Description
This One Pot Creamy Cajun Sausage Pasta is a flavorful and hearty dish that combines spicy andouille sausage, sautéed peppers and mushrooms, and creamy cheese sauce all cooked together in one skillet. Perfect for a quick and satisfying weeknight dinner, it’s rich, comforting, and packed with bold Cajun flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Sausage
- 13 oz. andouille sausage links (about 4 links), sliced into medallions
Vegetables
- 6 oz. fresh baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
- ½ medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeds removed, and thinly sliced
- ½ medium yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeds removed, and thinly sliced
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
Pasta & Sauce
- 12 oz. gluten-free penne pasta
- ½ cup (120 g) canned, diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 3 ½ cups (830 ml) chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons no-salt or low-salt Cajun seasoning mix
- 7 oz. cream cheese
- Salt to taste
Garnish (Optional)
- Fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook sausage: Add the sliced andouille sausage to a large skillet or braiser over medium heat. Sear the medallions on both sides until they develop a slight crisp, about 4 minutes total. This helps render flavorful sausage oil. Remove the sausage and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate, but keep the flavorful sausage oil in the pan.
- Cook veggies: In the same skillet with the sausage oil, add the sliced mushrooms, red and yellow bell peppers, and minced garlic. Sauté for about 3 minutes, until the mushrooms start to brown and the vegetables soften slightly.
- Add pasta and liquids: Add the gluten-free penne pasta, diced fire-roasted tomatoes, chicken broth, and Cajun seasoning to the skillet. Stir everything gently until well combined.
- Simmer pasta: Cover the skillet with a lid and bring the broth mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and let the pasta simmer uncovered for 12-15 minutes. Stir every couple of minutes to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking. The pasta should be tender and cooked al dente.
- Add cream cheese: Break the cream cheese into chunks and stir it into the skillet until completely melted. This will create a thick, creamy sauce coating the pasta and veggies.
- Combine sausage and season: Return the cooked sausage medallions to the skillet, add salt to taste, and stir everything well to combine and heat through.
- Serve: Garnish the pasta with freshly chopped Italian parsley and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes if desired. Serve hot and enjoy your creamy, spicy Cajun pasta.
Notes
- Use no-salt or low-salt Cajun seasoning to control sodium levels.
- When searing the sausage, do not discard the oil as it adds extra flavor to the dish.
- Stir the pasta occasionally while simmering to prevent sticking.
- The pasta cooking time may vary slightly depending on the brand, aim for al dente texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
