Creamy Cajun Pasta

Creamy, spicy and tangy!! This sauce is so so so good!! The best part about it is that it can be paired with literally any type of protein. I've made it with grilled chicken, scallops, mushrooms and also just by itself!

For a more texture filled sauce, use crushed tomatoes and add diced onion in addition to the tomato paste! And since there's always a handful of people that ask - I haven't tried to make it dairy-free yet but if I did, I would try using unsweetened coconut cream in place of the heavy cream!

What you need:

• 1/2 lb pasta (I used gf fettuccini)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 5 minced or grated garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp cajun seasoning 
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes (optional for more texture)
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional protein of choice

What to do:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions.
2. Cook the garlic, red pepper flakes, cajun seasoning in the melted butter until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and or crusted tomatoes and combine until it bubbles.
3. Make sure the heat is on medium - med/high and then add the white wine and cook for a a few minutes while the alcohol boils out and the sauce reduces a bit.
4. Stir in the cream, 1/2 cup at a time and whisk to combine.
   
5. Mix in the parmesan cheese and then turn the heat to low and let the sauce thicken while it bubbles until the pasta is done. (If the heat is too high here the cheese could burn and the sauce could thicken too much and it'll need pasta water to be thinned out!)
6. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper as needed. Add the cooked pasta and any protein you might be adding.
7. Top with more parm and a sprinkle of cajun seasoning to finish!