Keto Cajun Shrimp Alfredo Pasta

This low-carb and keto-friendly Cajun Shrimp Alfredo Pasta is simple to make. It’s so creamy and decadent, just like your favorite high-carb Alfredo pasta dishes. The Cajun spices kick the flavor up a notch!

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

My Cajun Shrimp Alfredo Pasta is so easy to make and uses a few simple ingredients! I’ve always loved anything with Alfredo sauce. Fettuccini Shrimp Alfredo was one of my favorite pasta dishes to order at restaurants. Early in my low-carb journey, I discovered that it’s easy to make a delicious and creamy Alfredo sauce lower in carbs. This recipe fits the bill if you’ve been missing Alfredo sauce.

Ingredients Needed For Recipe

Butter – For this dish, I like to use grass-fed salted butter.

Shrimp – Make sure to use raw shrimp. Raw shrimp is better for cooked recipes. Precooked shrimp won’t work because cooking it again will cause it to have a rubbery texture.

Cajun or Creole Seasoning – The flavor profiles of Cajun and Creole seasonings are similar. Cajun seasoning tends to have a spicier kick. Creole seasoning has a more herbal flavor. There are so many great store-bought brands. Just use your favorite one! If you don’t want it to be spicy at all, leave out the Cajun seasoning.  Instead, use 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and one teaspoon of Italian seasoning.

Cayenne Pepper – I kicked the spice up a notch by adding a 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to this recipe. Most cajun spices have cayenne pepper in them. Leave them out if you’re not a fan of extra spicy foods.

Garlic – Fresh garlic is preferred, but jarred minced garlic will work for this recipe.

Parmesan cheese – Parmesan adds flavor and thickens the sauce. You can use pre-grated parmesan cheese, but freshly grated will taste better and cook better.

Heavy Whipping Cream – Heavy cream makes the sauce rich and creamy. Avoid using almond milk or regular milk. They will cause the sauce to be too thin.

Hearts of palm noodles – Hearts of palm noodles are my favorite pasta substitute. The al dente texture and flavor are perfect for this recipe.

Green onion – The green onion is optional, but I highly recommend including it. The flavor matches perfectly with cream sauces.

How To Make Keto Cajun Shrimp Alfredo Pasta

Step 1

Melt two tablespoons of the butter in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Place the shrimp in the skillet and sprinkle with the cajun seasoning and cayenne pepper. Cook until the shrimp turn pink; this will take 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the skillet.

Step 2

In the same skillet, still over medium heat, melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter. Cook the garlic until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the parmesan and cream and cook, often stirring, until creamy and well combined. At first, the butter and cream may separate but keep going; it will come back together for a creamy consistency. This takes about 5 minutes.

Step 3

Stir the pasta into the sauce and cook for 10 minutes or until the noodles are tender. If the sauce gets too thick, you can add another splash of heavy cream to thin it. Top with the pasta with the shrimp and garnish green onions.

Storage And Reheating Instructions

This dish is best served fresh. I really enjoy most leftovers, but shrimp dishes aren’t usually as good the next day. You can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Then, it can be slowly reheated on the stove over low heat. Be careful not to overheat it. You want the shrimp to stay tender. You can add a bit of heavy cream to thin the sauce.

Low Carb Pasta Substitutions

Here are a few low-carb pasta substitutes that pair well with this recipe.

Hearts of palm noodles – This is my favorite pasta alternative. The hearts of palm noodles have a firm texture. Boiling or cooking them in a sauce makes them more tender. They have a neutral flavor. When heated and paired with delicious sauces, it’s as close to the real thing as any pasta substitute I’ve tried! There are a few different brands of hearts of palm noodles available at various grocery stores. I’ve purchased them at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Kroger, Publix, and Walmart. You can also find them on Amazon.

Zucchini noodles – Zucchini is a great and nutritious pasta alternative. You can use a vegetable spiralizer to make zucchini noodles, also known as zoodles. In a pinch, I’ve used a peeler to shred the zucchini. These days you can find zucchini noodles at most grocery stores. However, it’s more budget-friendly to make your own.

Spaghetti Squash – Roasted spaghetti squash is another great pasta alternative. The noodles are stringy and spaghetti-like but have a softer texture. I like the flavor of spaghetti squash, but it’s not as neutral as some other options. The taste is slightly sweet. If you like spaghetti squash, you should try my Keto Shrimp Alfredo Spaghetti Squash recipe.

Broccoli – Steamed broccoli is a pasta alternative you may have yet to think of. It pairs excellently with cream sauce. Add chicken, andouille sausage, or shrimp, and you have a complete meal.

Shirataki Noodles – These zero-carb noodles are made from glucomannan; it’s a fiber that comes from the konjac root. Shirataki noodles have a neutral flavor and pair well with sauces. However, they have a rubbery texture that is a turn off for some. Boiling them helps. The noodles need to be rinsed well before cooking.