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    Home > Quick Dinner Recipes

    Creamy Cajun Prawn Pasta

    Published: Jun 29, 2023 by Nicky Corbishley

    Go to Recipe Go to Video Print Recipe

    Pan-fried king prawns with linguine and jalapeƱos in a creamy Cajun Buffalo-style sauce. Ready in 25 minutes, this is a simple dinner packed with spicy, tangy, creamy flavour!

    Extreme close up prawn linguine in a creamy buffalo sauce.
    Jump to:
    • šŸ“‹ What ingredients do we need?
    • šŸ“ŗ Watch how to make it
    • šŸ½ļø What to serve it with
    • šŸ² More fantastic recipes with prawns
    • Cajun Prawn Pasta Recipe
    • šŸ’¬ Reviews

    If you're a fan of seafood and you like a bit of spice, this dinner is perfect. Plus it's so quick to pull together too!

    I love cooking with ready-peeled king prawns. No need to get into chopping up and trimming meat - each prawn is the perfect bite-size portion!

    Prawns cook so quickly - which means we can start off putting the pasta on to boil, and the rest of the recipe comes together while the pasta is cooking. I chop up the pepper, onion and jalapeno once the pasta is already on, so there's hardly any up-front prep time.

    šŸ“‹ What ingredients do we need?

    Ingredients for Cajun prawn linguine on a wooden board.
    • King prawns or shrimp - de-shelled and de-veined
    • Linguine - or swap for spaghetti, tagliatelle or your favourite pasta shape
    • Red bell pepper, onions, Jalapeno and garlic for colour, flavour and crunch
    • Hot pepper sauce - I use Franks hot sauce for the perfect Buffalo-style tangy heat. You can replace with another hot sauce - such as sriracha if you like (i'd start with 1 tbsp sriracha and add more in if needed later)
    • Worcestershire sauce and cider vinegar - it adds extra flavour and tanginess - which balances perfectly with the cream
    • Cream and parmesan - for creamy cheesy goodness

    šŸ“ŗ Watch how to make it

    Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.

    šŸ‘©ā€šŸ³PRO TIP Be sure to save some of the water from cooking the pasta. We add splashes of this water in at the end to make extra sauce. The starchiness of the water makes the sauce cling to the pasta.

    Tall close-up image of a pan of prawn linguine in a creamy buffalo sauce.

    šŸ½ļø What to serve it with

    I find this to be a nice filling meal, so I usually just serve it by itself, but if you wanted a little extra, try serving with:

    • Easy homemade garlic bread
    • Fresh homemade artisan bread
    • A quick green salad

    You can adjust the 🌶 spice level to your liking. If you don't like it too hot, just go with one tablespoon of hot sauce and leave out the jalapeno. The cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce still provides a lovely tang that compliments the cream and parmesan in the sauce.

    Tall image of a pan of prawn linguine in a creamy buffalo sauce. There is a fork taking some of the pasta from the pan.

    šŸ² More fantastic recipes with prawns

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    • Garlic chilli prawns with spinach and yogurt dip on homemade flatbread on a piece of blue chequered paper
      Garlic Chilli Prawns with Easy Flatbreads and Yogurt Dip
    • Thai Prawns With Cauliflower Rice is aĀ super delicious lighter meal, packed with flavour, ready on the table in under 20 minutes AND under 300 cals. #52diet #lowcaloriemeal #thaiprawns #cauliflowerrice
      Thai Prawns with Cauliflower Rice (246 Calories)
    • This Prawn and Mango Curry Noodle Bowl is fresh, fragrant and spicy!
      Prawn and Mango Curry Noodle Bowl
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      Coconut Shrimp

    Stay updated with new recipes!
    Subscribe to the newsletter to hear when I post a new recipe. I’m also on YouTube (new videos every week) and Instagram (behind-the-scenes stories & beautiful food photos).

    square overhead image of a pan of prawn linguine in a creamy buffalo sauce.

    Cajun Prawn Pasta Recipe

    By: Nicky Corbishley
    Pan-fried king prawns with linguine and jalapeƱos in a creamy Cajun Buffalo-style sauce. Ready in 25 minutes, this is a simple dinner packed with flavour!
    5 from 2 votes
    Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 25 minutes mins
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4
    Calories 602 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 300 g (10.5oz) dried linguine
    • 2 tablespoons oil
    • 1 small onion - peeled and finely diced
    • 1 red bell pepper - finely diced
    • 1 jalapeno - sliced
    • 2 cloves garlic - peeled and minced
    • 300 g (10.5 oz) king raw king prawns - , de-shelled and de-veined
    • 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
    • 3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce - - I use Franks hot sauce
    • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 120 ml (½ cup) double cream (heavy cream)
    • 75 g (¾ cup) grated parmesan

    To Serve

    • Grated parmesan
    • Black pepper
    • Finely chopped curly parsley

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Cook the linguine in a large pan of boiling salted water, as per the pack instructions.
      300 g (10.5oz) dried linguine
    • Once cooked, drain, reserving half a cup of the pasta cooking water.
    • Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan (large skillet), over a medium heat.
      2 tablespoons oil
    • Add the onion, red pepper, jalapeno and garlic, and fry for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion starting to soften.
      1 small onion, 1 red bell pepper, 1 jalapeno, 2 cloves garlic
    • Add the prawns to the pan and sprinkle the Cajun seasoning on top. Stir together and fry for a further 2 minutes, until they’re just starting to turn pink.
      300 g (10.5 oz) king raw king prawns, 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
    • Add the hot pepper sauce, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and cream.
      3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 120 ml (½ cup) double cream (heavy cream)
    • Stir together and bring to a gentle simmer, then stir in the parmesan.
      75 g (¾ cup) grated parmesan
    • By now the linguine should be ready. Add to the pan, along with a a good splash (about 4-6 tablespoons) of the pasta cooking water.
    • Stir together, using a set of tongs, until the linguine is coated in the sauce. Add more pasta cooking water if you want to loosen it up further.
    • Turn off the heat and divide between bowls. Top with grated parmesan, black pepper and parsley before serving.
      Grated parmesan, Black pepper, Finely chopped curly parsley

    Video

    āœŽ Notes

    Can I make it ahead and/or freeze it?
    I don't recommend making this dish ahead. Linguine doesn't reheat well, and there's a risk of the prawns becoming rubbery upon reheating.
    Ingredient swaps
    • Swap the linguine for spaghetti, tagliatelle or your favourite short pasta
    • Swap the prawns for small chunks of white fish or salmon (they will take a little longer to cook than prawns, so please do ensure they're fully cooked).
    • This dish can easily take an extra couple of vegetables. Peas, courgette and mangetout work great.
    • Fancy a chicken version?Ā  Try my Buffalo Chicken Pasta.
    How to scale up and scale down this recipe
    You can halve or double this recipe, sticking to the same ingredient ratios. If you double the recipe, it may take a couple of minutes longer to soften the onions and peppers.
    Nutritional information is approximate, per serving. This recipe serves 4.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 602kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 29gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 1054mgPotassium: 506mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 2576IUVitamin C: 53mgCalcium: 319mgIron: 2mg
    Keywords pasta, prawns, spicy
    Tried this recipe?Mention @KitchenSanctuary or tag #KitchenSanctuary on Instagram!

    Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

    Read More

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    1. Christine says

      August 07, 2023 at 7:45 am

      5 stars
      Loved the spicy sauce in this pasta dish, definitely adding to our recipe rotationšŸ˜‹

      Reply
    2. valerie marshall says

      August 04, 2023 at 11:53 am

      I love how you put the ingredients in the method, makes life so much easier.
      thank you

      Reply
    3. Joanne Seal says

      July 30, 2023 at 7:01 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious, really nice sauce, will definitely be making again

      Reply

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    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

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