Meal Prep
Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Cajun Shrimp Pasta is the kind of meal prep that makes you question why you ever settled for bland chicken and rice. A creamy Cajun-spiced sauce brings smoky heat while perfectly seared shrimp and tender pasta soak up every drop of flavor. It’s rich, bold, and seriously satisfying without completely blowing up your macros. On this blog, meal prep isn’t about suffering- it’s about eating something you’re genuinely excited for.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Makes
- 4 servings
High protein
Cajun Shrimp Pasta
60.9g protein578 calories per serving
- Prep Time
- 10 mins
- Cook Time
- 20 mins
- Total Time
- 30 mins
Equipment
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Ingredients
Ingredient links open Walmart products from our grocery planner. Links marked “Walmart search” need your product choice. Confirm package details and local availability at Walmart.
Shrimp & Cajun Seasoning
Pasta
Creamy Spinach Sauce
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt to create your Cajun blend.
1 tbsp paprika, 1 ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp salt
2 lb raw shrimp, ½ tsp olive oil spray
8 oz penne pasta
½ tsp olive oil spray
Re-spray the skillet lightly if needed. Pour in the half & half, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2- 3 minutes until slightly thickened.
1 cup half & half
Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth.
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 cup fresh spinach
See it come together
Watch: Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Nutrition
Per servingEstimates for one serving.
- Calories
- 578 kcal
- Protein
- 60.9 g
- Fat
- 14.8 g
- Carbs
- 51.1 g
Full nutrition and how it’s calculated
All values are per serving. Changing the recipe yield scales the ingredients and keeps these per-serving amounts the same.
- Saturated Fat
- 7.24 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1.54 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4.15 g
- Trans Fat
- 0.43 g
- Cholesterol
- 400 mg
- Sodium
- 1,184 mg
- Potassium
- 1,081 mg
- Fiber
- 3.7 g
- Sugar
- 4.5 g
- Added Sugar
- 0 g
- Vitamin A
- 409 mcg RAE
- Vitamin C
- 9.62 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Calcium
- 405 mg
- Iron
- 4.91 mg
Estimated ingredient cost
$5.38 per serving · $21.51 for this batch
Ingredient costs and assumptions
Estimated US grocery prices for the amounts used, including purchase waste and discarded marinade. Your store, brands, and package sizes may cost differently. Buying full packages can cost more. Price sources and methodology.
Quantities without exact weights use the nutrition library’s portion estimates. Purchase yields are estimates. Separate citrus ingredients are costed independently; reusing the same fruit for juice and zest can lower your cost. Labor, utilities, and delivery are excluded.
- raw shrimp: $18.03
907.2 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
Authored ingredient weight. Representative product; brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Frozen Raw Peeled Deveined Tail-Off Small Shrimp · Price checked 2026-09-21
- paprika: $0.10
6.8 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tbsp = 6.8 g Representative product; brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Paprika · Price checked 2026-09-21
- garlic powder: $0.05
4.7 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tsp = 3.1 g Representative product; brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Garlic Powder · Price checked 2026-09-21
- onion powder: $0.03
2.4 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tsp = 2.4 g Representative product; brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Onion Powder · Price checked 2026-09-21
- dried oregano: $0.04
1 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tsp (leaves) = 1 g; texture=leaves Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Oregano Leaves, 0.87 oz · Price checked 2026-09-21
- dried thyme: $0.10
1 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tsp (leaves) = 1 g; texture=leaves Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Thyme Leaves, 0.75 oz · Price checked 2026-09-21
- black pepper: $0.10
2.3 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tsp (ground) = 2.3 g; texture=ground Ground black pepper reference; cracked pepper may cost differently.
Walmart: Great Value Ground Black Pepper · Price checked 2026-09-21
- cayenne pepper: $0.11
1.8 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tsp = 1.8 g Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Cayenne Pepper, 2.25 oz · Price checked 2026-09-21
- salt: $0.01
6 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tsp = 6 g Iodized table salt reference; not a kosher salt price.
Walmart: Great Value Iodized Salt · Price checked 2026-09-21
- olive oil spray: $0.05
2.3 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tsp = 4.5 g Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cooking Spray, 7 oz Can · Price checked 2026-09-21
- penne pasta: $0.62
226.8 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
Authored ingredient weight. Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Penne Pasta, 16 oz · Price checked 2026-09-21
- olive oil spray: $0.05
2.3 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tsp = 4.5 g Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cooking Spray, 7 oz Can · Price checked 2026-09-21
- half & half: $0.62
242 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 cup = 242 g Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Half & Half, 32 fl oz · Price checked 2026-09-21
- grated Parmesan cheese: $0.74
60.8 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tbsp = 7.6 g Shredded Parmesan reference; grated products and brands may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Finely Shredded Parmesan Cheese · Price checked 2026-09-21
- fresh spinach: $0.85
120 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 cup = 30 g Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Marketside Fresh Spinach, 10 oz Bag (Fresh) · Price checked 2026-09-21
Make it yoursRecipe notes & meal-prep tips
Macro breakdown
- Protein60.9g42%
- Carbs51.1g35%
- Fat14.8g23%
Per serving · Share of calories from macros
Calculated using 4 calories per gram of protein and carbs, and 9 for fat. Rounding and fiber can affect the listed calorie total.Triple B's Meal Prep Notes
This batch can get properly spicy. Start with less cayenne if you are cooking for different heat tolerances; you can add heat to your own serving later. Cajun shrimp pasta has a short cooking schedule, but the order still matters. With shrimp and a quick skillet sauce, it belongs on the list when you are choosing meal preps under 45 minutes. Cook the shrimp, move them out of the skillet, and bring them back once the sauce is ready. Leaving them in while the half-and-half reduces gives them more cooking time than they need before they are reheated later. The same idea is worth remembering across the shrimp recipe collection.
Reserve the pasta water and use it gradually when combining the penne, spinach, and Parmesan sauce. The pasta should be coated, with enough movement in the sauce to stir easily. Toss from the bottom before dividing the batch so the spinach and shrimp are not concentrated in a couple of containers. A wide pan or two shrimp batches will also be easier to manage than a crowded layer. Slightly undercook the penne for the batch, leaving a firm bite before the sauce goes on, so the reheated serving still has some texture.
Add a small splash of water if the chilled pasta needs loosening. For a refrigerated serving, microwave on high for 90 seconds, stir, then heat for another 45 seconds. Use that as a starting point and continue in short intervals as needed until the food reaches 165°F throughout. Stir gently but thoroughly, then stop once the serving is heated through rather than giving the shrimp extra time for good measure. The cayenne is your easiest heat adjustment; paprika, oregano, and thyme can stay in place. For another use of the spice blend, browse the Cajun meal preps, or compare sauce styles in the pasta archive.
Notes from your kitchen
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From the community
I created this recipe to pair a delicious cream sauce with spicy cajun flavors. Oh baby- you guys are not ready for this one. Let me know what you think!