Pasta is always in my weeknight dinner menu. If I’m at a loss for what to cook or just want something fast and easy, pasta is my go-to meal. Plus, it’s something my husband and I can both agree on. This pasta is something I kind of threw together (like I usually do with any pasta meal). It’s so easy to look in your fridge to see what you have and make a pasta out of it. I swear you can throw anything together with noodles and it will be amazing. I always keep all different kinds of dried pasta in my pantry for meals like this. I think for anyone that is busy or a mom on the go… It’s so helpful to have pantry staples you can fall back on. I know my pantry staples have saved me many times from ordering pizza and calling it a night.
My husband and I don’t love to eat out (unless we’re on a date). We do this for many reasons, one being that it’s so much cheaper to eat at home than going out. We’re only 25 years old so budgeting is so important in our lives. Another reason is that I love to know what is going into my food. I love to know the ingredients are fresh and be able to pick my portion size. It’s always refreshing to know things like that when eating a meal.. and also knowing you saved money but can still enjoy a delicious meal.
This pasta is one of my favorites. I love the spice and flavor of andouille sausage and anything with the label “creole”. This pasta is right up my alley. The campanelle pasta is the perfect type of noodle for this dish. It catches all that cheesy cream sauce and each bite explodes in your mouth with flavor. Although you can use any noodle you prefer, I definitely recommend campanelle.
SPICY ANDOUILLE & CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 14 oz. hot andouille sausage, sliced into .5 inch rounds
- 1 boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into cubes
- 1.5- 2 tsp creole seasoning, (more or less to taste)
- 1/2 yellow onion, small dice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1- 14.5 oz. can petit diced tomatoes, juices strained
- 1.5 cups heavy cream
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4cup gruyere cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/3 lemon, juice and zest of
- 1 lb. campanelle pasta, cooked
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat a large pan with tall sides to medium-high heat (I used a large cast iron skillet). Place sausage in the skillet and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until the surface of both sides is slightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside. Do not rinse the pan.
- Season chicken breast chunks with 1 tsp creole seasoning, or more to taste. Place chicken in the same pan and cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through and the outside is golden in color. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Do not rinse the pan.
- Add in onion and garlic. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until onions are slightly translucent. Add in the can of (drained) diced tomatoes and stir ingredients together. Cook for about 1 minute.
- Add in heavy cream, dried oregano and red pepper flakes. Bring to a soft boil and then add in the gruyere and parmesan cheese. Whisk together until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Add in more creole seasoning to taste and lemon juice and zest. Stir together and turn off heat.
- Add in cooked pasta, andouille and chicken. Mix to coat each noodle and combine everything together. If the sauce is too thick to your liking, add in small amounts of reserved pasta water to loosen it up.
- Serve warm with extra parmesan cheese.