Cajun Style Royal Red Shrimp Pasta For One (Or a Crowd)

Jumbo shrimp, meet spicy Cajun! This Cajun-style shrimp pasta is ready to eat in 15 minutes! Just nine to 10 minutes for the pasta to cook to "al dente" while the sweet Argentine Royal Red shrimp cook in just about 2 ½ to 3 minutes. 

Toss the pasta with the seasoned shrimp and buttery Cajun-spiced sauce, and that's it! A restaurant-quality shrimp pasta that's both super tasty and easy to make at home. We definitely think it's worthy of a spot on your rotating pasta roster. Plus, cleanup is a breeze. And if you're feeling spicy, just add a little more heat.

Spicy or not, This Shrimp Pasta is Delicious.

I personally love to eat this pasta a little on the spicier side. But when I make it for dinner parties or groups, I tend to add a little less heat and serve extra cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper flakes on the table so everyone can choose how much (or how little) they'd like to add.

Also, when making a recipe with so few ingredients, try to make sure the shrimp and pasta are both high-quality, which will ensure the tastiest outcome!

If you enjoy this pasta, check out this Paccheri Pasta With Shrimp and Zucchini Sugo, or this Easy Crab Linguine (Linguine Nero di Seppia al Granchio Blu).

Best Shrimp Variety For This Pasta

My go-to shrimp for this recipe are either genuine Royal Red Gulf Shrimp or Argentinian Red (pink) shrimp.

Red shrimp varieties like Gulf Coast Royal Reds are plumper, sweeter, and far more tender than regular shrimp, with a rich, buttery, lobster-like flavor. That's because they live in very deep, cold waters, which gives them more fat and that incredible texture. Whenever I'm in the States, I order Gulf Coast Royal Reds from reputable sources near the coast. They're worth seeking out!

Gulf Royal Reds are my all-time favorite shrimp, period. Italy's Gambero Rosso is just as delicious (maybe even more so), but they cost an arm and two legs. Italian restaurants typically only serve them crudo (raw) because they're so precious. And even though I love sashimi and raw fish, I want my red shrimp cooked, always. There is almost nothing better than a perfectly cooked red shrimp.

That said, it's much easier for most people to find Argentinian Reds, so that's what I've used here. Either variety will work beautifully in this pasta.

And if you can't find the reds where you live, just use the best shrimp you can find. This pasta will still be delicious

Easy Cajun Style Royal Red Shrimp Pasta Ingredients

You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make this spicy Cajun shrimp pasta. Buy the best shrimp that you can find, and the rest is pretty simple. The success of this shrimp pasta depends squarely on the quality of the shrimp (as is pretty much always the case).

Be sure to use the tips below for how to choose and buy the best seafood, and get ready for a great homemade shrimp pasta.

• Royal Red Shrimp (or other wild-caught sustainable shrimp)
• spaghetti or linguine pasta
• unsalted butter
• liquid Concentrated Zatarain's Shrimp & Crab Boil
• Old Bay Seasoning
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

Find the detailed ingredient measurements in the recipe card.

How to Make Cajun Style Royal Red Shrimp Pasta in 15 Minutes

This restaurant-quality shrimp pasta is ready in 15 minutes or less, making it perfect for a delicious busy weeknight dinner, special occasion date nights, or dinner parties.

1. Cook the pasta. Add the spaghetti (or linguine) to a pot of salted boiling water and cook until al dente according to the packaged directions.
2. Cook the shrimp. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a skillet on medium-high heat, add the Zatarain's Crab & Shrimp Boil liquid and Old Bay Seasoning, and stir to combine. Add the shrimp to the skillet in a single layer, sprinkle with a little salt, and cook for approximately 2 minutes. Flip the shrimp in the butter mixture, being sure to coat them well, and continue cooking for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute more, or until they turn pink and mostly opaque; turn off the heat.
3. Add the noodles to the sauce. When your pasta is just cooked through, strain the noodles, reserving approximately ½ cup of the starchy pasta cooking water. Add the strained noodles directly to the skillet with the shrimp and turn the heat back on to medium-high. Add the olive oil and about ¼ cup (60g) of the starchy pasta water to create a loose (but not watery) sauce and continue stirring and tossing everything really well with tongs to combine and coat the noodles in the smooth, silky sauce.
4. Finish the pasta. As soon as you reach the perfect sauce consistency (a matter of just a few seconds), remove the skillet from the heat and add in the last two tablespoons of butter, toss to coat, and serve immediately. Enjoy!

NOTE: If you want to cook the shrimp without the shells, use this delicious 4-Minute Pan-Seared Argentinian Red Shrimp Recipe as a guide for perfectly pan-seared shrimp every time. 

More about Gulf Coast Royal Red Shrimp and the Red Shrimp Varieties

Let's talk about Gulf Coast Royal Reds for a second. They're unequivocally tender, sweet, buttery, and satisfying to eat. They're actually the most tender species in the shrimp family because they carry more fat than other varieties. That extra fat is also why they're sweeter than lobster.

These shrimp live in very deep, cold waters in just a few locations around the world, and those conditions are exactly what give them their beautiful buttery, lobster-like texture and unique flavor. They even cook a bit quicker than other shrimp, making them a perfect candidate for whipping up this pasta on the fly♡.

One thing to know: Royal Reds can be naturally salty (though not always), so taste as you go and adjust the salt in your cooking water and seasonings accordingly.

These prized shrimp require a permit issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to catch, which is part of why they can be harder to find. If you don't have access to them, substitute Argentinian Reds or Italian Gambero Rosso varieties.

Looking for More Easy Shrimp Recipes?

Here are a few of our all-time favorite shrimp recipes to get dinner on the table quickly!