Pastalaya Recipe
Pastalaya is the Cajun pasta dish you always dreamed of, made with all of your favorite jambalaya ingredients, but with pasta instead of rice, a comfort food revelation.
Servings: 8
Calories: 567kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound andouille sausage sliced (or other smoked sausage)
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts) cut into small pieces
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 large bell pepper diced
- 2 jalapeno peppers diced (optional, for extra spicy)
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound fresh tomatoes chopped (canned is OK - 15 ounces)
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 pound uncooked pasta cavatappi, penne or similar
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning I use 2 tablespoons – you can use Creole seasonings or blackening seasoning here
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ to 1 cup sour cream optional, for a creamy sauce – heavy cream or cream cheese are nice swaps
- For Garnish. Chopped green onions, parsley, red pepper flakes, hot sauce to taste. Parmesan cheese is great, too!
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage and set aside.
- In the same pot, add the chicken pieces and cook until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Add the diced onion, bell peppers, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, until you can smell the garlic.
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, Cajun seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes to let the flavors develop.
- Add the uncooked pasta to the pot and stir to combine. Cover the pot and let it simmer for another 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked through. Stir a few times during simmering to make sure the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Add the browned sausage and chicken back to the pot and stir to combine. Gently heat through then remove from heat.
- Stir in the sour cream, if desired, for a creamier pasta.
- Garnish with chopped green onions, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Serve! Don’t forget the hot sauce!
Nutrition
Calories: 567kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 569mg | Potassium: 826mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1579IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 3mg