Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta

I LOVE pasta! It is one of my favorite dishes! If I were stuck on a desert island with only one choice of food I would beg for a delicious warm bowl of pasta...

But enough about my pasta addiction... today, I wanted to share one of my favorite creamy pasta recipes so you too could enjoy it at home.

Let’s begin!

[Serves 4]

Ingredients:

300 grams Fettuccine or linguine

12 shrimps, cleaned and peeled

3 tsp Cajun spice mix (see recipe below)

1 Tbs butter

1 Tbs olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup vegetable/chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

6 Tbs parmesan cheese, grated

Cajun spice mix:

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Mix all of the Cajun spice mix ingredients into a dry and empty bottle or container. Shake well and reserve 3 tsp of the spice mix to be used for later.

Prepare the kitchen table by chopping the onion, bell peppers and garlic. Set them aside.

Marinate the shrimp with 2 tsp of the spice mix. Let it sit for 5minutes to allow the flavors to 'sink in'. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package instructions adding salt and 1 Tbs of olive oil.

Heat the 1 Tbs of butter and olive oil in a pan. Fry one side of the shrimp for 3 minutes under medium-high heat, flip and repeat. Transfer it to a plate using a tong and cover them with aluminum foil.

To the same pan, add the onion, garlic and bell peppers, Sauté it for about 4 minutes until they are slightly soft. Reduce the heat to low.

Add the vegetable/chicken stock, heavy cream, parmesan cheese and the remaining 1tsp of Cajun spice mix to the pan. Stir to incorporate it. Cook for 10 minutes until the sauce is thick and creamy. Add more salt if necessary.

When the pasta is done, drain the excess water and add it to the pan. Gently mix the pasta into the sauce. Turn off the heat and transfer the pasta into 4 plates. Top with the fried shrimp, and some parmesan cheese. (If you want to be creative, garnish it with dried oregano, red chili flakes and cilantro leaves).