I know Mardi Gras is barely a blip on everyone else’s radar, but it’s kind of consumed our lives here in Louisiana. If you’re wanting to celebrate, this Creamy Cajun Pasta with Peppers and Smoked Sausage is one of my favorite Louisiana recipes. It has become a dinnertime staple at our house! You’d never even guess that it’s lightened up, as the sauce is creamy and luxurious and every bite is full of flavor.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
Pasta
- Extra virgin olive oil – Or oil of choice.
- Smoked pork sausage – If you live in Texas or Louisiana, really great smoked sausage is easy to come by. If you’re having a hard time finding smoked sausage at your regular grocery store, try your local butcher shop–many butchers make their own sausages which can be really amazing. Many grocery stores carry andouille sausage, which is what I’m using here.
- Small red onion
- Fresh garlic cloves
- Bell peppers – Any two colors you like. I used red and yellow.
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Water
- Pasta – I use trottole, but use whatever you like!
Sauce
- Milk – I use 1% but any will do.
- Cream cheese – I use low fat. Full fat or low fat (Neufchatel) will both work. Avoid fat free.
- Cajun or Creole seasoning – Like Tony Cachere’s.
- Smoked paprika – This adds a nice smoky depth to the sauce.
- All-purpose flour
- Butter – Always use real butter if you can.
- Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated from the block is best!
How to Make Creamy Cajun Pasta
- You’ll start by sautéing your sausage until it begins to release its oil and start browning. At that point you’ll toss in some sliced onion, then garlic and bell peppers. When the bell peppers are tender-crisp, you’ll remove that mixture to a plate and set aside.
- In your pan you’ll add a can of diced tomatoes and some water to a boil and add some pasta. Quickly cover the pan, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until the pasta is al dente and the liquid is absorbed.
- While the pasta is cooking, you’ll make your sauce, which is basically a Cajun-style version of our Guiltless Alfredo. You’ll place milk, cream cheese, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and flour in the jar of a blender and blend until smooth.
- In a saucepan, melt a little butter and cook some crushed garlic until fragrant, then add the milk mixture and cook until thickened enough that your finger leaves a clean trail down the back of a spoon that’s been dipped in the sauce. Pull the sauce off the heat and add the parmesan cheese.
- When the pasta is cooked, add the sausage and veggies back to the pan, add your sauce, and toss to combine. Season to taste with Cajun seasoning and serve immediately.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store leftover pasta in an airtight container and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- Add a splash of milk before reheating to help loosen the sauce and restore its creamy texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead of time?
While leftovers are still good reheated, the sauce is at its best when freshly added. If you’re planning to serve for a family dinner, I would make it through the step of adding the sauce. Store the pasta and veggie mixture separately, then add the sauce (you may need a splash of milk when reheating) and heat everything gently on the stovetop.
Is this pasta spicy?
It has a little kick, but it’s not super spicy. To control the spice, I would make sure to get a mild sausage. I would still add some Cajun seasoning to the sauce, but you can always finish the dish off with just more salt and pepper to taste instead of adding extra Cajun seasoning at the end.
Can I freeze this pasta for later?
Cream-based sauces can separate when frozen and reheated, so freezing isn’t ideal for this recipe.
Creamy Cajun Pasta with Peppers and Smoked Sausage
This lightened up version of creamy cajun pasta is full of Louisiana flavor, but packed with veggies, protein, and light on fat!
Servings servings
Ingredients
Pasta
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ pound smoked pork sausage halved and cut into 1/4″ slices
- 1 small red onion halved and sliced
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 colored bell peppers I used red and yellow, halved and sliced
- 1 15- ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups water high elevations increase to 1 3/4
- 8 ounces pasta I used trottole
Sauce
- 2 cups 1% milk
- 3 ounces low-fat cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning like Tony Chachere’s
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup 4 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Pasta
- Preheat 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook 2-3 minutes or until it starts to release oil and is browning. Add the onions and cook until fragrant. Add the garlic and sliced bell peppers and cook until the peppers are tender-crisp. Remove from heat and transfer the sausage and peppers to a large plate. Set aside.
- Return the pan to heat and add the tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then quickly add the pasta, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover. Cook until the pasta is al dente and the liquid is absorbed.
Sauce
- While the pasta is cooking, place the milk, cream cheese, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and flour in the jar of a blender and blend until smooth. Heat the butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. When melted, add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes or until tender and fragrant. Add the mixture from the blender and cook until smooth and thickened to where if the back of a spoon is dipped into the sauce, you can trace your finger down the back of the spoon and that spot will stay clean.
- Remove the sauce from heat and add the Parmesan cheese. Stir until melted and smooth.
Combine
- Add the peppers and sausage to the pasta/tomato mixture and stir to combine. Add the garlic sauce and combine. Season to taste with Cajun seasoning and serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.
Notes
- Store leftover pasta in an airtight container and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- Add a splash of milk before reheating to help loosen the sauce and restore its creamy texture.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups, Calories: 349kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 45mg, Sodium: 612mg, Potassium: 455mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 1542IU, Vitamin C: 45mg, Calcium: 275mg, Iron: 2mg
Calories: 349kcal
Cost: $14
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Questions & Reviews
I have had that pasta before and it’s out of this WORLD chewy delicious!! Love. This dish looks amazing!!
This looks amazing!! My husband doesn’t like cheese.. do you think it would be ok if it was left out? Or is there a subtitution I could use?
I wouldn’t leave the cheese out…BUT…it’s really not cheesy or noticeable at all, it just helps thicken the sauce and adds a deeper flavor.
lol, I’ll have to try it when he’s not home… it sounds weird but he hates cheese. with a passion. He will definitely notice it, believe me! Crossing my fingers for kids who love cheese!
Do you drain the tomatoes?
Nope! 🙂
One question : do you take off the casing on the sausages? I never know what to do when it comes to sausage. Thanks. Looks yummy
If it’s Italian sausage, I’ll take it off all the time. But for these types of sausages, I just leave the casings on. Hope that helps!
Not only can my husband eat the same thing many nights in a row, he always orders the same thing at restaurants. I can’t do it. I’m forced to eat most of the leftovers in our house since I work from home and have access to a full kitchen. There are many days that I have to get creative to motivate myself to eat the same thing. Again.
Oh my gosh, mine does the same thing! It drives me nuts! Venture out a little, buddy! 🙂
Looks so yummy and I’m with you on the leftovers…once is good but then after that I am done!
It will make my husband so happy when I make this for Father’s Day. It sounds awesome!
Have you ever frozen the alfredo sauce? I’m thinking about making up a big batch of it and freezing it in portions so we can have it more often without making such a mess in my kitchen.
I’ve frozen it many times and it thaws perfectly!
Looks amazing! There is an error in the write-up and the printable recipe. It says to melt butter and add butter instead of melt butter and add garlic.
Haaa! Thank you! 🙂
Oooookay, my dinner plans are now set. Are those noodles made by a special brand? I have never seen them at my regular grocery stores.
I got them at Kroger–they’re the Kroger Private Selection brand. 🙂
This looks delicious! I just used my peppers last night for dinner! Guess I’ll have to get more. Thanks for the deliciousness. Would andouille sausage work well then?
YES. It would be perfect! 🙂