Cajun Pasta with Shrimp, Sausage, and Chicken + Salad with Creole Vinaigrette

I adore one-pot pasta meals, and this particular recipe is probably my favorite. There are many variations of this recipe that can be found floating around online. I believe the original recipe can be attributed to Emeril Lagasse. All things considered, I can’t take *full* credit for the recipe, but this is my final version with my own tweaks and adjustments.

This dish is a definite crowd pleaser, but if you’re only serving two or three people, you will love the leftovers! I know this recipe contains many ingredients, and it requires a good bit of prep work, but the actually cooking process is quite simple and well worth the extra prep. Another aspect of this recipe that I appreciate is that it’s quite customizable. Don’t have shrimp? Throw in some extra sausage or chicken! Want to add some shelled crawfish tails? Go for it! You can make this recipe your very own, just like I did!

Cajun Pasta with Shrimp, Sausage, and Chicken

Roughly ½ lb. pasta, cooked*

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

14 oz. smoked sausage, sliced

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1” cubes

4 oz. salad shrimp*

2 tbs. olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

½ cup chicken broth or stock

½ cup milk

2 tbs. sour cream

2 tsp. dried thyme

2 tsp. dried oregano

2 tsp. Creole seasoning

3 green onions, chopped

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

*I used egg noodles for this recipe. I love to keep egg noodles on hand, as they’re so cheap and versatile, but you can use whatever pasta you like. This recipe would work equally well with a long pasta, such as linguine, or an elegant, bite-sized pasta like farfalle.

*I used salad shrimp for this recipe because they’re fairly inexpensive. However, feel free to use larger shrimp if you so wish.

Bring the olive oil to medium high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onion and bell pepper, and cook until the vegetables soften, and the onion becomes translucent. Add the chicken, and cook for about five minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked through. Then add the sausage and garlic, and cook for an additional one or two minutes. Add the chicken broth to deglaze the pot, and then add the thyme, oregano, Creole seasoning, milk, and sour cream, and allow the mixture to simmer for three to five minutes.

Next, reduce the heat to medium, add the pasta, shrimp, and green onions, and toss vigorously with the other ingredients in the pot. Allow this to cook for around three more minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, and add the Parmesan cheese. Toss vigorously once more. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Allow the pasta to cool for a few minutes, and then serve as desired. 

 Laissez bon temps rouler!

 Enjoy a bowl-full with a big shot of Bayou Satsuma Rum from Louisiana!

And what could possibly be a better side to such a decadent dish than some fresh, crunchy romaine lettuce dressed with this zesty-yet-slightly-sweet vinaigrette?

Creole Vinaigrette

2 tbs. Creole mustard

2 tbs. apple cider vinegar

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

2 tsp. sugar

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine ingredients in a lidded jar, and shake vigorously until thoroughly combined. Feel free to adjust the ingredients to your liking. If you prefer more zip, add more mustard, or if you prefer your dressing to be a bit sweeter, add more sugar.

 

What a refreshing summer treat!

Enjoy!