This easy weeknight One-Pot Cajun Shrimp Boil Pasta is ready in just 20 minutes and requires minimal tools and clean-up!

There’s nothing better in the summer than a good old-fashioned cajun shrimp boil! While this simple One-Pot Cajun Shrimp Boil Pasta recipe doesn’t have the red potatoes you’d normally see in a Louisiana boil, it’s so packed full of flavor and comes together in less than 30 minutes. 

I love cooking low country-style seafood in the warmer months, and while this recipe does require you to turn on your stove, you won’t be slaving over it at all. It almost feels wrong to get so much flavor from such little effort! 

Ingredients & Subs One-Pot Cajun Shrimp Boil Pasta

olive oil
diced white onion
garlic cloves
smoked andouille sausage — You can find this at any big retailer, but if you can, kielbasa would be okay as well. 
penne — I like using short-cut pasta when doing one-pot cooking, simply because it fits in the pot better! You’re welcome to use whatever pasta you want though. 
frozen corn — I love getting fire-roasted frozen corn from Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods for that extra sweet roasted flavor, but regular frozen corn works well too! If you have leftover grilled corn that would be great as well!
fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails off — You might notice that I left the tails on, but that was purely for presentational purposes. Take the tails off and it will be much easier to eat. 16-20 count jumbo shrimp work well so that they don’t get overcooked.
Old Bay seasoning — 1/4 cup sounds like a lot, but you want the flavor to be noticeable! It does have some spice to it, so keep that in mind. 
water
lemon — You’ll add the zest while the pasta cooks and then the juice at the end. Zest the whole lemon while whole, then juice it and set aside. 
butter
salt and pepper
half and half
Fresh parsley

How to Make One-Pot Cajun Shrimp Boil Pasta

Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, saute 3 minutes or until they start to brown become translucent and fragrant. Add the andouille sausage and saute until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes.

To the pot, add the penne, corn, shrimp, and Old Bay. Stir to combine. Add the water, lemon zest, butter, and salt. Gently push everything down in the liquid so that nothing is sticking up. Cover with a lid and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.

Add the half and half to the pasta and stir to combine. Simmer on low for just a couple of minutes until the sauce is the consistency you like, being careful not to overcook the pasta. Add the lemon juice and taste for additional salt and add pepper, if desired. Top with chopped parsley and serve warm.

Troubleshooting

When it comes to one-pot pasta recipes, the key is making sure that your pasta is completely submerged in liquid when it begins to simmer. Otherwise, the pieces sticking out will remain uncooked. You also don’t want there to be too much liquid so that the dish is too watery once the pasta is fully cooked. Whether you have to reduce some of the water or add a bit more, you want just enough liquid to just cover the pasta. This can all vary also depending on the width and the depth of your cooking vessel. 

How to Store

You can store this pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

Can I use any other protein?

If going for vegetarian pasta, you can omit the shrimp and sausage and add some other veggies used in creole cooking. I would add some frozen sliced okra, maybe some bell peppers, additional corn, and possibly some zucchini or yellow squash! If you want to keep it seafood only, you can substitute the andouille for some bay scallops, calamari, and clams or mussels in addition to the shrimp. Trader Joe’s has a good frozen seafood mix if you like and you can also use their frozen Argentinian shrimp or Langostino if you like. 

P.S. If using smaller shrimp, you can add them to the simmering pasta about 2-3 minutes before the cooking time is over so they don’t overcook.  If your shrimp are jumbo like mine, you should be okay. 

More Spring/Summer Pasta Recipes

Lemon Vegetable Pasta

Spring Pasta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette 

Spring Roasted Salmon Pasta

The Best Greek Pasta Salad

Orzo with Mint Pesto and Peas

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Take a browse around the site and please let me know if you make anything by leaving a comment and rating the recipe below. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or requests!

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Yield: 4 Servings

One-Pot Cajun Shrimp Boil Pasta

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

This easy weeknight One-Pot Cajun Shrimp Boil Pasta is ready in just 20 minutes and requires minimal tools and clean-up!

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup diced white onion
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 oz smoked andouille sausage, diced
• 8 oz penne
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 12 oz fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails off
• 1/4 cup Old Bay seasoning
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 lemon, zested, then juiced
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup half and half
• pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, saute 3 minutes or until they start to brown become translucent and fragrant. Add the andouille sausage and saute until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
2. To the pot, add the penne, corn, shrimp, and Old Bay. Stir to combine. Add the water, lemon zest, butter, and salt. Gently push everything down in the liquid so that nothing is sticking up. Cover with a lid and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.
3. Add the half and half to the pasta and stir to combine. Simmer on low for just a couple of minutes until the sauce is the consistency you like, being careful not to overcook the pasta. Add the lemon juice and taste for additional salt and add pepper, if desired. Top with chopped parsley and serve warm.

Notes

See the blog post above.

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