Jambalya Pasta

This recipe is one of Paco's favorite Pasta dishes. He would order this dish at Pappadeaux's Restaurant all the time. Well, we recently went back to Pappadeaux when we were in Atlanta last year and Paco was somewhat disappointed when he got his dish. The dish was not exactly the way he had remembered it. 


He tasked me to find the recipe online and see if I can come up with my own version. I ended up mixing a couple of different recipes together and came up with the following version.


The trick to this recipe is a good andouille sausage as well as a good blackening spice. I would recommend Savoie's Andouille Sausage, you can find it at your local Publix Supermarket. 


Also, my favorite blackening spice is Ashman's Bayou Blackening Spice. You can find it online and at some speciality gourmet grocery stores like Whole Foods.  


I think I have perfected this recipe and hope you enjoy it as much as we do!!!

Jambalaya Pasta (serves 4-5)

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)  
• 1 lb chicken tenderloin strips - cut into small chunks  
• 10-12 large shrimp - cut in halves  
• 1 Savoie's andouille sausage link (you can find at Publix) - slice thin and cut into quarters

• 1/2 cup cooked ham - chopped 
• 1 small onion - chopped
• 1/4 red bell pepper - chopped
• 1/4 yellow pepper - chopped
• 1/2 small zucchini - chopped
• 1/2 small squash - chopped
• 2 small Roma tomatoes - chopped 
• 1 jalapeno w/o seeds - chopped
  
• Andouille Cream Sauce (see below) 
• 2 cups penne pasta cooked el dente 
• chopped scallions for garnishing

Try to chop all the veggies the same size for consistency;

 

1) Melt butter in a large saute pan; Add ham and cook for about 2 mins on med heat;

2) Add onions, bell peppers and cook for 2 min;

 

3) Add all the meat and cook until the chicken is no longer pink;

 4) Add zucchini, squash and tomatoes and cook for another 2 min;

5) Add the el dente penne and cook until the butter is almost all absorbed; Now add the Andouille cream sauce and toss very well; Cook for about 10-15 min so that the pasta can absorb the cream sauce; 

 

6) Pour into a large platter and garnish with green onions on top...and as always ¡buen provecho!

Andouille Cream Sauce

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1/8 cup of chopped onions
• 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic
• 3 ounces of Savoie's andouille sausage (chopped very small like onions)
• 2/3 cup crushed tomatoes
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons Ashman's Bayou Blackening Spice or creole seasoning 
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 2-3 slices of Monterrey jack cheese
• pinch of grated nutmeg 

1) Add olive oil to hot pan; Add onions and garlic and cook for 2 min; 

2) Add andouille sausage and cook for 2 min;

3) Add tomatoes and mix well to combine;

 

4) In a separate mixing bowl using a wire wisk, combine chicken stock, cornstarch and heavy cream; Add the blackening seasoning and the cayenne pepper;

 

5) Add liquid to onion mixture and bring to a boil;

6) Add a pinch of grated nutmeg into the mixture; 

7) Add the cheese and wait until it melts;  Simmer on low for 2 min prior to adding to the pasta;   

Chalupa wants to say hi and she wants her picture posted because she is a DIVA!!

Puerto Rican Rice with Chicken (Arroz con Pollo)

Arroz con pollo (rice with chicken in Spanish) is a traditional dish that is common throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, especially in Cuba, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Honduras and the Dominican Republic. Common ingredients include rice, beer, stock, sofrito (a mix of vegetables and fresh herbs), chicken, and saffron or more authentic and commonly annatto.

Puerto Rican Rice with Chicken (Arroz con Pollo)

(serves 4)

 

A) ½ lb chicken cutlets – chopped

½ cup chopped Serrano ham 

B) 2-3 cloves garlic

½ small onion 

½ bell pepper 

1 small tomato 

3 fresh culantro leaves (I didn't have any in the house and if you cannot find it, it's okay to omit)

1 tomatillo or 2-3 sweet peppers

C) 6 olives

1 tablespoon capers

1 Con Cilantro y Achiote Sazon Seasoning pack

1 can green pigeon peas (gandules verde) drained 
1 cup of Chicken Stock (optional)

D) 2 cups of rice

1) Cook the chopped ham in olive oil until brown. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink;

 

2) Add all of sofrito (B) into a blender with 1/2 cup of water;

3) Add the sofrito to the pot with 1 cup of water or 1 cup of chicken stock. Cook until meat is tender – for about 15 minutes. Add the sazon seasoning pack;

4) Add the olives, capers and the green gandules. Make sure to rinse the gandules prior to adding to the pot. Salt to taste;

5) Rinse the rice and add to the pot. Cook on medium heat until the water starts to reduce significantly until it is almost gone. Cover the pot and put on low until the rice is done;

6) Serve with fried plantains and black beans and as always ¡buen provecho!

Chalupa loves Arroz Con Pollo however she has been put on a strict diet of no grains and no human food so no more Puerto Rican dishes!