This creamy Cajun sausage pasta makes a quick and simple dinner that the whole family will love. It is comfort food at its best – bold, creamy, a little spicy, cheesy and completely delicious! Ready in just 20 minutes with minimal prep, it is perfect for busy weeknights.
A stockpile of quick and easy weeknight dinners is essential for any busy family! When you are hungry, but short on time, a simple go-to pasta recipe can be a lifesaver.
Like my 15 minute spaghetti carbonara, prawn and chorizo pasta and creamy chicken and sun dried tomato pasta, this flavourful and simple pasta is a restaurant quality dinner that can be made in no time at all. It is also one that will quickly disappear from your table!
This dish is full of smoky, rich flavour. Juicy pork sausage, smoky Cajun spices and tomatoes, all finished off with some fresh parmesan cheese. I love easy meals with minimal clean up and this recipe ticks both boxes!
I keep the spice level family-friendly, but you can turn the heat up or down to suit your taste. If you like, you can also add your favourite vegetables to boost the veggie content.
Serve it with a simple side salad or some crusty bread for a delicious and satisfying meal that everyone will love!
This pasta is always a hit with my family and I can’t wait for you all to try it!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick and easy – fast dinner with minimal prep and clean up!
- Family friendly – adjust the spices and add veggies to suit your tastes.
- Freezer friendly – the whole dish, or just the sauce can be frozen and heated on busy nights when you need a quick dinner.
What you’ll need
Ingredient notes
Sausage – use whatever sausage you like! I love the flavour of gourmet pork sausages in this dish, but you could also use chicken or beef. Andouille sausage (a smoked pork sausage) or chorizo would also add a lovely, smoky and spicy flavour. Or have you got some leftover sausages in the fridge? This sauce is a great way to use them! Simply chop them up and add them to the finished sauce to heat through.
Pasta – which pasta is best? Choose your favourite! I used fusilloni (spiral pasta). But bow tie pasta with sausage is great too. You can use penne, linguine or even some ravioli. Or substitute gluten free brown rice pasta or lentil pasta to keep the dish gluten free.
Parmesan cheese – I recommend using fresh parmesan or pecorino, rather than pre-packaged shredded cheese. Pre-grated cheese can be coated in preservatives to prevent mold. But that also means that it won’t melt as nicely into the pasta sauce. The melted cheese will thicken the sauce, so a good quality cheese is recommended for both flavour and texture.
Cayenne – this ingredient can be skipped, if you prefer to keep it mild. Adjust the quantities to suit your taste.
Step by step instructions
There is nothing complicated about this recipe! While the pasta is cooking, you can prep and cook the rest of the ingredients as per the recipe below. The fried sausages are stirred together with garlic and then coated in the Cajun spices.
Once the spices have been stirred through, the sausages are simmered in the tomatoes and stock before the cream and cheese is added.
The last step is stirring the spinach through the hot sauce until it has wilted. Once the pasta is cooked, everything is stirred together in the pan and is ready to serve with some extra parmesan cheese.
Handy tips
You’ll notice that this recipe doesn’t contain any additional salt. This is because the parmesan cheese and the sausage, as well as the stock, are all salty. I love salt and I found that I didn’t need to add any to this recipe. But, you can season at the end according to your personal taste!
The cheese will thicken the sauce as it rests. Once the cooked pasta has been stirred through, allow it to sit in the pan for a couple of minutes before serving.
Storage – this dish can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for 2 days in an airtight container. It can also be frozen for 2 months, ready for an easy dinner. If you are making it ahead, I recommend making the sauce and leaving the pasta out, to cook fresh when you want to serve it. This is because the pasta will continue to soak up the sauce, as well as losing some of its texture when frozen. It is much nicer eaten fresh with the re-heated sauce, if possible.
For extra veggies, try adding a handful of chopped sun dried tomatoes to the finished sauce. Or, lightly fry some capsicum, zucchini, grated carrot or corn in the pan with the sausage.
Related recipes
If you love this recipe, try some of these other great mid-week family meals!
I hope you love this pasta! If you try it, I’d love for you to leave a comment or rating and let me know how you enjoyed it. I really appreciate it! Andrea x
Cajun sausage pasta
Ingredients
Cajun spices
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 – 1 tsp cayenne powder adjust to suit your personal taste, or omit this for a milder pasta.
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
For the pasta
- 5 cups dried pasta 400 grams. Choose your favourite pasta.
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 6 pork sausages approximate weight 500 grams, roughly chopped. Or use chicken, beef or chorizo sausages.
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can tomatoes 400 grams
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup cream
- 3/4 – 1 cup parmesan cheese fresh, finely grated
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves
To serve
- extra parmesan cheese freshly grated.
Instructions
- Place the pasta in a pot of boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions.
- While the pasta is cooking, place a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Stir through the chopped sausages and stir until lightly browned.
- Reduce the heat and add the garlic, stirring for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the spices and stir the sausages to coat.
- Add the tomato paste, canned tomatoes and stock and bring to a low simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Carefully add the cream and parmesan cheese and stir for 1-2 minutes until combined and slightly thickened. Turn the heat off and add the spinach leaves, stirring until the leaves had wilted.
- When the pasta has finished cooking, drain it and stir it through the pasta sauce. Allow to sit in the pan for 1-2 minutes while the sauce continues to thicken.
- Top with some more fresh parmesan cheese and serve. Enjoy!