Between the mix of veggies and plenty of spice, Cajun tomato sauce will really rev up that plain pasta night. Along with the Cajun seasoning, extra cayenne pepper powder is the “rev” fuel here. It’s a bold, hearty, and spicy sauce. Use it anywhere a tomato sauce is called for: as a pasta sauce, a stromboli dipper, or a mozzarella stick side, just to name a few!
🌶️ Quick recipe snapshot
| Flavor profile | Savory tomato with sweet onion and bell pepper, warm Cajun spice and a bright note of lemon zest. |
| Primary heat source | Cajun seasoning plus half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder. Cayenne runs 30,000 to 50,000 SHU. |
| Heat level | Mild to medium with the cayenne in, and milder still if you leave it out. |
| Texture | Hearty and a little chunky from the vegetables, or smoother if you start with a smooth tomato sauce. |
| Best uses | Pasta night, a dipper for stromboli or mozzarella sticks, or spooned over rice with sausage or shrimp. |
| Customization ideas | Andouille or shrimp for a heartier sauce, more cayenne for heat, or a quick blend for a smooth finish. |
| Before you start | About 30 minutes, and most of the work is chopping the onion, celery and bell pepper. |
Flavor notes
The onion, celery and bell pepper are Cajun cooking’s holy trinity, the base for gumbo, étouffée and jambalaya. Here they cook down in a little olive oil before the tomato sauce goes in, and they’re what make this a Cajun sauce instead of a plain marinara with spice stirred in.
The heat comes in two layers. Most Cajun blends already have some cayenne in them, and the extra half teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder pushes it further. Cayenne runs 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville heat units, so if you’re cooking for anyone cautious, leave the extra cayenne out and add it at the end, once you’ve tasted.
No Cajun seasoning in your cabinet? That’s OK, because you can make it yourself with common spice rack spices. And if you do use a store-bought blend, check the label first. Many of them list salt as the first ingredient, so taste the finished sauce before you add any salt of your own.
The lemon zest might look out of place in a Cajun sauce, but it brightens the tomato and keeps all that spice from tasting heavy. Zest only the yellow part of the peel, since the white pith underneath is bitter.
This is a quick sauce, with only 10 to 15 minutes of simmering. If you’d like it thicker, let it go a little longer with the lid off, stirring now and then so it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan.
Adaptation ideas
Most of these change the heat, or turn it into a heartier meal.
- Want more heat? Add another quarter teaspoon of cayenne at the end, or a few dashes of Louisiana-style hot sauce.
- Want it heartier? Brown sliced andouille sausage in the pan first, then cook the vegetables in the same pan before the tomato sauce goes in.
- Adding shrimp? Stir peeled shrimp into the simmering sauce for the last few minutes, just until they turn pink and opaque.
- Want it smooth? Pull out the bay leaf, then blend the sauce with an immersion blender before serving.
- Want more trinity? Double the onion, celery and bell pepper for a chunkier sauce with more vegetables in every spoonful.
Serving ideas
Pasta’s the obvious place for it, but you can use this sauce anywhere a tomato sauce is called for.
- Over pasta. Tossed with penne or spaghetti, with a little grated Parmesan on top.
- As a dipper. Warm, in a bowl next to stromboli, mozzarella sticks or garlic bread.
- Over rice. Spooned over white rice with sliced andouille sausage or sautéed shrimp.
- With chicken. Spooned over grilled or blackened chicken breasts, with rice or crusty bread on the side.
Storage notes
Let the sauce cool, then keep it in a sealed container in the fridge and use it within three to four days. It freezes well, too, for two to three months.
Reheat it gently on the stove, adding a splash of water if it has thickened up in the fridge. Then taste it again before serving, since you may want a little more Cajun seasoning or cayenne.
Like this recipe? You’ll love these too:
- Sriracha Spaghetti Sauce: Another spicy tomato pasta sauce, this one with sriracha’s tang and a garlicky undertone.
- Penne All’Arrabbiata: The Italian take on spicy tomato pasta: penne in a fiery sauce of tomato, onion and garlic.
- Cajun Pickled Eggs: More Cajun spice, in pickled eggs that are tangy, slightly sweet and fiery.
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Cajun Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 cups tomato sauce chunky or smooth
- 3/4 cup yellow onions diced
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 1/2 cup bell pepper diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder optional
- 1 lemon zested
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the yellow onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic for approximately 5 minutes (or until the onions are soft and translucent).
- Add the tomato sauce, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper powder, bay leaf, and lemon zest to the vegetables and stir to combine. Bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Lower the heat to low and simmer the sauce for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and remove the bay leaf. Add salt and pepper to taste (and any additional Cajun seasoning/cayenne pepper to taste), then serve the sauce immediately.
