Description
This One Pot Creamy Cajun Sausage Pasta is a flavorful and hearty dish combining spicy andouille sausage with tender penne pasta cooked in a creamy, cheesy Cajun sauce. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal, it comes together in just 25 minutes with minimal cleanup.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Dairy
- 12 ounces andouille sausage, sliced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Produce
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)
Pantry
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Brown the sausage: Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add sliced andouille sausage and cook until browned on both sides, about 5-7 minutes. Once browned, remove the sausage from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté the aromatics: In the same skillet, add diced onion and minced garlic. Sauté until softened and fragrant, approximately 3-4 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the sausage.
- Add seasoning and pasta: Stir in Cajun seasoning and the dry penne pasta. Toss to evenly coat the pasta in the spices and aromatics.
- Add liquids and boil: Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream. Stir gently and bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
- Simmer the pasta: Reduce heat to low, cover the skillet with a lid, and let it simmer for 12–15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked al dente and has absorbed most of the liquid.
- Combine sausage and pasta: Return the browned sausage to the skillet and stir well to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Add cheese: Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese into the skillet and stir until the cheese has melted smoothly into the sauce.
- Season to taste: Taste the dish and add salt and pepper as desired to enhance the flavors.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the top for a fresh finish and serve immediately while hot.
Notes
- For a spicier kick, add extra Cajun seasoning or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- You can substitute penne with other pasta shapes like rigatoni or fusilli.
- To make it lighter, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, but sauce will be less rich.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop with a splash of milk.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Cajun
Keywords: One pot pasta, Cajun sausage pasta, creamy pasta, andouille sausage recipe, quick dinner, easy pasta dish, Cajun seasoning
