Andouille sausage spaghetti is a fantastic Cajun-style smoked sausage that is paired with tender al dente pasta, and a homemade tomato-based sauce that smothers the pasta and sausage. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on top, and ring that dinner bell.
I find this type of pasta dish to be a total comfort food. You have Cajun seasoning used and when you pair it with tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes, it creates such a rich sauce that flavors the Cajun pasta recipe perfectly. An easy dinner that can be made all year round.
Now, if you love Cajun seasoning then try my Cajun turkey or my Instant Pot Cajun boil. Both are loaded with spicy and rich spices that will take your food to a whole new level of deliciousness.
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Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients needed to make this recipe, you can find the full list of ingredients and amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Spaghetti Pasta
- Cajun Style Sausage (Spicy Andouille Sausage, hot Italian sausage, etc)
- Onion
- Garlic
- Crushed Tomatoes
- Tomato Sauce
- Cajun Seasoning
- Oregano
- Salt and Black Pepper
- Paprika
- Parsley
- Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions for this recipe. The full step-by-step instructions can be found at the bottom of this post.
Heat oil in a skillet and then add your diced sausage to cook. You will also want to cook your spaghetti noodles on the stovetop and cook pasta al dente.
Once the meat is seared, remove it from the pan and set it to the side. Then you will add in your onions and peppers and cook until softened.
In the same pan add the garlic, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and all the seasonings, and stir well to combine. Simmer as directed.
Once the sauce is thickened a bit, you will add the sausage back into the pot. Mix to fully coat all the sausage.
Now you will add your pasta to the dish, and use tongs to mix it up, and ensure all the pasta is coated in the sauce. Cook for an additional couple of minutes on low heat to allow the flavor to soak up in the noodles.
Once it is well mixed you can plate it up, and top it with some freshly diced parsley, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
Variations
- Spicy – add crushed red pepper flakes while cooking when you add in the other spices. Or you can even add a few splashes of your favorite hot sauce to the pasta sauce. Dicing up some jalapeno or serrano peppers can be paired with the sweet peppers for added heat.
- Creamy Sauce – add some heavy cream at the end to the meat sauce to create a creamy sauce. YOu will also find you can add in sour cream to make a creamy Cajun pasta. Just mix in the sour cream or heavy cream when you toss in the pasta. Allow the cream sauce to simmer for just a minute or two to thicken. Even adding 4 ounces of cream cheese will create a creamy sauce.
- Sausage – any smoked sausage works for this recipe. Mild Italian sausage, smoky andouille sausage, turkey sausage, chicken sausages, and more can be used to make the andouille sausage pasta to fit your preference. Just make sure the sausage is fully cooked through before you move on to the next step in the simple recipe.
- Cheesy Pasta – I used parmesan cheese but you can swap it with pepper jack cheese, sharp cheddar, mozzarella cheese, etc. Pasta dishes are always delicious with added cheese on top. Just sprinkle with cheese right before you go to serve it up to your dinner table. This is a great recipe to play around with the cheese to adjust the flavor.
Also, consider my baked rotini pasta for another perfect weeknight dinner that uses simple ingredients!
Equipment
Reach for a heavy-duty skillet so that as you cook the sauce, it evenly cooks. You will find that lower quality pans can create hot spots, and over-cook and undercook areas in the skillet.
I also recommend that you have a strainer or colander for draining off the water from the pasta once it is cooked.
Storage
Store your leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Then you can reheat in the microwave or warm up in a pot on the stove.
You can freeze any leftover spaghetti as well, just freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before you go to reheat it.
Test Kitchen Tips
- Cook the pasta to al dente so as you combine spaghetti pasta with sauce and allow it to simmer in the sauce you won’t run the risk of your cooked noodles becoming too soggy.
- The cooking time will vary, so use it as a rough guide. Also, you want to make sure you use a large pan to ensure you can hold all the pasta, meat, and sauce.
- If you are not a fan of spicy flavors reach for a mild Cajun spices mix. You will find the Cajun seasoning blend can be pretty spicy.
FAQ
Fresh parsley, red pepper flakes, green onions, or even parmesan cheese. All of these are common for topping your finished pasta dish.
I used spaghetti noodles for this recipe. But you can use penne pasta, rigatoni, or any other medium pasta for this recipe. Feel free to use any shape of pasta. Just cook the pasta according to the package.
Most andouille sausage is typically smoked and fully cooked when you purchase it from the store. Just make sure to read on the package to ensure it is fully cooked. Otherwise, you need to fully cook the sausage before you move on to the second step.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Serve With:
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this Cajun pasta recipe:
- Garlic Bread
- Dinner Rolls
- Side Salad or Caesar Salad
- Steamed Veggies
Andouille Sausage Spaghetti
Equipment
- Skillet
- Measuring cups
- large pot
- tongs
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1 pound Cajun-style sausage sliced (like andouille)
- 1 onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Fresh parsley for garnish
- Grated Parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet or pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the sliced sausages and cook until they’re browned on both sides, about 5-6 minutes. Remove the sausages from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add diced onions and cook until they turn translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the minced garlic and diced red bell pepper. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until the peppers begin to soften.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, Cajun seasoning, paprika, dried oregano, salt, and pepper to the skillet with the sautéed vegetables. Stir well to combine.
- Allow the sauce to simmer for 8-10 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.
- Once the sauce has thickened slightly, add the cooked sausages back into the pan, stirring to combine.
- Toss in the cooked spaghetti and gently mix until the pasta is well coated with the sauce.
- Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes to let the flavors blend.
- Serve the Cajun Sausage Spaghetti hot, garnished with chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- Cook the pasta to al dente so as you combine spaghetti pasta with sauce and allow it to simmer in the sauce you won’t run the risk of your cooked noodles becoming too soggy.
- The cooking time will vary, so use it as a rough guide. Also, you want to make sure you use a large pan to ensure you can hold all the pasta, meat, and sauce.
- If you are not a fan of spicy flavors reach for a mild Cajun spices mix. You will find the Cajun seasoning blend can be pretty spicy.
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