Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Pasta in a Creole Mustard Sauce offers amazing Cajun and Creole flavors that belie this recipe's simplicity. A creamy sauce made memorable by adding tangy, spicy creole mustard is a perfect match for two of South Louisiana’s natural treasures-fresh Gulf shrimp and andouille sausage. Sweet Daddy D calls this recipe Shrimp David, a Creole treat that will be an instant hit with your friends and family.
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What Makes this Recipe So Good?
Gulf shrimp, andouille sausage, and a cream sauce made with Creole mustard. It's a pretty simple formula. This recipe was inspired by a dish I had at the Palace Café, one of the Brennan restaurants in New Orleans. Through trial and error, I developed a cream sauce powered by Creole mustard that goes well with many proteins. Add this sauce to fresh shrimp, andouille sausage, and pasta, and I had an instant hit. In my house, we refer to this recipe as Shrimp David after my son, who originally ordered a chicken version of this at the Palace Café. Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Pasta in a Creole Mustard Sauce is a little Creole and a little Cajun, the best of that South Louisiana vibe.
Here's What You Need
Here are some of the key ingredients for this recipe:
The full list of ingredients with quantities can be found on the Recipe Card below.
Note on Gulf Shrimp: You can use either fresh or frozen shrimp in this recipe. See more about the shrimp in the Hints and Tips (FAQ) section below.
Note on Andouille Sausage. Common in South Louisiana recipes, Andouille is a smoked pork sausage, typically highly spiced and often made from coarsely ground pork. I use a mild andouille sausage for this recipe because it adds great flavor but doesn't clash with the Creole mustard. Check out the Hints and Tips (FAQ) section below for more about Andouille and substitutes.
Note on Creole Mustard. This is the real flavor driver for this recipe. Creole Mustard is spicy, Dijon-style grain mustard with a bit of horseradish. Check out the Hints and Tips (FAQ) section below for substitutes.
Note on the Chicken Stock: I developed this recipe with commercial chicken stock. You can also use my recipe to make homemade chicken stock. Also, Shrimp stock is an outstanding substitute for the chicken stock.
Note on Penne Pasta. Penne pasta is ideal for this dish because the sauce will cling to it very well and its structure will not be overwhelmed by the rich flavors of the sauce. Check out the Hints and Tips (FAQ) section below for some substitute ideas.
Note on Salt: I developed this recipe using Le Bon Papa Creole Seasoning which is a salt-free all purpose Creole or Cajun seasoning. If you use a Creole seasoning that contains salt, taste the recipe before adding any additional salt. Other sources of salt in this recipe as I developed it are the butter and chicken stock f which salt-free versions are available.
Check out the Hints and Tips (FAQ) section below for some key ingredient substitutes.
Equipment:
Here is some of the equipment I used in making this recipe:
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Here's What You Do
First...you have a beer. Preparation starts with the cook! This recipe is really quite simple and can be done in an hour if you prepare properly. Your mise en place starts with a beer and while you're sipping that, read the recipe thoroughly to make sure you have all the ingredients and you know what to do with them.
Mise en Place
Like most recipes, this one is a lot easier if you have everything prepped and placed in their own prep bowls before you start to cook. Then, all you need to do is assemble the recipe.
Shrimp:
- Peel, devein and rinse the shrimp.
- Pat them dry with a paper towel, before mixing in some Creole seasoning.
- Set them aside.
Remaining Ingredients:
- Slice the andouille sausage into medallions about ¼ inch thick.
- Chop the shallots, garlic and green onions.
- Squeeze the lemon juice.
- Measure the remaining ingredients into prep bowls.
Pasta:
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box for al dente. The pasta should take about 9 to 11 minutes, so you can start the sauce when that gets going.
Pro Tip: Make sure to retain about ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water to mix into the recipe.
Create the Flavor Base
What happens in this step? Here we will build a flavor foundation starting with browning the sausage and the shrimp. The flavors left in the pan from this will flavor the remaining ingredients which will be concentrated when the stock reduces.
1) Heat the olive oil in the large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the sausage and saute until browned. Stir occasionally and saute for about 5 minutes. Remove the browned sausage from the pan, leaving as much oil and rendered fat as possible.
2) To the renderings, add the shrimp and saute for a total of 2 minutes, turning over halfway through. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
Pro Tip: You want to get some brown bits from the sausage and some of the seasonings from the shrimp on to the bottom of the skillet. This is called fond and will add great color and flavor to the dish.
3) Add the butter to the skillet. When it is nearly melted and foaming, add the shallots. Saute the shallots for about 3 minutes stirring frequently.
4) Toss in the garlic and about half of the Creole seasoning. Stir to combine until the garlic is aromatic which will only take about 2 minutes.
5) Next, deglaze the pan with a little stock and blend all the loosened fond into the other ingredients. Add the rest of the stock and the lemon juice. Bring to a simmer.
6) Lower the heat and allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes until the stock has reduced by about half.
Build the sauce
What Happens in this Step? Now that we have a flavor base, we create the sauce on top of it with heavy cream and Creole mustard before adding back the sausage and shrimp..
7) Now that the stock has reduced somewhat, add the heavy cream and stir to combine. Increase the heat to a heavy simmer.
8) Add the green onions, then lower the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Next, stir in the creole mustard and combine well.
9) Add back the browned sausage, stir completely, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Pro Tip: If it looks like there will be a delay in serving, just hold the recipe at the point after you add the sausage. When you are ready to serve, bring the sauce to a slight simmer, add the shrimp, and finish according to the instructions.
10) Next, add the shrimp, mix well, then cover the pan and simmer on low for about 3 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp.
Mix in the pasta and finish
What happens in this step? The pasta is folded into the Creole mustard sauce for serving.
11) Remove the pan from the heat and blend in the cooked pasta starting with about half of the pasta and about ¼ cup of the cooking liquid.
12) Mix the pasta and sauce thoroughly as you go before adding more pasta a little at a time blending completely before you add more pasta.
Pro Tip: It’s important not to add so much pasta that it does not get completely coated with the sauce. You may not use the entire pound of cooked pasta.
13) When the pasta is all mixed in, cover the pan and let it sit for about 5 minutes, then serve immediately.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this dish immediately with a delicious Sensation Salad and some crispy French bread.
Looking for a side dish? These side dishes from Sweet Daddy D are perfect partners for this recipe:
If shrimp aren't your thing, check out this variation made with chicken breast: I call that recipe Pasta David and you can link to it right here.
This sauce is fabulous with more than shrimp and chicken. I like it over fish and pork. Here's a recipe just for the sauce, with some extra umami added with mushrooms! Try it over a Pork Tenderloin, yum!
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Hints and Tips (FAQ)
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. To reheat, use the microwave or slowly warm in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often. I do not recommend freezing leftover pasta in cream sauce.
Yes, frozen shrimp are fine for this recipe. Try to find shrimp that were flash-frozen by the supplier. Frozen shrimp are usually already peeled and washed and when flash frozen are hard to distinguish from fresh when defrosted.
For fresh shrimp in the shell with heads, you’ll need to buy about 1 ¾ to 2 pounds (depending on if they have heads on or not) to yield a pound of shrimp after you peel them. Make sure to save the shells and heads to make a homemade shrimp stock.
This recipe is best with medium to large shrimp. Small shrimp will be fine if that's what you have. To learn more abut how shrimp are sized, check out my Lagniappe Article What Size Shrimp Do I Need?
This is a simple recipe, but I have messed it up before. Here’s what I’ve learned:Â
Don’t overcook the shrimp. Shrimp cook quickly. Saute the shrimp only a couple of minutes in the beginning and don’t add them back until just before you are ready to serve. Overcooked shrimp can be hard and rubbery and certainly distract from the recipe.Â
Make sure there is enough sauce to coat all the pasta. Don’t reduce the sauce too much or add too much pasta to the sauce. Add the pasta a little at a time, starting with about half. Mix that amount completely before you add a little more pasta. Make sure to add some of the pasta cooking water and blend in the pasta completely before adding more. Stop when it’s a nice saucy look-you probably won’t use all of the pasta.
Don’t overcook the pasta. Not many recipes are at their best with mushy, overcooked pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente (meaning to cook until it gives a slight resistance when bitten-not overcooked or undercooked; meaning "tooth" in Italian.) A little "bite" in the pasta will make sure it won’t be overcooked after you blend it into the sauce.Â
I recommend Zatarain brand Creole Mustard, which can be bought on Amazon if you don’t have it in your grocery store. There are other brands of Creole mustard that are excellent as well and you should use what you can get. If you cannot get Creole mustard, use a Dijon or brown grain mustard and add a dash of Worcestershire and about ½ to 1 teaspoon of prepared horseradish to ½ cup of mustard.Â
Andouille sausage is a highly seasoned (that doesn’t mean it’s always spicy) and coarse-grained, smoked pork sausage which is very common in Cajun and Creole recipes. Any smoked pork sausage, like kielbasa, can be substituted for the andouille, but keep in mind that the andouille adds a lot of authentic flavors that other sausages do not.
I find that penne pasta is an excellent choice for this because it is stout and latches onto the sauce well. However, this recipe goes well with other types of pasta, like farfalle (bowtie), rotini, tagliatelle, pappardelle, and even fettuccini. You should use a broad pasta that will catch the sauce well.
Here is a recipe for Homemade Shrimp Stock, which can be substituted for Chicken Stock in this recipe. You can also use chicken bouillon or Better Than Bouillon mixed with water.
Try these other Pasta recipes from Sweet Daddy D:
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Recipe
Shrimp David
Here's What You Need
- 1 pound penne pasta cooked according to directions on package
- 1 pound Gulf Shrimp peeled, rinsed and pat dry
- 1 pound Andouille Sausage sliced in rounds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons Butter
- ½ cup Shallots chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- ½ cup green onions chopped
- ½ cup creole mustard
- 3 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning plus some to season shrimp
- 1 cup Chicken Stock
- ¾ cups Heavy Cream
- to taste kosher salt & fresh ground pepper
Here's What You Do
- Cook pasta according to the instructions on the box. Set aside. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta boiling liquid.
- Peel, devein and rinse the shrimp, pat dry with paper towels and mix in 1 Tablespoon of creole seasoning-then set aside in a bowl.
- Slice sausage into medalions, chop shallots, garlic and green onions. Measue butter, stock, heavy cream, lemon juice and creole seasoning. Set aside.
- To begin, sauté the sausage in the olive oil over medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.
- Add the shrimp to the frying pan and saute for about 2 ½ minutes, total. Turn the shrimp over once to make sure you catch both sides. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside. Leave the oil and browned bits of sausage and seasoning in the pan.
- Next add the butter.When the butter is just melted and starting to bubble, add the shallots and sauté for about 3 minutes.
- Add the the garlic and stir until just aromatic - a minute or two. Add about half the creole seasoning, mix well.
- Deglaze the pan with a little chicken stock, scraping all the browned bits off the bottom. Add the remaining chicken stock and mix well.
- Add the lemon juice. Mix everything together well and bring to a low boil before lowering the heat. Simmer with the pan uncovered for about 5 to 8 minutes, until the stock has reduced by about half.
- Add in the heavy cream and mix well. Increase the fire and bring everything to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain slight simmer. Stir in the green onions. Keep it at a simmer for about 5 minutes then stir in the creole mustard and mix well.
- Add back the sausage and stir to combined completely.Simmer about 2 to 3 minutes,
- Add back the shrimp and the remaining creole seasoning and salt and pepper. Mix well, cover the pan and simmer about 3 minutes.
- Now is the time to add in the cooked pasta. Start with about half of the pasta and ¼ cup of pasta water and mix thoroughly. Add more as you mix it together but don't add so much that the sauce doesn't coat all the pasta. You may not use all of the pasta as it should be creamy and all the pasta should be coated with the sauce.
- Remove from the heat and let sit about 5 minutes then serve.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Estimate
This article and recipe was originally published in April 2020. I am revising the article with improved images and more detailed instructions and tips.
It's Me!
Louisiana is a wonderful place where the rich cultural heritage enriches and entertains. I'm Dave Howson, aka Sweet Daddy D. I'm glad you found my website and I look forward to exploring the cultural mosaic of Louisiana with you…
read the "It's Me" page to find out more about me and this website…
John Billodeaux
A family member has a lactose problem. I have been substituting 2% Lactaid milk for heavy cream and then adding corn starch or Wondra to thicken. Not bad, but not great. Might be because my proportions are off a tad. Do you have any suggestions of something else I can try?
Sweet Daddy D
Hi, John. I haven't substituted for the cream in this recipe before myself, but my daughter is lactose free and suggests Silk Brand Heavy Cream Alternative. I know the Silk Brand products are good quality and you can freeze any extra. I have gotten this at Whole Foods, but I'm sure it's available in most stores. The link I've attached can help you find some near you. Let me know how it turns out. Enjoy!
MIKE BINNINGS
Last week I did the dirty rice…fantastic. But this Saturday I explored. Started with a bourbon..then…Used your receipt for the shrimp and sausage in a mustard cream sauce. Left out the sausage and added a little sprinkle cheese. Put all of that over a fried green tomato…unbelievable..Definitely gets 5 stars from me....…Mike
Sweet Daddy D
Fantastic, Mike. Nothing wrong with starting with a bourbon! That sounds like a great modification, I love fried green tomatoes. It's always nice to hear when readers make these recipes their own. Thanks for the kind remarks.