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Spicy Cajun Sausage Pasta

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A quick and easy one-pot dinner combining smoky Cajun sausage with creamy pasta and bold spices for a flavorful, comforting meal.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 ounces spicy smoked sausage (Andouille recommended), sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
  • 12 ounces dried penne pasta
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (store-bought or homemade)
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with juices
  • 3 cups chicken broth (low sodium preferred)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Slice sausage into 1/4-inch rounds. Dice onion, red and green bell peppers. Mince garlic.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook about 5 minutes until browned and slightly crisp. Remove sausage and set aside, leaving drippings in pan.
  3. Add diced onions and bell peppers to the pan. Sauté 4-5 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
  4. Sprinkle Cajun seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes over veggies. Stir and toast spices for 1 minute.
  5. Pour in chicken broth and diced tomatoes with juices. Stir, scraping browned bits from pan. Add dried penne pasta and bring to a boil.
  6. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until pasta is al dente and most liquid absorbed.
  7. Stir browned sausage back into the pan. Add heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Stir gently until sauce is creamy and pasta coated. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
  8. Remove from heat and let rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

Notes

Brown the sausage well for best flavor. Adjust spice level by modifying crushed red pepper flakes and Cajun seasoning. Check pasta for al dente texture around 13 minutes to avoid overcooking. Let sauce rest after cooking to thicken. For dairy-free, substitute heavy cream with coconut or cashew cream and Parmesan with nutritional yeast. Use gluten-free pasta and verify sausage for gluten-free diet.

Nutrition

Keywords: spicy pasta, Cajun sausage, one-pot dinner, easy dinner, creamy pasta, Andouille sausage, weeknight meal

Find it online: https://cooltastes.com/spicy-cajun-sausage-pasta-recipe-easy-one-pot-dinner-idea/