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This creamy sauce is seasoned with cajun spices and freshly grated parmesan cheese to make the perfect Cajun Alfredo sauce. Toss it with pasta for a fettuccine alfredo, or add in your favorite proteins like cajun chicken, andouille sausage, or blackened shrimp for a satisfying meal.
If there’s two things I love, it's Cajun flavors and creamy pasta dishes. This Cajun alfredo sauce recipe is the best of both worlds! For more cajun alfredo style recipes, check out Creamy Cajun Andouille Sausage Pasta, One Pot Broccoli and Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta, or Cajun Salmon Alfredo.
Another twist on the classic alfredo sauce is Roasted Garlic Alfredo.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Homemade alfredo sauce is easy to make and absolutely delicious!
- Ready in 30 minutes.
- Add your favorite protein for a filling meal.
- This sauce is rich, creamy, and decadent with the perfect amount of cajun spice.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
- Shallot - Shallots have a slightly milder flavor than onions. You can substitute for a yellow onion if needed.
- Garlic - Use fresh garlic cloves, not jarred garlic. It only takes a minute or 2 to peel and mince and the flavor is so much better.
- Dry white wine - Use what you would drink. I like sauvignon blanc or chardonnay.
- Butter - Use unsalted butter for this recipe. Some Cajun seasonings use a lot of salt, and you don’t want your final dish to be too salty.
- Heavy whipping cream - Use the full fat version. Substitute for half and half for a slightly lighter version. I have tried this recipe with both heavy cream and half and half and both come out well. You may need to simmer half and half slightly longer for it to thicken.
- Parmesan cheese - I always recommend buying a block of real parmesan cheese and grating it yourself with a microplane. You will need one ounce, which equals about 1 cup when very finely grated (like fluffy snow consistency). When in doubt, use a food scale!
- Cajun seasoning - A blend of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper and other seasonings. Use store bought or make your own Homemade Cajun Seasoning. Note store bought cajun seasoning is usually more salty, so use a little at a time until you get the right flavor.
- Fresh parsley - This is a heavier sauce, so it needs some fresh herbs to brighten it up! You can substitute for green onions or chives.
- Pasta - Use your favorite type of pasta, dried or fresh. For this recipe I like fettuccine, linguine, or penne.
See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make cajun alfredo sauce
STEP ONE: BOIL
Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water and set aside.
STEP TWO: PREP
While the pasta is boiling, chop vegetables, grate parmesan cheese, and measure out the other ingredients. Heat a sauté pan over medium-low heat.
Kitchen efficiency tip: Chop and measure out ingredients while the pasta cooks to save time.
STEP THREE: SAUTÉ
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter, then sauté shallots with a pinch of salt until turning translucent. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
STEP FOUR: DEGLAZE
Deglaze with white wine and scrape up any fond on the pan. Allow to simmer for a few minutes until alcohol has burned off.
STEP FIVE: WHISK
Add in the rest of the butter and melt. Whisk in heavy whipping cream, parmesan cheese, and cajun seasoning.
STEP SIX: SIMMER
Simmer for a few minutes, until desired consistency. Stir in parsley and remove from heat.
PRO TIP: Different brands of cajun seasoning have different levels of salt, so add a little Cajun seasoning at a time so the dish is properly seasoned.
STEP SEVEN: TOSS
Add cooked pasta to alfredo sauce with a splash of pasta water and toss to coat evenly. Sauce will thicken as it cools.
STEP EIGHT: SERVE
Serve warm topped with additional parmesan and parsley. Option to add protein of choice like chicken or shrimp.
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Troubleshooting
- Sauce is too thin - This shouldn’t happen if you are using heavy cream, but if the sauce is too thin, allow it to simmer for a few more minutes to reduce and thicken up.
- Sauce is too thick - If the cream sauce over-reduces, it may become too thick. You can loosen up the sauce with a splash of pasta water or chicken broth.
- Sauce breaks - If your creamy pasta sauce breaks (fat separates from the liquid), add a splash of cream and whisk the sauce vigorously until it blends together again. You can also do this with an immersion blender.
Serving suggestions
This pasta is rich, so serving it with a lighter side balances it out. Go for a simple side salad, or one of these roasted vegetable sides.
- Roasted Broccoli and Potatoes
- Roasted Green Beans and Carrots
- Roasted Asparagus and Brussel Sprouts
- Roasted Green Beans and Brussels Sprouts
Storage & Reheating
How to store leftovers: Store leftover pasta and sauce separately if possible. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
How to freeze: I do not recommend freezing alfredo sauce.
How to reheat: Reheat pasta and sauce in a nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of water or milk while stirring until fully reheated. See this post How to Reheat Alfredo Sauce for all the best ways to reheat your creamy pasta.
See this post on How to Reheat Alfredo Sauce for all the best ways to reheat this dish!
Variations
This creamy alfredo sauce is delicious on its own, or you can add some protein for a more filling meal! Here are some ideas to make it your own.
- More veggies. Add in finely diced green or red bell peppers with the shallots for some more pepper flavor. Add diced fresh tomatoes in when you add the pasta to the sauce to brighten it up. .
- Add chicken. Serve the pasta with cajun seasoned chicken.
- Add shrimp. Make easy blackened shrimp to toss with the pasta for a cajun shrimp alfredo pasta.
- Add sausage. Slice and sear off andouille sausage and add back to the pasta while it's simmering.
- Lighten it up. To lighten this creamy cajun alfredo sauce, use half in half instead of cream. You can also serve with zucchini noodles instead of fettuccine pasta for a lighter variation.
- Add-ins. Add in roasted garlic or caramelized onions for even more savory flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
If your alfredo sauce is too thin, simmer it for a few minutes longer to reduce and thicken it up. You can also make a slurry with about 1 teaspoon of flour and milk and whisk it into the sauce. Cook for an additional few minutes to cook the flour.
Alfredo sauce is typically best served fresh. If you need to make it ahead of time, store covered in the refrigerator. To reheat, add sauce to a oven safe baking dish and heat in a 350°F (175°C) oven until fully heated, stirring every 8-10 minutes.
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Cajun Alfredo Sauce
Equipment
- Sauté pan
- Whisk
- food scale
- Microplane
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 3 cloves fresh garlic minced
- ½ cup dry white wine like sauvignon blanc or chardonnay
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream substitute for half and half for a slightly lighter version
- 1 ounce parmesan cheese freshly and finely grated
- 2-3 teaspoons cajun seasoning
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped, substitute for green onions or chives
- ½ pound pasta like fettuccine, linguine, penne
Instructions
- BOIL: Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water and set aside.
- PREP: While the pasta is boiling, dice shallot and mince garlic. Chop parsley. Grate parmesan cheese. Measure out ½ cup wine, 6 tablespoons butter, 1 cup heavy cream, and 2 tablespoons cajun seasoning. Heat a sauté pan over medium-low heat.
- SAUTÉ: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter, then sauté shallots with a pinch of salt for about 3 minutes until turning translucent. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- DEGLAZE: Deglaze with white wine and scrape up any fond on the pan. Allow to simmer for a few minutes until alcohol has burned off.
- WHISK: Add in the rest of the butter and melt. Whisk in heavy whipping cream, parmesan cheese, and cajun seasoning. *Start with a little cajun seasoning and add more as needed.
- SIMMER: Simmer for a few minutes, until desired consistency. Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Stir in parsley and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste if needed.
- TOSS: Add cooked pasta to sauce with a splash of reserved pasta water as needed and toss to coat.
- SERVE: Serve warm topped with additional parmesan cheese and parsley, and a side of garlic bread. Option to add protein of choice like chicken or shrimp.
Notes
- This makes 2 large servings or 4 smaller servings.
- Make your own cajun seasoning with this Homemade Cajun seasoning recipe.
- Sauce is too thin - This shouldn’t happen if you are using heavy cream, but if sauce is too thin, allow it to simmer for a few more minutes to reduce and thicken up.
- Sauce is too thick - If the cream sauce over-reduces, it may become too thick. You can loosen up the sauce with a splash of pasta water or chicken broth.
- Sauce breaks - If your creamy pasta sauce breaks (fat separates from the liquid), add a splash of cream and whisk the sauce vigorously until it blends together again. You can also do this with an immersion blender.
- How to store leftovers: Store leftover pasta and sauce separately if possible. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- How to freeze: I do not recommend freezing alfredo sauce.
- How to reheat: Reheat pasta and sauce in a nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of water or milk while stirring until fully reheated. See this post How to Reheat Alfredo Sauce for all the best ways to reheat your creamy pasta.
Nutrition
About me
Hey good lookin', what ya got cookin'? I'm Lauren and I love to teach you how to make the good stuff, from scratch! I use fresh quality ingredients to create impressive but approachable restaurant worthy recipes.
Heather says
This was one of the best dishes I have ever made at home. It is as good (or better!)than any Cajun pasta I have eaten at a restaurant. I didn't have a shallot, so I substituted about 1/4 of a cup of yellow onion and it was still delicious. We added some andouille sausage for protein. I used the Cajun seasoning recipe linked in the recipe for the pasta and it was so well balanced. Thank you for such a delicious meal!
Lauren says
Heather, this makes me so happy to hear! I love adding proteins to this one (it's so good with chicken and shrimp too!!) Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, it really makes my day!