Cajun Garlic Butter Pasta

For a simple yet tasty side dish, make this Cajun Garlic Butter Pasta. It’s spaghetti flavored with Cajun seasoning, garlic, butter, olive oil, lemon, and hot sauce. Add protein and it becomes an easy main dish!

My family loves this one local restaurant that serves seafood in clear oven bags. You can mix and match the kind of seafood you want. The meal comes with complimentary gloves! It’s a messy but absolutely delicious experience.

My daughter can’t get enough of their pasta side dish. Basically, it’s spaghetti with a seasoned garlic butter sauce. Simple, buttery, and satisfying!

This Cajun pasta is my at home, slightly lightened version with less butter. While it’s just as tasty as the dish that inspired it, mine consists of a butter and olive oil combo and has a lemony tang. The olive oil adds a lighter and healthier element.

Serve with chicken, pork, beef, or seafood for a filling and easy side dish. Try it with Grilled Chuck Eye, Crispy Chicken Tenders, or Rosemary Garlic Wings!

What is Cajun seasoning?

It’s essentially a blend of paprika, garlic, onion, oregano, salt, and red peppers or chili peppers. There are variations, but these are the most common ingredients. I have tried some store-bought blends that had too much salt and not enough of the other ingredients. But there are also some very good blends. I listed my go-to brand in the Recommended Supplies below.

You can always make your own Cajun seasoning at home. But for the ease and simplicity of the recipe, I use store-bought. Sometimes opening up seven-plus jars of seasoning isn’t worth the extra work 🙂

Nevertheless, if you want to make your own, I found a good Cajun seasoning recipe here.

Recipe highlights:

• Cook pasta according to package directions, but slightly shy of al dente.

• Melt butter in olive oil in a large skillet. Cook for a minute. When the butter is bubbly, add garlic. Sauté.
• Next, add seasonings.

• Cook seasonings for a minute. Add lemon juice.
• Drain and add pasta to the skillet. Incorporate spaghetti into the sauce. Finally, enjoy!
• See recipe card for detailed instructions.

Can other pastas be used?

Yes, of course! Use pene, fettuccine, gemelli or any other. Prepare according to package directions. Cook just shy of al dente as it will continue to cook when added to the sauce.

Main dish ideas:

This Cajun Garlic Butter Pasta recipe yields 6 sides but it can easily transform into 4 main dish servings. Simply add 16-20 ounces of meat protein. Here are some suggestions:

1. Shrimp—Dust with Cajun seasoning. Pan sear in some olive oil. Cook until just shy of done. Transfer to a plate. Then use the same pan to make the sauce. Add shrimp just before adding spaghetti to the sauce.
2. Chicken—Cut into small chunks. Prepare the same way as shrimp, but cook completely through.
3. Sausage— Andouille or chourico, cut into chunks. (They usually come pre-cooked.) Quickly sear in olive oil. Transfer to a plate. Make sauce in the same skillet. Return sausage when spaghetti is added to the sauce.
4. Fish—Fillets of salmon, haddock or any other fish you choose. Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning, then pan-sear until cooked through. Serve with fillets over pasta.

Helpful tips:

• To save time, always start with heating the water for the pasta first, then continue with the remaining steps.
• To prevent mushy pasta, boil until just shy of al dente. It will continue to cook when incorporated into the sauce.
• Taste the sauce before adding the spaghetti. Re-season the sauce to taste (spice level, tang level etc.). The flavor is more uniform when it’s adjusted in the sauce.

Recommended Supplies:

(Affiliate links. The products I recommend are either what I use, are on my wish list, or come highly rated.)

• I use a 4-quart saute pan to make the sauce. There is plenty of room for incorporating the spaghetti.
• I have this over the sink colander. I love that it prevents the food from coming in contact with the sink floor.
• These tongs with silicone tips are on my to-get list. Silicone is more gentle on soft food than stainless steel tips.
• Not all Cajun seasonings are the same. I like the blend of this McCormick Cajun Seasoning. It’s hard for me to find it locally, so I order it online.
• Cholula Hot Sauce is used in this recipe. Add as much or little as you want to suit your desired heat level.

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Cajun Garlic Butter Pasta

Author: Thao | In Good Flavor Cooking Method:Stovetop Cooked Cuisine:American, Cajun Courses:Dessert Recipe Keys: C Carbohydrate

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 5 minutesCook time: 25 minutesTotal time: 30 minutesServings:6 Servings

Description

For a simple yet tasty side dish, make this Cajun Garlic Butter Pasta. It’s spaghetti flavored with Cajun seasoning, garlic, butter, olive oil, lemon, and hot sauce. Add protein and it becomes an easy main dish!

Ingredients

• 16 ounces uncooked spaghetti
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped garlic
• 5 teaspoons McCormick Cajun Seasoning
• 4 teaspoons Cholula hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 5 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

1. Prepare spaghetti according to package directions but just shy of al dente.
2. Add butter and olive oil to a 4-quart sauté pan on medium to medium-low heat.
3. When the butter gets bubbly, add garlic. Sauté for one minute.
4. Add Cajun seasoning, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Sauté for one minute.
5. Stir in MOST of the lemon juice. Taste the sauce. Add more seasonings and hot sauce to taste, if desired. Add the remaining lemon juice if you prefer more tang.
6. Add the drained spaghetti to the pan. Mix well to incorporate, cooking it for 1 to 2 minutes. Serve.

Notes

• Cook time provided includes the approximate time it takes for water to come to a boil. The active prep and cooking time is approximately 10 minutes.
• Add 16-20 ounces of protein to turn into 4 main dish servings.

Keywords:Cajun Pasta, Cajun Seasoning, Garlic Butter Pasta, Cajun Garlic Butter, Pasta Side Dish

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