I regularly make jambalaya at home, much to the delight of my family. However, sometimes I like to mix things up a bit. That's when I turn to pasta and give it my Cajun treatment. In about a half hour, all of the favorites of jambalaya swimming in a creamy pasta dish are finding their way to my plate. Hooray!
If you want this spicier, skip the sweet peppers and make them all hot. If you want it milder, skip the hot peppers and make them all sweet. I like the trio that is andouille, shrimp, and chicken, but you can go with just two of them or even one … if you skip the andouille, you might want to increase the hot peppers and/or the Cajun spice. I really adore this recipe as is and the leftovers are full of flavor and fire.
A nice salad alongside this dish, including fruit salad, is a nice way to tame the fire a bit and get some complex flavors going. If you are still looking for more, consider a batch of warm honey cornbread muffins. Add a tall pint of your favorite hard cider or beer and enjoy!
Five Alarm Jambalaya Pasta
- 1 lb. andouille sausage, sliced
- ¾ cup diced onion
- ¾ cup diced red, orange, and/or yellow sweet peppers
- ¾ cup diced hot peppers (I used marinated hot peppers from a jar)
- ½ lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 lb. chopped cooked chicken (I like to use leftovers or rotisserie chicken)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- 1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Cajun spice
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 lb. medium shell pasta (or similar), cooked al dente
In a large sauté pan, add the sausage, onion, and peppers and cook until the vegetables are tender and the sausage is lightly browned.
Stir in the shrimp and chicken; cook until barely pink and the chicken is warmed. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Add the garlic to the now empty pan and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock and diced tomatoes and lower the heat to medium.
Stir in the Cajun spice and smoked paprika; cook over medium heat, reducing ⅓ of the liquid. Toss in the cooked pasta and the sausage, vegetables, shrimp, and chicken - making sure to coat everything with the sauce. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve hot.
- Yields: 4-6 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes