Description
A flavorful, comforting pasta dish that combines spicy sausage with rich Cajun spices, perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces of penne or your pasta of choice
- 1 pound of spicy chicken sausage or turkey sausage, sliced
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 bell pepper, chopped (red or green)
- 1 cup of onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) of diced tomatoes
- 1 cup of heavy cream or half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Start by boiling a large pot of salted water. Once it reaches a rolling boil, add your pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve about a cup of pasta water before draining.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the sliced sausage and cook for about 5-7 minutes until the sausage starts to brown.
- Add the chopped bell pepper and diced onions to the skillet. Sauté these vegetables for about 4-5 minutes until they are tender. Throw in the minced garlic and stir for an additional minute.
- Pour in the can of diced tomatoes, heavy cream, and Cajun seasoning. Stir to combine everything and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Let this mixture simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Toss the cooked pasta into the creamy sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, add a bit of the reserved pasta water to reach the desired consistency.
- Once everything is mixed well, remove the skillet from the heat. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese.
Notes
To make this dish lighter, consider substituting the cream with almond milk or Greek yogurt. You can also use gluten-free pasta if desired.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 60mg