Voodoo Pasta

This is one of those pasta recipes y’all really like.  It requires only one pot, and no boiling of pasta whatsoever.  It’s easy and delicious.  Just make sure you serve Voodoo Pasta with bread on the side so no one is licking a plate at the table.   (That’s tacky, at least.)

Voodoo Pasta probably originated in New Orleans or thereabouts at least 30 years ago.  It spread quickly to casual and upscale casual restaurants all over.   Early on you could expect to find Voodoo Pasta made with black squid ink noodles.  Unfortunately, as squid ink pasta turned up on more and more menus, the chances of it tasting unpleasantly of iodine went up, too.  Now you’re more likely to find Voodoo Pasta made with regular pasta.  I approve of this innovation.

Some recipes call for mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, celery, lots of extra garlic, no shrimp at all, tomato sauce, and I even saw one that called for ground beef.  To be fair, I have added sun-dried tomatoes when I have good ones.  Feel free to fiddle with add-ins, but take care to mind the liquid-to-pasta ratio.  That’s what makes the recipe work.

Voodoo Pasta pretty much always calls for andouille sausage.  I sometimes have andouille available, and if I have it, I use it.  Otherwise, rest assured, I’m using Conecuh sausage.  What you need here is a spicy smoke-cured sausage, but not a crazy-hot one.  Remember, you’ll be adding Creole, Cajun, or blackening seasoning.  All of these bring heat, and you don’t want to overdo it.  You can certainly put a bottle of hot sauce on the table.

I use a hefty noodle for Voodoo Pasta.  After all, you need something that will stand up to sausage and shrimp, and grab the spicy cream sauce.  I’m telling you right now that angel hair just won’t cut it.  Instead, think penne, rigatoni, rotini, fusilli, etc.  I’ve used cavatappi in the batch pictured here.  I love cavatappi because it’s super curly, always festive, and, for some reason, my small neighborhood grocery stocks it.  Use whatever you have.

Don’t forget to taste for salt and pepper and adjust at the end.  There is so much salt content variation in commercial seasoning blends, and also in commercial chicken stock, that I can’t guess how much salt you’ll need when you make Voodoo Pasta at your house.

Finally, in accordance with Lazy Chef™ best practices, this Voodoo Pasta recipe produces a simple, delicious, and nutritious dish that feels fancy.  And no one will know how easy it was if you don’t tell them.  

LOVE!

Print Recipe

VooDoo Pasta

A Lazy Chef favorite!

Ingredients

• 2 T. butter
• ½ lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced
• 3 sliced scallions--both white and green parts, separated
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 2-3 t. Cajun, Creole, or blackening seasoning, or to taste
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 15 oz. jar Alfredo sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 lb. dry pasta--penne, fusilli, rigatoni, rotini, cavatappi, etc., uncooked
• a splash of dry sherry, optional
• salt and pepper to taste
• grated parmesan for serving

Instructions

• In a large skillet (12") with a lid or a Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Sauté the shrimp until uniformly pink. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add the sausage and sauté until beginning to brown. Add the white part of the scallions and the diced bell pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender, stirring frequently. Add the Creole, Cajun, or blackening seasoning and stir around for a minute more.
• Pour in the stock, Alfredo sauce, and water. Add the pasta and stir well. Bring to a simmer and turn the heat down a little. The goal is to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover the skillet and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is nearly al dente. You'll need to test it. When the pasta is close to al dente, uncover it and continue to cook until the pasta is as tender as you like.
• When the pasta is ready, turn off the heat. Stir in the shrimp, and the sherry if using. Taste for seasoning and adjust. Sauce will thicken a bit upon standing
• Garnish with the green sliced scallions and parmesan.