CAJUN PASTALAYA

Cajun Pastalaya image

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 17

1 tablespoon of bacon fat, canola, olive oil, or a combination
1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 poundof andouille, Conecuh or other
spicy smoked sausage
1/2 cup of coarsely chopped Vidalia or other onion
1/2 cup of coarsely chopped green bell pepper
2 teaspoons of minced garlic
2 (14.5 ounce) cans of diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup of water
2 cups of dry medium shell pasta
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1 tablespoon of dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama), or to taste
1 tablespoon of butter
1 green onion, sliced
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper,to taste

Steps:

Heat fat in a large covered pot or skillet and add the chicken, and brown well on both sides. Remove and set aside. Slice the sausage in half lengthwise, then chop, adding to the skillet and cook until browned. Stir in the onion and green pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
Stir in the diced tomatoes and water; bring up to a boil. Meanwhile, cut the chicken breast into cubes and return to the pot, adding in the dry pasta, thyme, basil, parsley, and Cajun seasoning, return to boil; reduce to medium low, cover and cook for 25 minutes or until pasta is tender and most of liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the butter and green onion. Taste, add salt and pepper, adjust seasonings as needed and serve with hot French bread to soak up the juices.
Variation: Mix and match the protein by using chopped cooked pork or cooked crawfish tails. Can also use peeled and deveined raw shrimp, adding in the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
Note: I use the medium sized shell pasta, but you can substitute any medium sized short cut pasta such as rotini, elbow macaroni, penne, or ziti. For even more kick, substitute a can of drained Rotel diced tomatoes for one of the canned tomatoes, increasing water if needed.