Instant Pot Cajun shrimp pasta
Creamy, spicy Cajun penne with peppers and shrimp, made in one pot with the pasta cooked right in the sauce.
- 35 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $4.58 a serving
- 650 calories
Dolly says: Most of the time here is hands-off, so you can sit down while it cooks.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning, divided
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 12 oz penne
- 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, thawed if frozen
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 2 green onions, sliced (optional)
Each serving has about 650 calories, 40 g protein, 74 g carbs and 22 g fat, and costs about $4.58 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No red bell peppers? Yellow bell peppers work.
- No penne? Rigatoni or elbow macaroni works.
- No raw shrimp? Frozen raw shrimp works.
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
- No green onions? Chives work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Set the pressure cooker to . the butter and cook the onion and bell pepper for 3 minutes, until soft.
Sauté. Sautéing means cooking cut-up food in a little oil or butter over medium to medium-high heat, stirring now and then. It cooks things quickly and browns them lightly without burning.
How you’ll know: You hear a steady, lively sizzle, not a hiss and spit, and the edges start to soften and color.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Timer: 3 min
Add the garlic and 2 teaspoons of the Cajun seasoning and for 30 seconds.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Timer: 30 sec
Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom clean, then add the penne and push it under the liquid. Turn off .
Sauté. Sautéing means cooking cut-up food in a little oil or butter over medium to medium-high heat, stirring now and then. It cooks things quickly and browns them lightly without burning.
How you’ll know: You hear a steady, lively sizzle, not a hiss and spit, and the edges start to soften and color.
Dolly’s tip: Scrape up anything stuck to the bottom. Stuck bits are what set off the burn warning.Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
Timer: 5 min
Turn the valve to venting to release the pressure, keeping your hand away from the steam.
the shrimp with the rest of the Cajun seasoning. Set the pot to , stir them into the pasta and cook 3 to 4 minutes, , until pink and opaque.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Sauté. Sautéing means cooking cut-up food in a little oil or butter over medium to medium-high heat, stirring now and then. It cooks things quickly and browns them lightly without burning.
How you’ll know: You hear a steady, lively sizzle, not a hiss and spit, and the edges start to soften and color.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Timer: 3 min 30 sec
Food safety: Shrimp are done when they turn pink and opaque all the way through and curl into a loose C. A tight O means overcooked, not unsafe.
Turn the pot off and in the cream and parmesan until silky.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Dolly’s tip: It thickens as it stands. Stir in a splash of water if it gets too thick.Scatter the green onions over and serve.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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