Chef Tom fires up the Napoleon Prestige for a Grilled Cajun Shrimp Pasta, featuring charcoal grilled shrimp skewers, Andouille sausage, veggies, bow-tie pasta and a creamy Cajun Béchamel sauce.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Marinating the shrimp for 30-45 minutes before grilling seasons them through without over-tenderizing delicate shellfish over a longer soak
- Cooking the Andouille only partway on the grill, then finishing it browned and rendered in the dutch oven, builds char flavor on the outside while still fully cooking it through in the second stage
- Whisking the flour into the garlic butter until it turns golden brown builds real depth into the béchamel, rather than a raw, pasty flour taste
- Folding the almost-tender pasta into the finished sauce lets it absorb flavor and finish cooking in the dutch oven, instead of serving sauce over already-fully-cooked noodles
Grilled Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
8
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Calories
688
This Cajun Shrimp Pasta recipe takes your taste buds on an unforgettable journey! Make succulent charcoal-grilled shrimp skewers and a creamy Béchamel sauce atop a bed of flavorful veggies. Craving a Cajun feast? Fire up the grill!
Ingredients
- 1 lb Farfalle bow-tie pasta, cooked al dente
- 1 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails off
-
Smoke on Wheels BBQ Marinade
-
Cattleman’s Grill Cajun Fusion Seasoning
-
1 tbsp Colonial Chile Infused Oil
- 8 oz Andouille sausage
- 2 cups red onion, diced
- 1 cup green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- 1 jalapeño, diced
- 1 cup parmesan
- 1 cup chicken stock
- Parmesan, fine grated, for topping
-
Cattleman’s Grill Pit Fire Hot Sauce, for topping
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic
- 6 tbsp flour
- 2 cups half-and-half
-
2 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Cajun Fusion Seasoning
-
2 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Pit Fire Hot Sauce
For the Cajun Béchamel:
Directions
- Place your shrimp in a bowl and cover with the Smoke on Wheels BBQ Marinade. Marinate shrimp for 30-45 minutes.
- Install a Napoleon Charcoal Basket in your Napoleon Prestige P500RSIB-3 Propane Grill. Fill the basket with lump charcoal. Light the two burners under the charcoal basket and set to high heat. Leave the gas burners on until the charcoal is well lit, about 10 minutes, then turn off the gas burners.
- Place a Lodge 12” Cast Iron Skillet over the infrared side burner and preheat over medium heat.
- To make the Cajun Béchamel, add the butter to the skillet. Grate the garlic with a microplane and add to the melted butter. Cook 30-60 seconds, then add the flour. Whisk constantly until the flour starts to turn golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Add the half-and-half slowly, whisking constantly. When all the half-and-half is incorporated, whisk in the Cattleman’s Grill Cajun Fusion Seasoning and Cattleman’s Grill Pit Fire Hot Sauce. Cook until the sauce is thickened to a gravy-like consistency. Remove from the heat. Cover with a lid to hold warm.
- Grill your Andouille sausage over the charcoal to get some color on the outside (does not need to be cooked all the way through). Remove from the grill and dice into 1/4” pieces.
- Remove the shrimp from the marinade and thread onto double pronged skewers. Season with Cattleman’s Grill Cajun Fusion Seasoning.
- Place a Lodge 7 Quart Dutch Oven on the infrared side burner and preheat over medium heat. Add the Colonial Chile Infused Oil, then the diced Andouille sausage. Cook to brown the sausage and release its fat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery and jalapeño. Season with Cattleman’s Grill Cajun Fusion Seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are tender.
- Meanwhile, grill shrimp over the hot charcoal until lightly charred, then flip. Cook until the shrimp meat is opaque all the way through (140ºF). Remove from the grill.
- While the shrimp is cooking, add the Cajun Béchamel and parmesan to the dutch oven with the Andouille and veggies. Stir. Add one cup of the chicken stock to thin, then more to adjust to desired consistency.
- Your pasta should be cooked until almost fully tender. Add the pasta to the dutch oven. Fold to coat with sauce.
- Serve topped with the grilled shrimp, more grated parmesan and Cattleman’s Grill Pit Fire Hot Sauce.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why marinate the shrimp for only 30-45 minutes instead of longer?
That window is enough to season delicate shellfish through without the acid in the marinade starting to break down the texture, which a longer soak could risk.
Why grill the Andouille sausage without cooking it all the way through, then finish it in the dutch oven?
Charring it briefly on the grill builds smoky color on the outside. Dicing and cooking it further in the dutch oven with the vegetables finishes it through while also rendering its fat into the base of the dish.
Why whisk the flour into the garlic butter until it turns golden brown?
Letting the roux color slightly before adding the half-and-half builds real depth into the béchamel. Adding the liquid too soon would leave a raw, pasty flour taste in the sauce.
Why add the pasta to the sauce while it's still almost tender instead of fully cooked?
Folding it in slightly underdone lets it finish cooking directly in the sauce, absorbing flavor as it goes rather than sitting fully cooked and separate until the sauce is poured over it.
What internal temperature should the shrimp actually reach?
This recipe pulls them at 140°F, but USDA's minimum safe internal temperature for shrimp is 145°F. Continue grilling until the shrimp reach at least 145°F rather than pulling at 140°F.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
4 out of 5 the béchamel, sausage, vegetables, and pasta all come together on the stovetop; a hot cast iron skillet or grill pan can handle the shrimp in place of the charcoal grill.
Recipe Highlights
Short shrimp marinade: Seasons through without over-tenderizing delicate shellfish.
Two-stage Andouille cook: Chars on the grill, finishes rendering in the dutch oven.
Browned roux base: Builds depth into the Cajun béchamel.
Underdone pasta addition: Finishes cooking directly in the sauce.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 12.7 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 688
- Carbs
- 56 grams
- Protein
- 49 grams
- Fat
- 30 grams
- Sodium
- 1583 milligrams
