shrimp and tasso pasta

If you are a Cajun food purist, close your eyes.
Stick your fingers in your ears.
La la la.  Can't hear me.
Run away if you feel the need.

That'll just leave more for me.

This week, it's pasta with a decadent, creamy sauce.

Pasta and creamy sauces are relatively new to Cajun cuisine--maybe since around the early to mid 80s.  And "Cajun" dishes made with pasta and cream sauces are really restaurant inventions.  I get it.  You can only eat so much rice!

I'm serving up this pasta with a creamy shrimp and tasso (tah-so) sauce. 
The Husband said he could've eaten the sauce as a soup.

Tasso with shrimp is a beautiful thing.  They go well together in jambalaya, in shrimp & grits, on pizza, in omelettes, over pasta.... 


Tasso is highly seasoned, highly smoked pork. 

It's usually diced and added to many Cajun dishes as a seasoning.

Tasso may be hard to find outside of South Louisiana.  CajunGrocer.com carries several brands and ships all over the United States. 
(I'm not being paid or compensated in any way--Cajun Grocer has no clue I exist.) 

Mise en place for Shrimp & Tasso Pasta:

Olive oil and butter in which to cook The Trinity + garlic,

diced tasso,

salt, pepper, Tony's (another Trinity?), dried basil & oregano,

flour for thickening

shrimp stock, evaporated milk and cream

cooked pasta

green onions, 1 small red &

1 small yellow tomato for garnish (optional)

I am thinking of turning this into

Creamy Shrimp & Tasso Soup

The shrimp stock really added a lot of flavor to the sauce. 

Save your shells in the freezer and make a batch!

After tossing everything together, I decided that it was mighty pale.

Grabbed some green onion and

a red and a yellow tomato from the garden...

And totally overdid it.

Overdid it on eating too!

Ca c'est bon!

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Shrimp & Tasso Pasta

from Ms. enPlace

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp butter

about 1 cup diced tasso

1 small onion, finely chopped

1-2 ribs celery, finely chopped

1 small bell pepper, finely chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

salt, pepper, and Tony's, to taste

1/4 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp dried oregano

2 Tbsp flour

1 cup shrimp stock

6 oz heavy cream

1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk, divided

1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

3/4 lb pasta, cooked by package directions

green onion and chopped tomatoes for garnish

Saute the tasso in the oil and butter until browned.  Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper and saute until softened.  Add the garlic, salt, pepper, Tony's, basil, and oregano and saute a few minutes longer.  Sprinkle the flour over the seasoning mixture and stir, cooking for a couple of minutes.

Stir while slowly adding the shrimp stock, cream, and 6 oz of evaporated milk.  Keep the rest of the evaporated milk for thinning out the sauce as it simmers.

Simmer the sauce for about 15 minutes.  After simmering, if the sauce is too thick, add more evaporated milk to get the consistency you'd like.  Add the shrimp and any juices to the pan and cook until the shrimp are no longer pink.  Toss with cooked pasta.  Garnish with chopped green onion and tomatoes. 

It's been a long time since I've linked with Presto Pasta Nights. It's time!

This week's edition is hosted by Simona of Briciole


Also linking with:
Make a Food-"e"-Friend Monday @ The Saturday Evening Pot
Tuesdays at the Table @ All The Small Stuff
Tasty Tuesday @ Naptime Creations
Hearth and Soul vol 60 @ Mom's Sunday Cafe
Delectable Tuesday @ Home Sweet Farm
Made it on Monday #21 @ Lark's Country Heart
Turning the Table Thursday @ Around My Family Table
What's Cooking Thursday @ Feeding Four
Potluck Friday @ EKat's Kitchen
Foodie Friday @ Little Brick Ranch
Fresh Food Friday @ la bella vita
Friday Food @ Mom Trends

Simply Delish @ KB & Whitesnakes Home