Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Description
Take a Cajun twist on an old Italian favorite, and you get this flavorful shrimp pasta made with a rich tomato sauce mixed with spaghetti.
Ingredients
•
1/3 cup butter
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2/3 cup all-purpose flour
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4 tablespoons butter
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2 large stalks celery, chopped
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1 medium yellow onion, chopped
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1 green bell pepper, chopped
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4 cloves garlic, minced
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1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles (such as RO*TEL® Chunky)
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1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste (such as Hunt's®)
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1 tablespoon onion powder
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2 teaspoons garlic powder
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2 tablespoons white sugar
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1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
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2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce (such as Hunt's®)
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1/4 cup vegetable oil
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3 cups water, divided
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1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
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1 (14 ounce) package spaghetti
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salt and ground black pepper to taste
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2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions
1
To form the roux, melt 1/3 cup butter in a saucepan over medium heat until a pinch of flour sprinkled in the butter begins to bubble. Whisk in the flour to form a thick paste the consistency of cake frosting. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the flour turns peanut butter-brown, about 35 minutes.
2
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add celery, onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Move half of the vegetables to a large saucepan.
3
Pour roux into the small saucepan; heat over medium-low. Add diced tomatoes and green chiles, tomato paste, onion powder, garlic powder, white sugar, and cayenne pepper.
4
Stir in tomato sauce and vegetable oil to the vegetable mixture in the large saucepan. Add roux mixture and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer; cook 10 minutes. Pour in 2 cups water; bring back to a simmer. Add shrimp and cook until pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in spaghetti, separating the strands. Cover and cook until spaghetti is tender yet firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper; garnish with parsley.