This recipe isn't a Justin Wilson recipe ... it's a derivative of a few recipes I've found over the years. I'm not sure how authentic this is to the Cajun culture .... I'm guessing not very. Someone probably decided to slip some pasta into their jambalaya instead of rice ... and pastalaya was born. Whoever did it first and shared it with their friends should be awarded some kind of food award equivalent to the Nobel Peace Prize. To any food purists out there, I apologize in advance.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time50 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr10 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6servings
Author: Jamie Sherman
Ingredients
2tablespoonsvegetable oildivided
½poundbonelessskinless chicken breasts, cubed
¼teaspoonCajun seasoningor to taste
1poundandouille sausagesliced lengthwise and chopped
1small onionchopped
½green pepperchopped
3clovesgarlicminced
1candiced tomatoes, undrained28 oz.
1cupchicken broth
1cupshell macaroni
1teaspoondried basil
1teaspoondried thyme
½ - 1teaspoonsCajun seasoning
½cupheavy creamoptional
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Heat 1 tbsp. of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle the chicken pieces with the ¼ teaspoon Cajun seasoning. Add the chicken and brown on all sides. Remove the chicken to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
In the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the sausage and cook until browned on all sides. Remove the sausage to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
Add the onion and green pepper to the pan and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for about another minute.
Stir in the tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the pasta, chicken, sausage, basil, thyme and Cajun seasoning. Return the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Add the heavy cream and cook another 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper.
Notes
Yes, this is a play on jambalaya! Just pasta instead of rice, yum.