Cajun Sausage Spaghetti

Cooked Cajun spaghetti on white plate with two slices of buttered French bread on the side.

Creamy, spicy, and loaded with smoky andouille sausage—this one-pot Cajun spaghetti is the perfect easy comfort food for busy nights.

Course Dinner, Entree

Cuisine American, cajun, southern

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 687kcal

Author Anne Clark

Equipment

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
14 oz smoked Andouille sausage, cut into ¼-inch disks
1 cup yellow onion, julienned about a medium size onion
1 cup red bell pepper, julienned about a medium size bell pepper
1 cup green bell pepper, julienned about a medium size bell pepper
3 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoon minced garlic (in the jar)
¼ teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning (I use Tony Chachere's)
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dried basil flakes
¼ teaspoon black pepper
8 oz thin spaghetti, broken in half
3 oz cream cheese, cut into several chunks
fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

In a heavy 5 qt pot or dutch oven, add the olive oil and cut up sausage. On medium-high to high heat, brown both sides of the sausage until they're browned and crisp.
Remove the sausage from the pot and set aside. Add the onion and bell pepper strips to the pot (there should be enough oil in the pot but if it's not, add a little more olive oil). Stir the mixture, cover the pot, and simmer over medium heat until soft and slightly browned; stirring occasionally (about 5-10 minutes; it depends on your pot and stove as to how long this will take).
Add the broth, seasonings, and spaghetti. Stir well to combine, then add the sausage back to the pot. Stir and then press down on the mixture to make sure the spaghetti noodles are covered with liquid. You can do a taste test at this point. The liquid should be spicy and have enough salt already, but always adjust to your liking.
Bring the mixture just to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. The mixture should be simmering but not a rolling boil.
Remove the lid, quickly stir to make sure the noodles aren't sticking together, Press them down to make sure they're covered with liquid, put the lid back on, and simmer for another 5 minutes. The spaghetti should be cooked al dente.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese is melted and blended in.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Serve with French bread.
Round out your Cajun meal with a crowd-pleasing appetizer like my Cajun Deviled Eggs. They’re creamy, zesty, and gone in a flash!

Notes

- Slice the sausage thin so it gets those crispy edges when browned. That’s where the flavor’s at.

- Stir the pasta halfway through to keep it from sticking and to make sure everything cooks evenly.

- Cut cream cheese into cubes so it melts faster and blends in smoothly.

- Use a pot with a tight-fitting lid so the pasta cooks up perfectly with no peeking.

- Let it rest a few minutes before serving—the sauce thickens a bit as it cools and coats the pasta better.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When reheating, add a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce and warm it up gently over medium-low heat or in the microwave. Stir halfway through so it stays creamy and doesn’t dry out.

Nutrition