Creamy Cajun Pasta with Chicken and Andouille Sausage

This pasta combines poached, shredded chicken and sautéed slices of Andouille sausage with a creamy, chicken stock based roux seasoned with an assortment of Cajun spices.

Course pasta

Cuisine American, cajun

Keyword cajun, chicken, creamy, penne, sausage

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Servings

Calories 955kcal

Ingredients

For the shredded chicken:

¾ pound chicken breasts, sliced into 2” strips
2 cups chicken stock

For the creamy Cajun sauce:

2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium shallots, diced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream
Kosher salt, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed

For the sausage and collard green mixture:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces smoked Andouille sausage, sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
2 packed cups chopped collard greens

For serving:

¾ pound penne pasta
¼ cup thinly sliced green onions

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the shredded chicken:

Add the chicken breasts and stock to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cover, letting cook until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the pan and let sit until cooled to the touch, about 10 minutes. Shred the chicken and set aside.

For the Cajun sauce:

In a small bowl stir together the paprika, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne and thyme.
In a large saucepan over medium heat add the butter and melt. Add the shallots and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes.
Add the spices then stir in the flour and stir to combine, letting it cook the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute, stirring constantly.
Whisk in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium low and simmer until the mixture has thickened. Whisk in the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir the shredded chicken into the sauce.

For the sausage and collard green mixture:

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat through. Add the sausage and peppers, cooking until the sausage is golden brown on both sides, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Add the collard greens and sauté until the collard greens are wilted.

For serving:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Salt the water and return to a boil. Add the penne pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and return the penne pasta to the pot.
Add the Cajun sauce as well as the sausage and collard greens and stir to combine. Divide among serving bowls and garnish with green onion.

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