Cajun Shrimp Pasta

Week one hundred, which I only know because I have been tracking week numbers in this journal since the first post. One hundred weeks of writing down what happened. One hundred weeks of finding the food connection and the lesson and the thing worth keeping. I did not know when I started this that I would still be doing it one hundred weeks later but I am not surprised that I am. Once I start a thing I finish it. This is the rule. The rule is also a personality trait. The trait is also a choice.

Mama made jambalaya on Monday, like always. On Tuesday she made something I did not expect: she pulled out the old red beans recipe she had gotten from MawMaw Shirley thirty years ago — the original one, written on a notecard in MawMaw Shirley's handwriting that Mama has been keeping in a drawer since she was first married — and she made me read it and compare it to the version I have been making. The versions were almost identical. The differences: Mama's notecard says "add bell pepper when the beans start to thicken," and mine says the same but I have been doing it earlier. "Try it the original way," Mama said. I tried it. The difference was subtle but real. The beans were slightly more integrated. The bell pepper had time to fully give itself to the pot.

I went to MawMaw Shirley's on Saturday and told her about the notecard comparison. She said she remembered writing that notecard. She said it was the third time she had written down that recipe because the first two times she had given it to other people and kept giving it away every time someone asked and she needed to stop losing the original. I asked where the other two were. She said one was in California, one was in the ground, both gone. I did not ask for more. She did not offer more. Some things are answered enough.

I could not stop thinking about that notecard all week — the handwriting, the specific way MawMaw Shirley had written “add bell pepper when the beans start to thicken,” the care in that one small instruction. I wanted to cook something that stayed inside that same world, that same Cajun-rooted, deeply seasoned place where so much of what I know about food was built. This shrimp pasta is not red beans, but it speaks the same language: bold heat, the holy trinity, the kind of dish that gives itself fully to the pot if you let it.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
12 oz linguine or fettuccine
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
Salt and black pepper to taste
3 green onions, sliced (for garnish)
Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

Season the shrimp. Pat shrimp dry and toss with 1 tablespoon of the Cajun seasoning. Set aside while you prep the rest.
Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
Sear the shrimp. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook 1—2 minutes per side until pink and just cooked through. Remove shrimp to a plate and set aside.
Build the base. In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium and add butter. Add onion and bell pepper and cook for 4—5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to sweeten. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Make the sauce. Add diced tomatoes, chicken broth, heavy cream, remaining 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and cayenne. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Let cook 5—7 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
Bring it together. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss to coat, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen. Nestle the shrimp back into the pan and fold gently to incorporate.
Finish and serve. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or cayenne. Plate and top with green onions and fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Cajun Shrimp Pasta — When the Recipe Comes Home to Itself