shrimp, medium or large
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – divided 2 T for marinade and 1 T to sauté
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea or kosher salt (to add when cooking)
- 1 tablespoon butter
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3/4 cup diced onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 3/4 cup cream or half and half
- 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
- grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
- 12 ounces fettuccine, cooked according to package directions
Instructions
Shrimp
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In a medium bowl, mix the raw, peeled, and deveined shrimp with 2 tablespoons olive oil, chili powder, paprika, onion powder, and black pepper. Let sit about 20 minutes to marinate.
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Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until the butter foams.
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Add shrimp in a single layer, sprinkle with salt, and sauté, flipping once, until shrimp are just opaque. Remove to a bowl to avoid overcooking.
Sauce
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After removing the shrimp, add another tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter to the pan. When the butter foams, add the diced onion and a pinch of salt.
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Sauté the onion about 5 minutes until soft and beginning to brown.
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Add crushed red pepper flakes, roasted red pepper, and roasted garlic and cook about 1 minute until fragrant.
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Stir in white wine, bring to a gentle simmer, and reduce by one-third to one-half, about 3–5 minutes.
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Add chicken stock and cream or half-and-half and bring back to a gentle simmer.
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Remove from heat and puree to the desired consistency using an immersion blender or regular blender. The sauce should retain a bit of texture.
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Stir in most of the chopped parsley, reserving some for garnish. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
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Toss the cooked fettuccine with the sauce or plate the pasta and spoon the sauce over it. Top with the sautéed shrimp and garnish with remaining parsley and freshly grated Parmesan.
Notes
Use smoked paprika and ancho or chipotle chili powder for a deeper smoky flavor if available.