Cajun Jambalaya Pasta (Easy)

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound chicken breast (cut into 1-inch pieces)

1/2 pound shrimp (deveined)

1/2 pound andouille sausage (sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces)

3 tablespoons Cajun spice blend (see notes)

1/2 red bell pepper (sliced)

1/2 green bell pepper (sliced)

1/2 red onion (sliced)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 medium tomato (diced) or 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes (see notes)

1 cup chicken broth

1 pound fettucine pasta (cooked but not rinsed)

parsley and leftover minced bell peppers (for garnish)

Directions

Cook the pasta, 1 minute shy of al dente according to the package directions. Drain but do not rinse. You can reserve a cup of pasta water, in case you need it.

Coat

In a large bowl add the chicken, shrimp, sausage, cajun spices, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, red onion, garlic, Kosher salt and black pepper. Toss well until everything is coated in spices.

Heat

In a large skillet or a cast iron skillet add the canola oil on high heat.

Sear

In two batches sear off the ingredients until the chicken is cooked through, about 4-5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and chicken stock to the pan with all the cooked ingredients.

Combine

Cook for a minute or two then add in the cooked pasta and using tongs coat the pasta with the sauce.

Serve

Garnish with parsley and leftover minced bell peppers if desired.

Notes

Kitchen Tools

•Cast Iron Skillet: This is my most used pan in my kitchen! It’s heavy, keeps heat well and gives the best ever sear for meat and veggies.

•Chef’s Knife: A good quality chef’s knife is one of the three most used tools in my kitchen. It makes chopping all the vegetables and sausage a breeze.

•Tongs: I prefer using a set of large tongs to toss my pasta. It just seems to coat and distribute everything evenly.

Homemade Cajun Seasoning

•The following amounts should give you the 3 tablespoons of seasoning you need for this recipe:

•1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 ½ teaspoon paprika

¾ teaspoon ground black pepper

¾ teaspoon onion powder

¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¾ teaspoons dried oregano

¾ teaspoons dried thyme

• In lieu of fresh tomatoes - 1 Can (28 Ounces) Tomatoes: Tomatoes bring acidity and break down during cooking to form a rich base for the sauce. Fresh chopped tomatoes can be used as well but will require additional cooking time. Add a small can of tomato paste to make it thicker and more flavorful. At this point I would use 3/4 to 1 whole sliced bell peppers and onion; double chicken, shrimp, sausage, chicken broth; allow time for everything to simmer, about 20 - 30 minutes.

• In lieu of pasta, white rice would be good too.

Nutrition

• Calories: 620 kcal
• Total Fat: 23 g
• Saturated Fat: 5 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
• Trans Fat: 0.2 g
• Cholesterol: 206 mg
• Sodium: 765 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 60 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5 g
• Total Sugars: 4 g
• Protein: 43 g