Down on the Bayou

I got this recipe by word of mouth from an old guy that gave me a tour of the Louisana Bayou when I was 17 years old. I don't speak Cajun, so it's entirely possible that this recipe, below, is not at all similar to what the old guy passed on to me, but I've been cooking it for almost 13 years now, and never gotten any complaints!

Also, I don't have a name for this - so I've just called it "Cajun Shrimp Pasta" for as long as I can remember. Brownie points to the smartini gal (or bar patron) that can come up with a more catchy name for this dish!


Cajun Shrimp Pasta

1 - 1.5 lbs of large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 package angel hair pasta
1 pat butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 28 oz can of San Marzano Whole Tomatoes (if you can't find San Marzano, regular canned tomatoes will work fine)
Creole or Cajun Spice (I'm a fan of Tony Chachere's Spice n' Herbs)


Empty tomatoes and liquid in a large bowl. With fingers, crush tomatoes into course, soupy mixture. Set aside.

Heat large skillet at medium high heat. Add butter and olive oil, then the green onions. Saute until just opaque, about 6-8 minutes.

Add tomatoes to onions. Allow mixture to reach almost boiling (bubbling is fine). Turn to med-low and add creole seasoning to taste (start with 1 teaspoon and add as desired). Let simmer on low - med low for approx 15 minutes. (The mixture should not be a liquidy sauce; I like to cook it down a little so when mixed with the pasta, it just coats it.)

Add pasta to boiling water and cook as directed. Meanwhile, add shrimp to tomato mixture and cook until just pink. It takes about the same amount of time to cook the pasta AND the shrimp.

Serve shrimp and tomato mixture over pasta and toss. Serve with a light white wine, like a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.

Serves 4, or 2 with leftovers :)