Ingredients:

  • 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 12 oz Andouille sausage, sliced into rounds
  • 12 oz penne or rotini pasta
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme

Instructions:

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season shrimp with 1 tbsp of Cajun seasoning and sear for 1-2 minutes per side until opaque; remove shrimp and set aside.
  3. In the same pan, brown the Andouille sausage until mahogany-colored and crisp; remove sausage and set aside.
  4. Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the remaining sausage fat and sauté the diced onion and red bell pepper until softened (about 4-5 minutes).
  5. Stir in the minced garlic and smoked paprika, cooking for 60 seconds until fragrant.
  6. Pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom.
  7. Stir in the half-and-half and dried thyme. Simmer gently for 3-5 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens.
  8. Whisk in the Parmesan cheese until the sauce is smooth and velvety.
  9. Fold the cooked pasta, seared shrimp, and browned sausage back into the pan and toss gently over low heat for 1 minute to coat.