Creamy Andouille Pasta

Invite a little Cajun flavor to your weeknight dinner rotation.

Creamy andouille pasta in bowl
Photo:

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn

Active Time:
35 mins
Total Time:
35 mins
Servings:
4

All of the rich, bold flavors of your Cajun favorites like jambalaya are right here in this speedy pasta dish, perfect for satisfying your weeknight cravings for cuisine from the Big Easy.

This recipe comes together quickly on the stovetop in your favorite cast-iron skillet —it’s as simple as browning the sausage, then using the flavorful drippings to enrich a quick white sauce that gets a mild kick of pepper Jack cheese. Fairly easy to find in most Southern grocery stores, andouille sausage is what we prefer for this recipe, but any smoked sausage will work nicely.

And don’t worry if you don’t have penne pasta—and noodle you have on hand will be perfect in this speedy supper recipe.

Go Slow

Start cooking the sausage in a cold skillet; the gradual increase in heat will render more of the flavorful drippings.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. uncooked penne pasta

  • 1 lb. andouille sausage , cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

  • 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

  • 1 medium-size red bell pepper , chopped (about 1 cup)

  • 1 small Vidalia onion , finely chopped (about 1 cup)

  • 4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

  • 3 cups whole milk

  • 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning

  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt , plus more for salting water

  • 4 oz. pepper Jack cheese , shredded (about 1 cup)

  • Thinly sliced scallions , for garnish

  • Hot sauce , for garnish

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Add pasta; cook until al dente, about 11 minutes. Drain and set aside.

  2. Place sausage in a cold 12-inch skillet. Cook over medium-high, stirring often, until browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate.

  3. Reduce heat to medium; add butter to drippings in skillet, stirring until melted, about 1 minute. Add chopped red bell pepper and Vidalia onion. Cook, stirring often, until onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Add flour; cook, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high; whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Stir in Cajun seasoning, salt, and reserved sausage. Add pepper Jack, stirring until just melted, about 1 minute.

  4. Remove from heat, and stir in cooked pasta. Garnish with sliced scallions and hot sauce.

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