food tuesday: jambalaya pasta

Or as Rachael Ray calls it Jambasta! This recipe comes from Rachael’s 2,4,6,8 cookbook. And I’ll be the first to admit this meal is not at all up to the healthy, light cooking I try to do most of the time. But as a splurge meal – it doesn’t get any better. And if you’re going to splurge you might as well do it in something that’s so good it makes you want to roll around in its creamy, cajuny goodness.

Jambasta with minor tweaks from yours truly
1 pound penne
2 TB EVOO
1 pound andouille sausage, casing removed and diced
2 TB butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 onion, diced
2 TB flour
1 cup beer
1 cup chicken stock
1 14 ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes
2 TB hot sauce
2 tsp thyme
1/2-3/4 pound chicken breast, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 pound of crawfish or shrimp (if you use large shrimp, I recommend chopping into bite-size pieces)
1/3 cup of heavy cream
2-3 green onions, thinly sliced

Before I get into the directions a few notes for you…

Use andouille sausage, no substitutes. I've also used leftover grilled chicken, and like the extra taste that brings to the dish. And it's worth looking for crawfish - I always find it in the small freezer next to the fish counter.

This is the only brand of fire-roasted tomatoes I've been able to find. I've used regular tomatoes in a pinch, but these really do add a nice flavor element.

1. Boil your pasta according to box directions.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat a BIG skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO and the diced andouille. Brown for 2-3 minutes and then remove it with a slotted spoon to a bowl. (Keep an eye on this bowl, people have been known to snatch pieces out of it while you’re cooking!)

3. Add the butter to the skillet and when it melts add the garlic, peppers, celery and onions. Saute for 5 minutes or until soft. Season with salt & pepper and add the flour to the pan. Cook the flour with the veggies for 2 more minutes, then whisk in the beer and cook until it is almost evaporated – about 2 minutes.

4. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, hot sauce and thyme and bring to a bubble. Then add the chicken & crawfish. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until the chicken is firm (your crawfish or shrimp should also be opaque but they always cook fast so just pay attention to the chicken).

5. Stir the reserved andouille back in and then add the cream. Stir to mix it all together. (wipe the drool off your chin while you’re at it)

6. Remove from heat and, if your skillet is big enough, add the pasta and stir it all together. Top with the green onions before serving. My skillet is barely big enough for the non-pasta ingredients so I get out the biggest bowl I’ve got and mix it all together.

I need a bigger bowl.

Happy Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras everyone!!