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Creamy Tortellini with Shrimp

Creamy Tortellini with shrimp is a creamy, cajun-style pasta dish with lots of smoked sausage and shrimp. Make in under 30 minutes.

  • Prep10 min
  • Cook14 min
  • Serves5
  • Rating5.0
Creamy Tortellini with Shrimp

Creamy Tortellini with Shrimp is a creamy, cajun-style pasta dish with lots of cheese flavor and some spice. This Shrimp Tortellini can be easily made in under 30 minutes.

Creamy Tortellini with Shrimp and Smoked Sausage in a large skillet.

In addition to shrimp, there’s also sausage, onion, bell pepper, garlic, cajun seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Tons of flavor in this easy pasta dish.

What To Serve With Shrimp Tortellini

With lots of butter and heavy cream, this is a rich, indulgent dinner. I like to serve it with a side salad with Creamy Italian Dressing or steamed broccoli or asparagus.

What Kind Of Sausage To Use?

You can use any type of smoked sausage. Andouille sausage is great if you want added spice and the flavor of New Orleans. But I also really like to use kielbasa. It tends to be juicier than andouille and won’t add any extra heat.

Creamy Tortellini with Shrimp in a large skillet.

Which Shrimp To Buy?

I like medium to large fresh shrimp for this recipe. I live right on the coast so I have access to very fresh shrimp. If you live inland, you are probably best off buying shrimp that has been flash frozen and thawing them yourself. It is a very quick and easy process. Place the shrimp in a large bowl of slightly cold water for 20 minutes.

I always recommend wild shrimp over farm raised.

How Spicy Is This Dish?

This pasta recipe has a medium amount of heat. For more, use a spicy smoked sausage, and/or double the amount of cayenne pepper. You can also serve it with TABASCO Sauce. If you don’t want it spicy, omit the cayenne and use kielbasa.

Creamy Tortellini dished up in a pasta bowl.

How To Store Creamy Tortellini With Shrimp

Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. The tortellini tends to soak up the sauce over time. You can add a little heavy cream or chicken broth when you reheat it.

Cooked tortellini in a large skillet.

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Ingredients

Equipment Pasta Pot, Large Nonstick Skillet

Steps

  1. 1

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook tortellini according to package directions.

  2. 2

    Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and sprinkle the cajun seasoning over them. Cook just until the shrimp turn pink and remove them from the pan. Note: The shrimp will cook a little more when you add them to the tortellini, so if anything you want them slightly undercooked when you remove them from the pan.

  3. 3

    Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet along with the onion, bell pepper and sausage and cook until the sausage is browned and the onion and bell pepper are soft, about 5 to 7 minutes.

  4. 4

    Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.

  5. 5

    Add the butter, heavy cream, and thyme. (If using, add the cayenne.) Simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken.

  6. 6

    Stir in the parmesan cheese and then add the shrimp. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

  7. 7

    Finally, stir in the tortellini and sprinkle with parsley.

Notes

For the smoked sausage, I like to use kielbasa. If you want additional spice, use andouille.

Nutrition

  • Calories861

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