This easy, incredibly tasty one-pot Cajun sausage pasta is a flavorful dish that’s sure to please the entire family any night of the week. Rich, delicious andouille sausage combines with a rich and creamy pasta to make a pasta dish that’s perfect with every bite.
This hearty pasta dish makes it perfect for dinner any night of the week. Serve on its own or with a wedge or green salad and a side of rustic bread to soak up all that delicious sauce. Enjoy!
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Cold nights call for a warm, lusciously creamy pasta that will fill your belly and warm your soul. This Cajun sausage pasta is perfect. Linguine pasta is coated in a flavorful cream sauce and studded with juicy bites of andouille sausage.
It’s a flavor combo that’ll have you salivating. This pasta is one of my favorites because it’s just so delicious!
You might not be able to stop yourself from eating it directly out of the pot. Pair with a piece of French bread and you’ll have a meal that dreams are made of.
The best part about this dish is that it’s so easy to make. Everything is done in one pot and it’s totally ready in 30 minutes. It’s exactly the meal you want to make after a long day!
❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
Creamy. This one-pot pasta has a decadently creamy sauce made extra rich with cream cheese. It’s a pasta lover’s dream.
One-Pot Meal. Could dinner get any easier? This meal only uses one pot, so cleanup is a breeze.
Extremely Flavorful. This pasta is loaded with intensely flavorful Cajun seasoning and andouille sausage.
🥘 Ingredients
This creamy Cajun sausage pasta uses my Cajun and Herbes de Provence seasoning blends. Try making my simple seasoning recipes or use your favorite store-bought blends.
- ½ tablespoon Olive Oil – I prefer to use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).
- 12 ounces Andouille Sausage – 12 ounces of andouille sausage is equivalent to about 4 pre-cooked or raw links!
- 1 teaspoon Garlic – The garlic should be minced or crushed for the recipe. 1 teaspoon of minced garlic is equivalent to 1 large clove.
- 4 cups Chicken Broth – You can use homemade or store-bought chicken broth here. 4 cups equal 1 standard carton of chicken broth.
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream – I prefer to use heavy whipping cream, but you can also use half & half or whole milk.
- 2 tablespoons Cajun Seasoning – Use my recipe or buy a store-bought blend (See Tips & Recipe Notes).
- ½ Tablespoon Herbes de Provence – Make your own or use a great store-bought blend!
- 8 ounces Linguine Pasta – This is a one-skillet meal, so you’ll need uncooked linguine pasta!
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese – Be sure the cream cheese is softened and at room temperature before using.
- Parsley – Fresh chopped parsley is a beautiful garnish for the pasta!
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🧂 Substitutions & Additions
Want to add more to this easy Cajun pasta recipe? There are a few great additions you can try.
- Spinach or Kale – Make this an all-in-one meal by wilting a few cups of fresh chopped spinach or kale when you add the sausage back into the pasta.
- Onions or Peppers – For extra flavor, try sautéing chopped onion and red or green bell pepper in the pan juices for a few minutes before adding the garlic.
- Parmesan – Add extra cheesy flavor by finishing the pasta with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
- Shrimp or Chicken – In Cajun and Creole dishes, adding chicken or shrimp in addition to andouille sausage is super popular. Make this recipe extra hearty and load up the meat.
🔪 How To Make Cajun Sausage Pasta
This easy Cajun pasta dish is all made in one pot! It’s a meal that’s just as easy to prepare as it is delicious.
- Sear the andouille sausages. Heat a stockpot or Dutch oven to medium heat and add ½ a tablespoon of olive oil. Then add 12 ounces of andouille sausages and sear (or cut the sausage links into slices and sear them sliced). Be sure to add a few additional minutes if you’re cooking raw andouille sausages. Once the sausage is browned (or fully cooked), transfer it to a plate and set aside.
- Add sauce ingredients & pasta. Next, add 1 teaspoon of minced or crushed garlic to your pan and sauté for no more than 1 minute. Then to the garlic, add 4 cups of chicken broth, ¼ cup of heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning, ½ tablespoon of Herbes de Provence seasoning, and 8 ounces of uncooked linguine pasta.
- Simmer the pasta. Once you’ve added the sauce ingredients and pasta, bring the pot to a boil. Then, reduce the heat of the pan to low. Simmer the pasta uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes, making sure to stir and scrape the bottom of the pan occasionally. Cook until the pasta is al dente (tender but with a firm core).
Melt, Combine & Serve
- Melt the cream cheese. Next, add slices, cubes, or chunks of the softened 8 ounces of cream cheese to the sauce and stir until smooth and thickened.
- Finish. Once the cream cheese has thoroughly melted into the sauce, use small amounts of water or broth if needed to thin the sauce to your desired consistency. Finally, return the cooked, sliced andouille sausage to your pasta and stir to warm the sausage through.
- Serve. When the sausage is heated, remove the pot from the heat and serve immediately. Garnish with optional fresh, chopped parsley.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Using uncooked andouille sausage? It’s easier to sear the sausages first before slicing. Just be sure they’re fully cooked through before removing them from the pan.
- The dairy product you use will affect how creamy your pasta winds up being. I recommend using whole milk if using milk instead of cream. If you only have access to reduced-fat milk, you can make the pasta richer and creamier by finishing the sauce with a tablespoon of butter.
- Cajun seasoning makes this pasta so delicious! We love our homemade Cajun seasoning the best, but in a pinch, you can use Slap Ya Mama, Tony Chachere’s, or Zatarain’s blends. Note that commercial Cajun seasoning blends usually use much more salt than my DIY mix.
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🥡 Storing & Reheating
Store cooled leftovers for 3 to 5 days in an airtight storage container. I recommend eating the pasta within the first 2 days for the best quality.
To freeze; make sure to put the pasta in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer storage bag and it will keep for up to 3 months. *Note that freezing cream-based sauces might affect the texture after reheating.
Reheating
If you’re reheating this pasta from frozen, make sure to defrost it in your fridge the night before. I recommend using the stovetop to reheat, as the microwave can make the sauce split.
Heat in a saucepan or skillet over medium-low heat, adding a splash of broth or milk to prevent burning or sticking. Reheat until fully heated. Enjoy!
❓ Recipe FAQs
In one-pot pasta dishes, the pasta can sometimes soak up too much liquid. Add more broth or water as needed as your pasta cooks to ensure you have a sauce. In my experience, this amount of liquid is usually perfect for linguine, plus or minus ½ cup at most.
Andouille sausage is a smoked pork sausage that’s a beloved part of Louisiana Cajun and Creole cuisine! It’s typically flavored with garlic, onion, red and black pepper, thyme, and other spices. The sausage has its origins in France but is now mostly associated with Cajun classics like gumbo and jambalaya.
😋 More Cajun & Southern Recipes
Be sure to check out my post on how to make a cajun seafood boil.
Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
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📖 Recipe Card
Cajun Sausage Pasta (One-Skillet Meal)
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 12 oz andouille sausage (4 pre-cooked links)
- 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- ¼ cup heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream, half & half, or whole milk)
- 2 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (see recipe or use your favorite brand)
- ½ tablespoon Herbes de Provence (see recipe or use your favorite brand)
- 8 oz linguine pasta (uncooked)
- 8 oz cream cheese (softened, at room temperature)
- parsley (optional garnish)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Heat a stockpot to medium heat and sear the sausages with the olive oil (or cut the sausage links into slices and sear them sliced). Be sure to note a few additional minutes will be necessary if you are cooking raw andouille sausages.
- When the sausage is browned (or fully cooked) transfer it to a plate and set aside. Saute the minced garlic in the pan juices for 30 seconds to a minute then add the chicken broth, heavy cream, Cajun seasoning, Herbes de Provence, and linguine.
- Bring the pot to a boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook until the pasta is al dente (tender but with a firm core). Add the softened cream cheese to the sauce and stir it in until melted and the sauce is smooth and thickened.
- Use small amounts of water or broth as needed to thin the sauce (if needed) to your desired consistency. Return the sliced andouille sausage to your pasta and sauce, stir to coat thoroughly and warm the sausage through.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately. Garnish with optional chopped parsley.
Notes
- If your andouille sausage is uncooked, make sure that you fully cook the links before removing them from the pot and cooking the pasta.
- Add more broth or water as needed if your pasta soaks it up quickly. This is usually spot on for me with linguine in particular, plus or minus a ½ cup at most.
- Your dairy product will directly affect how rich and creamy your pasta ends up being. If you only have milk on hand, use whole milk if possible. If you only have a reduced fat milk you can enhance the pasta sauce's richness and flavor by finishing the sauce by stirring in a tablespoon of butter.
- We love our homemade Cajun seasoning best, but in a pinch Slap Ya Mama, Tony Chachere, and Zatarain's offer great seasoning blends. Note that commercial brands have more SALT than my DIY spice mix.
Drronharr says
This recipe was very easy and very tasty. The flavors were wonderful. However, the dish was bit salty. I realized, in retrospect, that using commercial cajun seasoning caused the dish to be too salty. (I used Creole Foods Creole Seasoning which has 340 mg of salt per 1/4 teaspoon!) The suggestion to make your own Cajun seasoning is a good idea. Or, if you use a commercial seasoning, reduce the amount. I also used a commercially produced turkey broth which likely added salt. So, bottom line, be mindful of the salt and adjust as appropriate. When we reheated this dish as a leftover, we added water, which decreased the saltiness. Regardless, this recipe is excellent and I will make it again!
Anonymous says
The pasta was so good! I could really eat it without the sausage!
Thanks!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I could too! Mix and match your favorite protein or load it up with veggies. 🙂
Connie krautter says
This is the bomb diggity! Followed recipe exactly and it turned out great. Best recipe for sausage that I've ever made.