This Voodoo Pasta is full of cooked pasta, tender shrimp, spicy andouille sausage, all coated in a cajun alfredo sauce that makes this dish lip-smacking good. With this recipe, you can bring all of the flavors of New Orleans and cajun food right to your very own dinner table.
Jump to:
- What makes this recipe irresistible
- What you’ll need: ingredients
- Creative variations to try
- Step-by-step instructions
- Watch and learn: recipe video
- Essential tools for this recipe
- Frequently asked questions (FAQ’s)
- Deb’s tips for the perfect dish
- How to store leftovers
- Repurpose your leftovers
- More recipes you’ll love
- Perfect pairings: what to serve with
- Voodoo Pasta Recipe
What makes this recipe irresistible
I have to admit, when I first tried this recipe I was a little skeptical about it turning out well. I was wrong! Not only does this dish come together in under 30 minutes, but it also packs such rich and spicy flavors that I wanted to lick my plate clean, so I didn't miss a drop of the creamy sauce.
What you’ll need: ingredients
Please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact measurements.
- pasta - I like to use penne or fusilli pasta. But you can use spaghetti, bowtie pasta, really whatever you have on-hand.
- large shrimp - Save yourself some time and get the peeled and deveined shrimp
- andouille sausage - Hillshire Farms is my favorite brand.
- red bell pepper, green bell pepper, onion, garlic cloves
- Alfredo sauce
- Cajun seasoning - (My favorite brand is Tony Chachere's), smoked paprika
- grated Parmesan cheese and minced parsley for garnish
Creative variations to try
- Not a fan of shrimp? Swap out the shrimp for diced chicken breast pieces.
- Need a little less spice? Use regular smoked sausage instead of the andouille sausage slices. It will tone down the heat a little bit.
- Out of cajun seasoning? You can use Creolo seasoning or blackened seasoning as well, it will alter the flavor slightly but it's still delicious.
Step-by-step instructions
Click on each photo to enlarge it so the instructions are clear.This is an overview; for detailed instructions, scroll down to the bottom!
#1 Sauté the shrimp until no longer pink, remove.
#2 Next brown the sausage on both sides.
#3 Add the bell peppers & onions and sauté until soft.
#4 Then add the sauce and seasoning. Stir to combine.
#5 Add the sausage and cooked pasta, stir well.
#6 Finish by sprinkling with parmesan cheese.
Watch and learn: recipe video
Click on the image to watch this fun video and see me make this recipe from start to finish with extra tips!
Essential tools for this recipe
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Frequently asked questions (FAQ’s)
Yes, the cajun seasoning and andouille sausage both add some spice to this recipe to make it moderately spicy. It's a warm spice, though not too hot!
Voodoo pasta is most commonly known from New Orleans, Louisiana. However, it is now a popular dish at many restaurants, and even at Dave & Busters! I think you're really going to like it!
Deb’s tips for the perfect dish
Add the pasta water in small amounts until you get the perfect consistency for your creamy sauce.
- The pasta will continue to cook when you add it to the skillet with the sauce, so remove the pasta from the water while it is al dente, if you want to prevent it from overcooking.
- I've found that using freshly grated Parmesan cheese will give me the best taste and texture in a cream sauce like this. I don't recommend using the canned kind for this recipe.
How to store leftovers
Refrigerate - Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Freezer - Due to the cream sauce in this recipe I don't recommend freezing it, as the sauce may separate.
Reheat - I like to reheat this pasta in a skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. However, you can also reheat single servings in the microwave.
Repurpose your leftovers
I like to get creative with my leftovers, and what I found about this dish is that the leftovers make a great pizza topping! You don't even need sauce.
Just add it to the top of the prebaked pizza crust, and then top with cheese. Pop it in the oven until bubbly and the cheese is melted. It's like a spicy mac and cheese pizza, so delicious!
More recipes you’ll love
Do you love cajun-inspired recipes as much as I do? Here are a few other recipes that you will want to add to your meal rotation.
Perfect pairings: what to serve with
The spicy alfredo sauce is great for dipping slices of this Air Fryer Garlic Bread! And, if you are like me and want a lighter side dish with pasta then this Steakhouse Salad is what you need. A sweet and creamy dessert like this Pineapple Cream Cheese Pie is always great after a spicy meal like this one.
Isn't Cajun food just so tasty? I'd love for you to leave me a comment and let me know what you think about this easy pasta recipe!
Voodoo Pasta Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Large skillet
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fusilli pasta penne or your favorite pasta
- ½ pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 pound andouille sausage sliced (I used Hillshire farms)
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 green bell pepper sliced
- 1 onion sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 15 ounce jar of Alfredo sauce
- ½ cup pasta water
- 1 teaspoons Cajun seasoning or to taste (my favorite brand is Tony Chachere's)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain, saving ½ cup of pasta water.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and sear about a minute on each side, remove and place on a plate.
- Next, add the sliced sausage to the skillet and cook until browned on the first side, about 3 minutes. Flip and brown the second side. Add the sliced bell peppers and onions to the skillet and saute for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic for the last minute and continue to saute until it's fragrant.
- Stir in the jar of Alfredo sauce, ¼ cup pasta water, Cajun seasoning, and smoked paprika. Bring the sauce to a simmer and let it cook for 3-4 minutes until heated.
- Return the cooked shrimp to the skillet and toss in the cooked pasta. Mix everything until the pasta is coated in the creamy, spicy sauce. Add ½ the Parmesan cheese and stir. If the pasta sauce is stiff, stir in the remaining ¼ cup of pasta water.
- Serve garnished with chopped parsley and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over the top of the pasta. Enjoy!
Patricia says
I have to say, this is wonderful! I have never left a recipe review before but I just had to let you know how much we enjoyed it. It was perfect. Thanks for this.
Debra Clark says
That's awesome Patricia, you made my day!! I love this recipe too, it's the best combination of flavors! Perfect for a weeknight meal, fancy enough for company. Gotta love that! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave such a thoughtful comment. I really appreciate it!