This Cajun Sausage Pasta is creamy, spicy, and full of flavor. It’s made lighter by skipping the heavy cream!
Creamy Cajun Sausage Pasta
When I’m craving a hearty Alfredo-based pasta, my goal is pure comfort food—ultra creamy and packed with flavor. Usually, this means using lots of heavy cream and cheese (like in my favorite creamy sausage pasta!).
But with this Cajun Sausage Pasta, I skipped the heavy cream and used less cheese than most recipes. Don’t worry, though; there’s no sacrifice in flavor or creaminess—none at all! Even with a few lighter swaps, it still tastes just as indulgent as a heavy cream-based pasta.
Ingredients
- Smoked Sausage: Sear until browned for extra flavor.
- Veggies: Slice them to uniform sizes for even cooking.
- Penne Pasta: Cook 1 min less than package directions to avoid overcooking in the sauce.
- Flour: Combines with butter to make a roux, thickening the sauce.
- Chicken Broth: Chicken stock works as well.
- Milk: The lowest-fat milk that works is 1%, but whole milk makes it creamier.
- Cream Cheese: Adds extra creaminess and helps stabilize the sauce.
- Seasonings: Add more or else depending on your spice preferences.
- Parmesan Cheese: Gradually add it off-heat to prevent clumping.
How To Make Cajun Sausage Pasta
- Prep & Cook: Dice onion, garlic, slice sausage, peppers, and mushrooms.
- Sear Sausage & Veggies: Brown sausage, then cook veggies with garlic.
- Cook Pasta: Boil slightly underdone.
- Make Sauce: Melt butter, whisk in flour, then add broth, milk, cream cheese, and seasonings until thick.
- Combine & Serve: Toss pasta, sausage, veggies in sauce, add parm, and enjoy!
Variations
Add A Different Protein
For Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta, cook shrimp after the veggies (see Lemon Garlic Shrimp recipe) and set it aside.
For Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta, add chopped rotisserie or grilled chicken when mixing pasta into the sauce.
How To Make It Extra Flavorful
- Brown the Sausage: Cook the sausage until well-browned for a smoky flavor that adds depth to the dish.
- Seasoning Tip: Cajun seasoning can taste different by brand, so add slowly and taste as you go. Try McCormick’s® or make your own!
- Salt the Pasta Water: Add plenty of salt to the pasta water (about 1 teaspoon per 4 cups) to keep the dish extra flavorful.
- Use Fresh Parmesan: Grate fresh Parmesan for more flavor. Add it slowly to make the sauce creamy.
- Add Fresh Herbs: Top with parsley or basil for a fresh and flavorful garnish.
Storage
Cajun Sausage Pasta Storage
This pasta is best right after it’s made—pasta dishes are always at their best right away!
Leftovers can be stored, but you’ll need to add a splash of milk or broth to make the sauce creamy again when reheating, as the pasta soaks it up over time.
Because of the dairy, this dish isn’t a good choice for freezing.
More Lighter Pasta Dishes
- Chicken Alfredo with a simple creamy sauce
- Penne Pasta with a lighter Parmesan sauce
- Vegetable Pasta with a hidden ingredient
- Corn Pasta with no milk or cream
- Chicken Broccoli Alfredo with a lighter cream sauce
Cajun Sausage Pasta
With no heavy cream, this Cajun Sausage Pasta is light and flavorful with the perfect kick.
Equipment
- Cast-iron pan
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion finely diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 (13-ounce) package smoked sausage coined, see note 1
- 2 bell peppers thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 (8-ounce) package baby bella mushrooms or crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 3-1/2 cups penne pasta see note 2
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock
- 2 cups milk
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 2–4 teaspoons cajun seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese see note 3
- Fresh parsley finely diced, optional
Instructions
- Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and slice the sausage into thin coins. Remove the stems and seeds from the bell peppers, then thinly slice.
- Heat a large cast-iron pan or pot over medium-high. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon oil. Add the sausage coins and sear, stirring occasionally, until browned. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil behind. Set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan and stir in the diced onion for 1 minute. Add sliced peppers and mushrooms, and sauté until crisp on the outside, about 6–8 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Transfer vegetables to the bowl with sausage.
- Cook pasta according to package directions, subtracting 1 minute. Generously salt the boiling water with 1 teaspoon salt per 4 cups water.
- In the same pan, reduce heat to medium and add butter. Once melted, sprinkle flour and whisk until a roux forms. Cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Gradually pour in 1/2 the chicken stock. Whisk until thick. Gradually add remaining stock and milk, 1/2 cup at a time, whisking constantly.
- Increase heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce to a gentle simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5–8 minutes. It should be thick enough to draw a path across the back of a spoon that stays. Melt the cream cheese in the microwave until very soft. Add to the sauce along with the Cajun seasoning, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper. Whisk briskly until combined.
- Remove the cream sauce from heat. Stir in the cooked pasta, sausage, and vegetables, with any accumulated liquid. Toss until well coated. Gradually add Parmesan cheese, a few tablespoons at a time, until integrated. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with parsley, if desired, and serve immediately. Optionally, grate more cheese atop individual bowls with a microplane.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Any smoked skinless sausage works great. We usually use hardwood smoked turkey sausage to keep it lighter.
Note 2: Most penne packages are either 12 ounces or 16 ounces. If you have a 16-ounce package, remove 1 cup, which is 4 ounces. This will leave you with 12 ounces, or 3 1/2 cups, which is the perfect amount.
Note 3: Packaged grated Parmesan from a can is very salty and won’t melt well. Grate a block of Parmesan on a microplane, or use finely grated Parmesan.
Storage: For optimal flavor, enjoy this dish immediately after cooking. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When reheating, add a splash of milk or chicken broth to loosen the sauce, as the pasta will absorb some moisture while stored. Freezing is not recommended due to the dairy content.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 665kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 870mg | Potassium: 641mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2128IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 239mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have made this a number of times over the past few years…it is good!! It’s kid friendly, however be prepared that it does make a lot.
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Noelle! 🙂
This recipe is phenomenal!
Thank you so much Hayley! 🙂
This is a superbly delicious recipe. I made it for our meal prep recently and used campanelle pasta (which I think held the creamy sauce much better tbh,, but I did have to double up on the liquids since I used more pasta). It also went well with a chicken apple sausage that I had on hand. I love the fact that I could really just use one pan with this recipe! S/O loved it too!
LOVE hearing that! Thank you so much for the comment Alyssa 🙂
Hey girl- this looks so yummy!
This looks so good and so easy!
I am totally in love with mushrooms at the moment. x
What I like from this pasta is the caramelization of the veggies and the sausage.