Best Cajun Pastalaya Recipes

CAJUN PASTALAYA

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage and cook for 2 minutes. Add celery, onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink inside and juices run clear, 5 to 7 minutes more. Add tomatoes, paprika, Creole seasoning, and cayenne pepper; bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add broth to the pot and return to a simmer. Add penne and simmer for 8 minutes. Add shrimp. Continue to simmer, stirring constantly, until pasta is tender but firm to the bite and shrimp are cooked through, about 7 minutes more.
• Stir in cream. Stir in thyme, oregano, and basil. Cook until just heated through, 3 to 5 minutes more. Serve topped with green onions and Parmesan cheese.

REAL CAJUN PASTALAYA

Steps:

• In a heavy pot that is NOT nonstick (I use Magnalite) brown sausage.
• After sausage is browned, remove from pot and add onions and bell pepper. Cook on medium-high heat in fat rendered from sausage (add butter or olive oil if needed) until wilted; about 5 minutes.
• Add garlic and cook a few more minutes.
• Add sausage back to pot along with chicken or which ever protein you choose, except if using shrimp).
• Add all remaining ingredients except green onions and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't stick to bottom. Reduce heat, cover, simmer for about 25 minutes, until pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. If using shrimp, add it at this point.
• Remove from heat, stir in green onions. Serve hot. French bread is delicious with it and you can sop up the sauce.

CAJUN PASTALAYA

Steps:

• Heat fat in a large covered pot or skillet and add the chicken, and brown well on both sides. Remove and set aside. Slice the sausage in half lengthwise, then chop, adding to the skillet and cook until browned. Stir in the onion and green pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
• Stir in the diced tomatoes and water; bring up to a boil. Meanwhile, cut the chicken breast into cubes and return to the pot, adding in the dry pasta, thyme, basil, parsley, and Cajun seasoning, return to boil; reduce to medium low, cover and cook for 25 minutes or until pasta is tender and most of liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the butter and green onion. Taste, add salt and pepper, adjust seasonings as needed and serve with hot French bread to soak up the juices.
• Variation: Mix and match the protein by using chopped cooked pork or cooked crawfish tails. Can also use peeled and deveined raw shrimp, adding in the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
• Note: I use the medium sized shell pasta, but you can substitute any medium sized short cut pasta such as rotini, elbow macaroni, penne, or ziti. For even more kick, substitute a can of drained Rotel diced tomatoes for one of the canned tomatoes, increasing water if needed.