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Craving something bold and satisfying? This shrimp and chorizo jambalaya pasta delivers smoky, spicy, and savory flavors in every bite.
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What makes this dish special
Do you have a restaurant where you only order one item and haven't tried anything else on the menu because it's so good? I usually try to venture out and try other dishes if I like the restaurant, but if that one meal is so good, I can't help but order it every time. This is very much the case with a local family-run Cajun Italian restaurant in my neighborhood.
They make a jambalaya pasta that's the perfect amount of spice with tender chicken and spicy sausage. I cannot get enough of it. Naturally, being me, I wanted to try to recreate it in my own kitchen. With a couple of my own touches, I came up with this shrimp and chorizo jambalaya pasta that I dare say is just as delicious!
Recipe
Shrimp and Chorizo Jambalaya Pasta
Ingredients
Seasoned shrimp
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Remaining ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 8 ounces cured chorizo sliced
- ½ medium red bell pepper sliced
- ½ medium green bell pepper sliced
- ½ medium red onion sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons Cajun spice seasoning
- 12 ounces fettuccine pasta
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Combine the dry spices, including paprika, salt, garlic powder, oregano, onion powder, cayenne, and black pepper. Season the shrimp with 1 tablespoon of the Cajun spice mix and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook the shrimp until pink and cooked. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In the same pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add chorizo, red and green bell peppers, and red onion. Cook until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and Cajun seasoning along with the remaining spice blend. Toss to coat and saute for another minute.
- Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
- Add the pasta, ¾ cup reserved pasta water, and parmesan to the pan. Continue to simmer, tossing the ingredients together. Add back the shrimp and cook for another minute or until warm. If you need additional pasta water, add the remaining ¼ cup. Season the jambalaya pasta with salt and pepper. Top with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Season shrimp
I'm a sucker for Cajun spices. Cajun-spiced potato wedges? Yes, please. Cajun butter rolls? Why not! Cajun-spiced shrimp? Heck, yes! This would probably also explain why I enjoy this shrimp and chorizo jambalaya pasta - because of all of the spices!
This dish was also one of the most popular dishes I served when I was a private chef cooking lunches for 30 people daily. Whenever I prepared it, everyone would get so excited and for good reason!
I prefer to make my own Cajun spice blend for the main flavor profile and use the pre-made Cajun spice mix sold in stores as the finishing touch. This way, I can control how spicy and salty the dish is.
Combine the paprika with salt, oregano, onion, garlic, cayenne, and black pepper to make the Cajun spices. This blend makes a fairly mild dish, so bump up the cayenne if you like it spicy.
Season the shrimp with the blend of spices and saute until cooked. Since we're adding back the seafood at the end of the dish, you want to fully cook the shrimp.
Step 2: Saute vegetables
Set aside the shrimp while you finish the pasta. In the same pan, add the sliced chorizo and the vegetables, cooking them until softened.
You don't typically use chorizo for jambalaya, but I like the extra spiciness from the sausage. You can also use mild or spicy Italian sausage if you prefer.
I also added sun-dried tomatoes to the pasta, which isn't a normal ingredient, but I found that the tart tomatoes balanced the spicy chorizo beautifully.
Add the remaining spice blend along with premade Cajun seasoning and toss everything together.
Step 3: Putting it all together
Cook the fettuccine while the vegetables are cooking, then add the hot pasta, grated parmesan, and ¾ cup of the pasta water to the mix.
We're going to use the pasta water to help create a sauce and bind all of the flavors together. If you want the pasta to be saucier, you can add extra reserved pasta water.
Add the shrimp back to the pan, tossing to coat everything together, and give it a final seasoning. I recommend adjusting the seasoning at the end because, depending on the premade spice blend and chorizo, you may or may not need more salt.
I didn't add cream to the shrimp and chorizo jambalaya pasta, but if you like a bit of creaminess, add ½ cup to the dish.
Finish the pasta with a sprinkle of chopped parsley, and it's ready to be devoured. Spicy, flavorful, and oh so delicious in every bite!
For another great dish using Cajun spices, check out this Cajun corn casserole with cornflake crust and Cajun beer battered fried pickles!
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: You can mix the dry spices, slice the vegetables, and clean the shrimp a day ahead. Store everything separately in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refridgerator for up to 2 days.
More seafood pasta recipes
Looking for more seafood pasta ideas? Try these:
Work with me
All images shot and styled by Christine Ma. Available for food photography, styling, and recipe development.
Nancy says
What a great take on jambalaya pasta! I really liked the sun-dried tomatoes and the chorizo. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out great.
Christine Ma says
That's so great to hear!