Description
A delicious and creamy pasta dish with a Cajun twist, featuring smoked sausage, bell peppers, and a rich cheese sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 285 g smoked sausage, Andouille or kielbasa, sliced into rounds
- 115 g pasta, penne or rigatoni
- 1 cup (about 150 g) mixed bell peppers, diced
- 60 g onion, diced
- 30 g fresh spinach (optional)
- Chopped parsley, to garnish
- 480 ml low-sodium chicken broth
- 240 ml heavy cream
- 80 g Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for extra spice)
Instructions
- Slice the smoked sausage into thin rounds. Dice the bell peppers and onion. Measure out the Cajun seasoning, heavy cream, and shredded Parmesan.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook until browned on both sides, then remove from the pot and set aside.
- Add diced bell peppers and onion to the same pot. Cook for 3–5 minutes until softened.
- Sprinkle Cajun seasoning and garlic powder over the sautéed vegetables. Stir well to coat evenly.
- Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer, scraping any browned bits from the bottom.
- Add pasta directly into the pot. Stir occasionally and cook uncovered for 10–12 minutes, or until the pasta is just al dente and most liquid has reduced.
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream and shredded Parmesan cheese until the cheese melts and the sauce becomes creamy.
- Return the browned sausage to the pot. Add cayenne pepper and fresh spinach if desired. Stir to mix thoroughly and warm the sausage through.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and extra black pepper as needed.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and optionally additional Parmesan or red pepper flakes. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Feel free to adjust the amount of Cajun seasoning based on your spice preference.
- For a lighter version, you can substitute heavy cream with a lighter cream or milk.
- This dish can be made ahead of time and reheated for easy meals.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Cajun
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg