This Allergy Friendly Cajun Pasta has the spice and creaminess that you love, but without the gluten and dairy. There are a lot of options to make this recipe fit your needs, and you’ll definitely want to make it work for you… because it’s delicious. The combination of Cajun andouille sausage, red pepper, garlic, and onion is mixed with noodles in a creamy Cajun spiced sauce, and is a party in your mouth. Oh, and bonus!, you can make this dish in 30 minutes or less. Hello, easy weeknight meal.
This post contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you. View the full disclosure policy here.
Let the cooking begin!
The steps:
- First, you’ll want to get your noodles boiling. Cook them according to the package’s directions. My favorite gluten free noodles are the organic brown rice noodles from Jovial Foods (can be found at most grocery stores). For this recipe I used their penne variety.
- In a large skillet, cook your Cajun andouille sausage slices in some olive oil, until they start to brown.
- Add in the onion and red pepper and cook until fork tender.
- Remove the sausage and veggies from the pan and set aside until ready to mix in again.
- Stir in the garlic and spices on the skillet (you might need to add a touch more olive oil), and cook for a minute, or until the garlic starts to become fragrant.
- Pour the coconut cream (or coconut milk) into the pan and stir and heat until it starts to boil. Let it boil until the coconut milk starts to thicken, which should take 2-3 minutes.
- Turn off your stove and stir your arrowroot slurry into the pan. Stir until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. (*Note: I use arrowroot starch, but if you use cornstarch you will need to add your slurry while the sauce is boiling.)
- Mix in your dairy free, or regular cream cheese, until the sauce is smooth and no longer clumpy. I like the Kite Hill brand, but it does use almonds, so avoid it if you’re nut free. I’ll provide other options below.
- Stir your sausage and veggies and cooked and strained noodles into the pan and stir to coat everything evenly. You can optionally top the pasta with dairy free parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Substitutions:
- Brown rice penne noodles can be subbed for just about any noodle. There are a lot of gluten free, or otherwise, options that will work just as well! I recommend using a thicker noodle, like penne, instead of a thin one, like spaghetti.
- Coconut cream can be replaced with coconut milk, plain cashew milk (no longer nut free with this option), heavy cream (no longer dairy free), or another thick and unsweetened milk alternative.
- The Cajun andouille sausage can be replaced with Cajun seasoned chicken, chicken sausage, or another type of rope sausage. If you use one that’s not Cajun flavored, you may want to add more Cajun spice to the sauce.
- Tapioca starch or cornstarch can be used in place of the arrowroot starch. Make sure to add them in at the correct time if you’re going to use something else.
- You can either use the dairy free cream cheese of your choice, regular cream cheese, or an unsweetened dairy free, or otherwise, yogurt. If you go the yogurt route, your sauce might not be quite as thick, but the flavor should still be there.
- You can top the pasta with dairy free or regular parmesan cheese, but it’s optional.
Recommended kitchen items:
- Stainless steel measuring utensils. The spoons are my favorite, because they fit in spice jars. I also love using stainless steel, instead of plastic.
- Garlic press. Oh man, I love this thing. No more fiddling with garlic cloves, you just smash them instead.
- Teak wood spoon. This set is beautiful. I love using wooden utensils, because they don’t scratch your pots and pans and they feel so homey.
- 12in Cast iron skillet. These are so versatile. They can go from the stovetop to the oven and are one of the cleanest cooking pans out there. I don’t have a link to the exact one I have, but linked is a very similar one.
I hope you love this recipe, and would love to hear about how making it went for you! Share with me in the comments below, on Pinterest, or @whitsfoodfit on Instagram.
Allergy Friendly Cajun Pasta
(GF, DF, Egg free, Nut free option, Soy free)
Ingredients
- 12 oz gluten free brown rice penne noodles I like Jovial Foods brand
- water for boiling
- 2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 12 oz Cajun andouille sausage, sliced I like Aidells brand
- ¼ yellow onion diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- ½ Tbsp Cajun seasoning
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 15 oz can of coconut cream or coconut milk
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 Tbsp arrowroot starch +3 Tbsp water for slurry
- 2 Tbsp dairy free cream cheese
- dairy free parmesan cheese for topping optional
Instructions
- Boil your noodles according to the package's directions.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add enough extra virgin olive oil to lightly coat the pan, and then add your sliced sausage.
- Stir and cook the sausage until it starts to brown on both sides.
- Add the diced onion and red pepper to the pan and stir and cook until the veggies become fork tender. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
- Remove the sausage and veggies from the pan and set aside until ready to mix back in.
- Stir the minced garlic cloves, the Cajun seasoning, and the salt on the pan until you start to smell the garlic- about 1-2 minutes. You may need to add a splash of olive oil to help them cook and not stick.
- Pour the coconut cream and the nutritional yeast into the pan and stir and cook until the liquid starts to boil.
- Let the sauce boil until it starts to thicken, about 3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat on your stove and add in your arrowroot starch slurry (the starch mixed with water). Stir until the sauce becomes thick and can coat the back of a spoon.
- Add the dairy free cream cheese to the sauce and mix it in until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Return the sausage, vegetables, and drained noodles to the pan and stir until everything is well coated.
- You can optionally serve this pasta topped with dairy free parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
