Cajun Sausage Pasta

This Cajun Sausage Pasta is creamy, spicy, and full of flavor. I made it lighter by skipping the heavy cream!

A Creamy Cajun Sausage Pasta Made A Little Lighter

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.

Quick Recipe Breakdown

• Cajun sausage pasta—no cream! I use milk instead. For the lowest calories, go with 1% milk. For a creamier texture, choose 2% or whole milk. Even these options have far fewer calories than cream.
• The sauce includes chicken broth, making up 1/3 of it. This cuts down on calories and fat compared to using just milk.
• I use low-fat cream cheese and less Parmesan than a typical Alfredo sauce. It still gives that classic Alfredo taste, but with less fat.
• A mix of seasonings adds incredible flavor without extra calories or fat.
• For sausage, I prefer turkey sausage for a lighter option, but any skinless smoked sausage works. If turkey isn’t your thing, try Andouille sausage.
• And don’t forget all the veggies—onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, and garlic!

How To Make Cajun Sausage Pasta

1. Season as you go. If this dish tastes flat, add a sprinkle of salt or some extra cajun seasoning.
2. Optional additions. If the sauce tastes too heavy, cut it with some fresh herbs (we prefer flat-leaf Italian parsley). For a bit of heat, I recommend adding in extra cajun seasoning or even a pinch of red pepper flakes.
3. Loosen the sauce. If the sauce ends up too thick at the end, pour in some additional liquid  (a splash of reserved pasta water or extra milk) to thin it out a bit and nicely coat the pasta.

Cajun Sausage Pasta Alfredo Ingredients

• Butter: This sauce also works great with 1/4 cup olive oil instead of butter.
• Flour: This ingredient is responsible for thickening the sauce.
• Chicken broth: This ingredient cuts lots of fat/calories while infusing the sauce with additional flavor and savoriness.
• Milk: The lowest-fat milk I found to work in this sauce is 1%; 2% or whole milk will deliver a creamier pasta. We don’t recommend skim milk or milk alternatives like soy, almond, or oat milk. These milks don’t thicken well and change the overall flavor substantially.

Ingredients Continued

• Seasonings: Cajun seasoning (see “quick tip” below), dried oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper deliver incredible depth to the sauce. Feel free to increase any of these seasonings to personal preference, making sure to add the salt slowly so you don’t end up with an overly salted Cajun Sausage Pasta. (Remember: the sausage, pasta water, and chicken broth are all salted..
• Cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese: Neufchâtel is sometimes labeled “1/3 less fat than cream cheese.” Cream cheese and Neufchâtel cheese are extremely similar, but the Neufchâtel keeps this sauce a little lighter.
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese: Good Parmesan makes a big difference to overall flavor. Avoid canned Parmesan and go for the blocks of cheese to freshly grate. When grating the cheese for this dish, use a microplane (best texture!) or the small holes of your cheese grater.

More Lighter Pasta Dishes:

• Chicken Alfredo with a lighter Alfredo sauce
• Penne Pasta with a lightened-up Parmesan cream sauce
• Vegetable Pasta with a “secret” ingredient (corn) that makes up the cream sauce!
• Corn Pasta made without any milk or cream!
• Chicken Broccoli Alfredo with a lighter sauce and bacon alternative

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5 from 5 votes

Cajun Sausage Pasta

By Chelsea Lords

With no heavy cream, this Cajun Sausage Pasta is light and flavorful with the perfect kick.

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Equipment

• Cast-iron pan

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 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.

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