Cajun Pasta

I, and I think I can safely say we, are suckers for a spicy pasta.  There is something uber comforting about a big bowl of spicy pasta.  Add in some charred vegetables and we are completely sold.  

This recipe fits the bill completely.  I used smoked chicken sausage which made it come together in a matter of minutes.  Honestly the entire recipe took about as long as boiling the water and cooking the pasta.  I can seriously back a recipe that promises that.  

Musical selection: Fly Over States by: Jason Aldean.  Is anyone else as obsessed with this song as I am?  

First slice up an onion as well as a red and yellow pepper.

Pop them in a large skillet with a drizzle of canola oil.  Make sure the pan is really hot--medium high heat so you can get that char.

The secret ingredient--this stuff is so good and makes the recipe super fast since it is already fully cooked.

Slice it up and pop it in the pan.

Until things start to look like this.  Just starting to char.

Pop the broccoli in the pan and cook for a few minutes but just a few, no one likes soggy broccoli. 

Remove the sausage and veggies from the pan and set aside. Doesn't it look pretty? 

Deglaze the pan by pouring a bit of chicken stock in, stir and try to scrape up the charred bits. 

Add a block of cream cheese.

And stir it until it is fully melted.  It will look like it isn't going to come together, trust me, it does, and it gets thicker.

Mix in a bunch of cajun seasoning.  keep tasting it and add more if you like more spice.

Add some black pepper

And salt

Dump in the cooked pasta

And return the sausage and veggies to the pan.

Stir it up.  You can stop here if you would like but, if you want to guild the lilly...

Pour it into a 9x13 baking dish

Shred some cheddar cheese on the top

And some parmesan over the top of that.

A little sprinkle of cajun seasoning on the top and into the oven it goes for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Like this.

Hello spicy delicious.

Even better.  Now, I'm off to burry my head in the leftovers.

Cajun Pasta


3/4 lb rigatoni (or pasta of your choice) cooked
drizzle of canola oil
1/2 yellow pepper, sliced in thin strips
1/2 red pepper, sliced in thin strips
1/2 medium onion, sliced in thin strips
1 1/2 cups smoked sausage (I used chicken sausage), cut in thin bite-sized pieces
1 cup fresh broccoli
2 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
1 block (8oz) cream cheese
2 tablespoons (or more depending on your level of spice) cajun seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated

While cooking the pasta (according to the directions), heat a skillet with canola oil on medium high heat.  Once the skillet is heated, add the peppers and onions and cook for about 2 minutes.  Add the sausage and cook until everything begins to char.  Add the broccoli and cook for about a minute.  Remove the sausage and veggies from the pan and set aside.

Pour the chicken stock into the pan and scrape the bottom.  Add the cream cheese block and stir until combined.  Add the cajun seasoning to your taste along with the salt and pepper.

Toss the pasta, veggies and sausage into the sauce.  Pour into a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Top with cheddar and parmesan cheese, sprinkle with additional cajun seasoning if you wish.  Put this into a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Top with additional parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Recipe by: Mrs. Schwartz