This dairy-free Cajun shrimp pasta is bursting with savory spices and tender, pan-seared shrimp for an incredibly flavorful pasta that makes a thoroughly satisfying home-cooked dinner! Made with your favorite pasta (we love gluten-free spaghetti), thinly sliced bell peppers, garlic, tomato paste, and a luscious cashew-based (dairy free!) sauce that is knock-your-socks-off good. It comes together in around 40 minutes for the perfect weeknight, date night, or dinner party meal!
Dive into the YUMMIEST dairy-free cajun shrimp pasta that’s absolute dinner perfection
I am forever dreaming up new ways to make at-home pasta night the best night of the week!
And shrimp is one of our favorite proteins to use for easy weeknight dinners. Because it cooks SO quickly and brings such elevated flavor to the everyday meal landscape – it’s a welcome addition to all kinds of pasta recipes!
Our recipe for DF Cajun Chicken Pasta has long been a favorite on NK, and making a version with shrimp seemed like a natural evolution for another fool-proof addition to our pasta recipe catalog!
The smoky spices, bits of bell pepper, garlic, and onion, along with flavor-deeping tomato paste and a creamy cashew cream based sauce come together to create such a stunner of a dish.
Through my experience creating dairy-free recipes, cashew cream has long been a favorite option in our kitchen for making sauces that don’t fall short on texture or flavor. It’s truly a top-tier dairy alternative.
And it most definitely upgrades the sauce for this shrimp pasta, bringing a welcome creaminess that balances out the bold flavors. Honestly… it’s so dreamy! Easy enough to make any night of the week, but with elevated flavors that would also be absolutely perfect for a dinner party.
👉🏼 Looking for more shrimp dinner ideas?! Be sure to check out our recipes for Burst Cherry Tomato and Shrimp Pasta, 20-minute Shrimp Scampi Without Wine, and 10-Minute Pan Seared Shrimp!
Key ingredients
🌿 If you scroll down to the recipe and think that the ingredient list looks a tad bit long, keep in mind that that’s largely in part because of all the dried spices that are included! Once you’ve measured out the ingredients and chopped the onions and bell peppers, the prep for this pasta dish is really straightforward and comes together super quickly!
Peeled and de-veined shrimp
I always prefer using peeled shrimp for cooking quick meals at home. Tail-on or off both work, but tail-on shrimp tend to have more flavor and are less likely to overcook!
Savory spices
A simple mix of pantry-friendly spices pack a lot of flavor into this pasta!
You could use a pre-made Cajun style spice blend, but if you have them all on hand I suggest the spice combo listed in the recipe – salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, thyme, and a pinch of cayenne (for some optional heat!).
Raw cashews
This pasta dish makes use of our favorite tried-and-true dairy substitute – Cashew Cream! And raw cashews are 100% key to making perfect cashew cream. They absorb liquid better than roasted cashews during the soaking process and blend into the creamiest sauce that you can imagine without a bit dairy.
🍝 A note on pasta! I used Gluten Free Spaghetti by Jovial to make this recipe. Their pasta comes in 12 ounce packages, but if you’re using regular wheat pasta you could likely stretch the sauce and use a pound. You could also substitute with a whichever pasta shape you like best!
How to make dairy free cajun shrimp pasta
This pasta comes together in right around 40 minutes with one skillet, one large pot for boiling pasta, and a high-speed blender to make the cashew cream sauce. There’s minimal chopping – only the bell peppers, onion, and garlic!
Serving suggestions
From your regular Tuesday night to an impressive date-night at home, this pasta is super easy to make and brings some major flavor to your plate, no matter the occasion.
It’s perfect on its own, but would also be delicious paid with your favorite green salad – we love this Simple Arugula and Radish Salad!
If you enjoyed this shrimp pasta recipe we’d love it if you would take a moment to rate and review it below! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 It’s also a good place for questions, and super helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe.
Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK. We’re so grateful you’re here!
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Exceptionally Delicious Cajun Shrimp Pasta (Dairy Free!)
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This dairy-free Cajun shrimp pasta is bursting with savory spices and tender, pan-seared shrimp for an incredibly flavorful pasta that makes a thoroughly satisfying home-cooked dinner! Made with your favorite pasta (we love gluten-free spaghetti), thinly sliced bell peppers, garlic, tomato paste, and a luscious cashew-based (dairy free!) sauce that is knock-your-socks-off good. It comes together in around 40 minutes for the perfect weeknight, date night, or dinner party meal!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews (70 g)
- 12 ounces gluten free spaghetti, or another pasta of choice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- Pinch of cayenne (optional)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp
- 1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 1/2 a large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 a large orange pepper, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Soak the cashews. In a small heat proof bowl, cover cashews with just boiled water and set aside to soak for 15-30 minutes, until they are pale and plump. You can continue with the next few steps of the recipe while they soak.
- Make the pasta. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package, draining about 2 minutes before done (it will continue to cook in the skillet later), reserving about 3/4 cup of the cooking water. Set aside.
- Prep the spices. In a small bowl mix together all the dried spices – 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, and a pinch of cayenne pepper (if using).
- Cook the shrimp. Pat shrimp very dry using paper towels. Add to a medium sized bowl and sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the Cajun seasoning blend and toss to coat. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and cook for for 3-4 minutes, flipping occasionally, until just cooked through. Remove to a plate, leaving any excess oil in the pan, and set aside.
- Sauté the veggies and aromatics. Reduce the heat to medium and add the reserved tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet with the diced onion, bell peppers, and chopped garlic. Sauté the veggies for 3-4 minutes until tender. Add the remaining Cajun seasoning and tomato paste and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat while you make the cashew cream sauce.
- Make the cashew cream sauce. Drain the soaked cashews and add to a blender container with 1 1/2 cups chicken broth and 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes, until smooth and creamy and no pieces of cashew remain.
- Finish assembling the pasta. Return the skillet to the stove top over medium low heat. Add the cooked pasta, shrimp, and cashew cream sauce. Stir to combine, gently scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, and incorporating the spices and tomato paste into the cashew cream sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer, occasionally tossing until the sauce is thick enough to coat the pasta, and the noodles are al dente. If the sauce gets too thick while simmering thin with a little bit of the reserved pasta water until desired consistency is reached.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot topped with fresh parsley if desired, and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Cajun
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