Quick Weeknight Cajun Shrimp Farfalle with Lemon Cream Sauce

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Quick Weeknight Cajun Shrimp Farfalle with Lemon Cream Sauce is cheesy, spicy, smoky perfection. This is a rich pasta with amazing brightness from the lemon juice and lemon zest. Unbelievably, this dinner comes together in only 20 minutes!


cajun shrimp pasta pictured in black matte bowl with fork in bowl. Pasta is garnished with fresh parsley. Bread, a butter dish and a glass ramiken with grated parmesan cheese are in the background


This is one of those absolutely perfect pasta dishes that not only tastes amazing but also takes such a short time to make. Including preparation and cook time, this recipe takes under half an hour to get from pan to table.


The biggest time-saving secret to this recipe is using shrimp. Shrimp is a delicious and healthy protein that cooks insanely quick. In about six minutes, the shrimp for this dish will be all set. On top of cooking lightning quick, shrimp is sweet, succulent and juicy.


I love discovering different ingredients at the store and buying them with the specific idea of cooking a meal and developing a recipe around that ingredient. I was shopping with the husband and we happened upon a Cajun seasoning that looked delicious. We do steak nights that Anthony grills for us (to perfection) every Saturday night. Originally, he thought that maybe he would experiment with the Cajun seasoning on his steak. However, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. His current seasoning blend is magical so the Cajun seasoning just sat on the spice rack.


I decided to get in on the Cajun action. Immediately, I was picturing this seasoning paired with shrimp and some sort of pasta. The Cajun seasoning is spicy and packs so much punch in one little bottle. It can be a bit on the salty side so I knew I wanted to include big lemon flavor with this farfalle dish to offset that.


Pasta dishes are always such a perfect choice on nights when you need to get dinner on the table quickly. Pasta takes only about 10 minutes to cook and absorbs the delicious flavors of whatever sauce, cheese and proteins you’re using in your dish. Taco Mac and Cheese and Chicken Broccoli Alfredo are other quick weeknight dinner favorites in my household.


The combination of shrimp and pasta is the perfect marriage. Both come together so quickly and shrimp and pasta taste so delicious together. My Dad’s recipe for Shrimp Scampi is my favorite. It’s such a wonderful combination when you want a delicious and elegant dinner and you’re short on time. A pasta paired with shrimp screams fancy.


This recipe is very creamy and cheesy and decadent. The lemon juice and lemon zest in this recipe offer the perfect amount of acid to balance everything out and round out all of the delicious flavors in this dish. You need a little bit of that citrusy acid to cut through all of the richness in this pasta dish.


Variations and Substitutions

Recipes are always a great starting point when you want to expand your cooking repertoire. Once you master a new recipe, it’s so much fun to see what different versions you can transform the base recipe into. You can swap out the protein, the cheese, the half & half or the type of pasta that you use to give yourself a very different take on this Quick Weeknight Cajun Shrimp Farfalle with Lemon Cream Sauce. Feel free to try some of the different variations or substitutions below.


  • Instead of shrimp, try:
    -Chicken
    -Ground beef
    -Steak
    -Pork
    -Turkey
    -Lobster
  • Instead of grated parmesan cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese, try:
    -Cheddar
    -Gruyere
    -Brie
    -Smoked gouda
    -Swiss
    -Muenster
    -Colby jack
    -Pepper jack
  • Instead of half & half cream, try:
    -Whole milk
    -Heavy cream
    -Jarred alfredo sauce
  • Instead of farfalle pasta, try:
    -Rigatoni
    -Rotini
    -Linguine
    -Ziti with lines
    -Shells
    -Macaroni
    -Fusilli
    -Cavatappi
    -Tortellini
    -Fettuccini
    -Radiatori
  • Different add-ins to try:
    -Asparagus
    -Broccoli
    -Spinach
    -Orange bell peppers
    -Tomatoes
    -Zucchini
    -Summer squash
    -Purple onion


How should I thaw the frozen shrimp?

I buy bags of frozen shrimp for this dish. You can of course buy fresh and then you’ll skip the thawing process. But if you’re like me, then you will need to thaw those shrimp. To thaw, take the bag from the freezer and place it into the refrigerator for 12-24 hours until thawed. It’s easiest to toss it into the refrigerator the night before you’ll be cooking with them. TIP: Put the bag of frozen shrimp into another bag or in a bowl to prevent any liquid from dripping out of the bag during the thawing process.

In a pinch and if you need to defrost them ASAP before your dinner, no worries. It can absolutely be done. Remove the frozen shrimp from the bag and add them to a bowl of cold water. Allow them to sit in the cold water for 10 to 20 minutes until thawed and voilà, you are ready to get cooking.


How do I remove the tails from the shrimp?

It’s a matter of your personal preference whether or not you remove the shrimp tails. I like to remove them for this dinner. To remove the tails of the shrimp, pinch the tail where it meets the body of the shrimp and gently pull. The shrimp should slide easily away from the tail. You may also cut the tail off with kitchen shears, if preferred.


More Recipes To Try:


  • Better Than The Buffet Chinese Fried Shrimp: This is a New England Chinese restaurant favorite. The simple and flavorful batter uses only 6-ingredients and will give you the perfect crunchy yet fluffy bite. The flavorful breading compliments the succulent sweetness of the jumbo shrimp.
  • Kielbasa and Shrimp Skillet Gumbo Rice: This is the perfect dinner to feed a family on a budget during a busy weeknight. The creole flavors in this dish accentuate the smoky kielbasa and succulent shrimp perfectly.
  • New England Style American Chop Suey: A dinner that comes together in just 30 minutes that is as delicious as it is comforting. This is the perfect meal to enjoy on a cold winter day. The tomato based sauce is so light because it’s made with tomato juice and diced tomatoes instead of a tomato sauce. The ground beef, green pepper and Worcestershire sauce compliment this macaroni dish perfectly.
  • Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad with Ham & Peas: This is a recipe that can be finished in under 25 minutes. It’s perfect whether you’re attending a BBQ, potluck or you’re bulk prepping your lunches for the week. With only 6-ingredients and in less than 25 minutes, you will have a creamy, delicious pasta salad.
  • Wicked Good Corn Chowder Casserole with Bacon: This delicious dinner will deliver on classic corn chowder flavor but in casserole form. This is a great and budget friendly dinner for the whole family. The sweet corn pairs perfectly with the salty bacon. This chowder is so creamy and decadent, yet surprisingly light. You won’t believe this is made with milk instead of cream (and you’ll never miss it).


Instructions

Zest the peel off of the lemon and set aside for later use. Prepare the shrimp by peeling the tails off of the shrimp. Heat a large pan sprayed skillet and add the jumbo shrimp. Add butter, lemon juice, Cajun seasoning and salt. Flip the shrimp halfway through cooking. Cook for about 6 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside. In the meantime, prepare farfalle pasta according to package instructions. NOTE: Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water before draining the farfalle.

cajun shrimp that has been cooked. the shrimp has been transferred out of the pan and into a white floral bowl for later use.


Begin the Creamy Lemon Sauce in the same skillet that the shrimp was cooked in. Add olive oil and garlic to the skillet and allow to cook for 1 minute. Add half and half cream, grated parmesan cheese, butter, lemon zest, salt, black pepper, garlic powder and dried parsley. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.


Add cooked shrimp, cooked farfalle pasta, the reserved ¼ cup of pasta water and shredded mozzarella cheese to the Creamy Lemon Sauce. Stir until fully combined for about 2 minutes.

adding farfalle pasta to creamy cajun shrimp pasta sauce


Let me know in the comments below if you tried this recipe or made any substitutions when cooking for you and your family. As always, I thank you for your support and for finding my recipes in my small corner of the internet. I appreciate you!


cajun shrimp pasta pictured in black matte bowl with fork in bowl. Pasta is garnished with fresh parsley. Bread, a butter dish and a glass ramiken with grated parmesan cheese are in the background

Quick Weeknight Cajun Shrimp Farfalle with Lemon Cream Sauce

Dominique Collins-Bloomfield
Quick Weeknight Cajun Shrimp Farfalle with Lemon Cream Sauce is cheesy, spicy, smoky perfection. This is a rich pasta with amazing brightness from the lemon juice and lemon zest. Unbelievably, this dinner comes together in only 20 minutes!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Cajun

Ingredients
  

  • 16 Ounces jumbo shrimp
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • Teaspoon Cajun seasoning
  • 1 Teaspoon salt
  • 16 Ounces farfalle pasta

Creamy Lemon Sauce

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 5 Cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 Cup half and half cream
  • 1 Cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 6 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 Teaspoon salt
  • 1 Teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 Teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 Teaspoon dried parsley
  • ¼ Cup pasta water
  • ¾ Cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions
 

  • Zest the peel off of the lemon and set aside for later use. Prepare the shrimp by peeling the tails off (See Notes). Heat a large pan sprayed skillet and add the jumbo shrimp. Add butter, lemon juice, Cajun seasoning and salt. Flip the shrimp halfway through cooking. Cook for about 6 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside. In the meantime, prepare farfalle pasta according to package instructions. NOTE: Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water before draining the farfalle.
  • Begin the Creamy Lemon Sauce in the same skillet that the shrimp was cooked in. Add olive oil and garlic to the skillet and allow to cook for 1 minute. Add half and half cream, grated parmesan cheese, butter, lemon zest, salt, black pepper, garlic powder and dried parsley. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add cooked shrimp, cooked farfalle pasta, the reserved ¼ cup of pasta water and shredded mozzarella cheese to the Creamy Lemon Sauce. Stir until fully combined for about 2 minutes. Enjoy!

Notes

To remove the tails of the shrimp, pinch the tail where it meets the body of the shrimp and gently pull. The shrimp should slide easily away from the tail. You may also cut the tail off with kitchen shears, if preferred.
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