Creamy Louisiana Shrimp Pasta

This Creamy Louisiana Shrimp Pasta is rich and delicious. It is quick to cook, making it perfect for busy weeknights. 

The sweet, juicy shrimp are cooked with traditional Creole flavors before being tossed through pasta coasted in a cream cheese and sour cream sauce. 

Serve with a side salad for an easy dinner with a touch of spice. Serve it for Mardi Gras or whenever you need a delicious shrimp dinner!

Making a sour cream sauce for pasta

The sauce is made from cream cheese, sour cream, and milk. This creates a lusciously creamy sauce without the need for flour to thicken it, which is great for people following a gluten-free diet (ensure your pasta is GF).

When you first add the cream cheese and sour cream to the pan, it will look bitty and lumpy, don’t panic; stir the sauce slowly, and the cheese and sour cream will melt into the milk to create your sauce.

What pasta to use?

I like to use penne or cavatappi, or fusilli for this recipe. The creamy sauce sticks to all the ridges and the size makes them perfect for picking up a bit of shrimp, capsicum and pasta.

Which shrimp to buy for pasta

I like to buy frozen raw shrimp!  I always have them in the freezer and know I always have something quick for dinner. Go for 20-25 or 26-30 count, which gives a good serving of shrimp per person - between 8-12.

Make sure you buy raw shrimps for this dish, this will avoid overcooking the shrimp. Overcooked shrimp are rubbery and bland and that is just a waste of shrimp 🙁

Cooking your shrimp 

The shrimp are coated in creole seasonings and then flash-fried until almost cooked. White wine is then added to add flavor, and the steam cooks the shrimp through. They then get added to the sauce at the very end of the dish.

Serving Suggestion

Side: Serve this non-Italian creamy Louisiana Shrimp pasta with a warm sweetcorn salad dressed with butter and black pepper. Or add some crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

Wine: The Creole seasoning in the Louisiana shrimp pair well with several wines, but with the creamy sauce, this dish will be perfect with a Prosecco or a sparkling rose.
For red lovers, this shrimp pasta could carry a Pinot noir, but avoid any high alcohol high tannin reds as they won't work with the creole spices in this dish.

For more delicious shrimp pastas why not try:

• Lemon Pepper Shrimp Pasta
• Spicy Shrimp Pasta
• Bacon Shrimp Pasta
• Creamy Lemon Shrimp Pasta
• Shrimp Chorizo Pasta

Any questions about the recipe? Use the comments section below.

And if you make this Louisiana Shrimp pasta, don't forget to tag me on social media

Enjoy x

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5 from 10 votes

Creamy Louisiana Shrimp Pasta

This Creamy Louisiana Shrimp Pasta is rich and delicious. It is quick to cook, making it perfect for busy weeknights. The sweet, juicy shrimp are cooked with traditional Creole flavors before being tossed through pasta coasted in a cream cheese and sour cream sauce. Serve with a side salad for an easy dinner with a touch of spice. Serve it for Mardi Gras or whenever you need a delicious shrimp dinner!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: Italian Inspired

Servings: 4

Calories: 603kcal

Author: Claire | Sprinkle and Sprouts

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Ingredients

US Customary - Grams

• 12 oz pasta - see note 1
• 1 tablespoon salt

For the Shrimp

• 14 oz raw shrimp - peeled and deveined
• 2 teaspoon creole seasoning - see note 2
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ cup white wine - see note 3

For the Sauce

• 1 onion - see note 4
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ cup cream cheese
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoon creole seasoning -see note 2
• ½ teaspoon ground fennel - optional
• zest half a lemon
• fresh coriander

Instructions

Marinade the shrimp

• Mix the shrimp with the olive oil and creole seasoning.

  14oz/400g raw peeled shrimp
  2 teaspoons creole seasoning
  1 tablespoon olive oil
  
  
• Set aside to marinade.

Cook your Pasta

• Bring a large pan of water to a boil.
• Add the salt and the pasta and cook for a minute less than the packet suggests.

  12oz/340g pasta
  1 tablespoon salt
  
  

For the sauce

• While the water is coming to a boil, prepare your sauce and shrimp.
• Peel and chop the onion and garlic, then cut the red pepper into bite-sized chunks.

  1 onion
  2 garlic cloves
  1 red bell pepper
  
  
• Add the olive oil to a skillet and fry the onion and pepper over medium heat until soft.

  1 tablespoon olive oil
  
  
• Reduce the heat under your skillet, add the garlic to the onion mixture, stir well, then add in the cream cheese, sour cream, milk, creole seasoning, and ground fennel (if using).

  2 chopped garlic cloves
  ¼ cup/60g cream cheese
  ¼ cup/60g sour cream
  1 cup/240ml milk
  2 teaspoons creole seasoning
  ½ teaspoon ground fennel (optional)
  
  
• Stir continuously until smooth and place over low heat.
• While the pasta is cooking, fry your shrimp.
• Place a large skillet over high heat. Once it is hot, add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute until they start to curl into a loose C shape.
• Add in the white wine and let it bubble and evaporate.

  ¼ cup/60ml white wine
  
  
• Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water, drain the pasta, and return it to the pan.
• Add the sauce to the pasta and ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water.
• Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute until everything is coated. Add more pasta water if needed.
• Add in the shrimp and lemon zest.

  cooked shrimp
  zest of ½ lemon
  
  
• Serve immediately with a garnish of coriander.

Notes

1. Ideally, use penne or cavatappi, or fusilli for this recipe. But a ling pasta strand would work too.
2. You can buy creole seasoning in the grocery store or make your own with my easy recipe. (get it here) You can also substitute cajun seasoning.
3. If you don't drink wine or have wine in the house, you can use a low sodium broth or just water.
4. Use any onion; brown, white, or red will work well.

Nutrition

Calories: 603kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 155mg | Sodium: 987mg | Potassium: 595mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2322IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 194mg | Iron: 2mg

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