Leftover noodles? Here's your chance.

 

Yields4 Servings
Prep Time10 minsCook Time20 minsTotal Time30 mins

Shopping List

 8 oz Pasta, cooked just to al dente and drained - but NEVER rinsed. Something with a hole or twist is great!
 2 cups Heavy cream (half and half works too, or our favorite plant milk, just start with a little more and reduce it to thicken it)
 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning - recipe follows - (we use half that for kid friendliness) or Charlies' Creole
 Parmesan

Cooking Instructions

1

Boil pasta in heavily salted water, drain, and set aside. Cook to al dente. That means check one noodle by eating it. When it’s just a TINY bit more firm than you might like to eat it, it’s done. Just before you drain, scoop out a cup of the starchy water. Choose one that has grooves or a tunnel to hold sauce. We love DeLallo products.

2

Slice 2 smoked sausages about 1/4” thick. (8 oz.) Smoked Polish works great here. Andouille would work great too if you love heat!

3

Heat up a large skillet over medium-high heat. This is a great time for cast iron if you have it. Add a teaspoon of olive oil and the sliced sausages. Let them sit for just a minute before you stir. If they stick, wait a minute longer. Brown the sausage by stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes. Brown food tastes good! You want some color.

4

Add cream or milk or plant milk. Add Cajun seasoning. A recipe follows if you don’t have this blend in your cabinet. Adjust to taste - The Butcher’s Wife makes her own and cuts way back on the cayenne on account of The Butcher’s Daughter’s Tender mouth! Bring to a boil and simmer 4 minutes, stirring very often, until when you coat the back of a wooden spoon with sauce, you can wipe a stripe away with your finger and the stripe stays.

5

Add the pasta, then down the heat to medium, and stir to combine. Cook a couple minutes more. Every pasta deserves the last few minutes of cooking to happen in the sauce - it helps really embed the sauce and flavors into the pasta. Add a splash of starchy cooking water if the pasta and sauce gets too thick. This is a great tip for every pasta dish.

Cajun Seasoning

  • 4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 4 tsp garlic powder
  • 4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp ground mustard
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 3 Tbsp salt

Shake up in a little container and keep. This is HOT. The Butchers Wife uses 2 tsp cayenne, and still takes it easy whenever she uses this blend.

Ingredients

 8 oz Pasta, cooked just to al dente and drained - but NEVER rinsed. Something with a hole or twist is great!
 2 cups Heavy cream (half and half works too, or our favorite plant milk, just start with a little more and reduce it to thicken it)
 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning - recipe follows - (we use half that for kid friendliness) or Charlies' Creole
 Parmesan

Directions

1

Boil pasta in heavily salted water, drain, and set aside. Cook to al dente. That means check one noodle by eating it. When it’s just a TINY bit more firm than you might like to eat it, it’s done. Just before you drain, scoop out a cup of the starchy water. Choose one that has grooves or a tunnel to hold sauce. We love DeLallo products.

2

Slice 2 smoked sausages about 1/4” thick. (8 oz.) Smoked Polish works great here. Andouille would work great too if you love heat!

3

Heat up a large skillet over medium-high heat. This is a great time for cast iron if you have it. Add a teaspoon of olive oil and the sliced sausages. Let them sit for just a minute before you stir. If they stick, wait a minute longer. Brown the sausage by stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes. Brown food tastes good! You want some color.

4

Add cream or milk or plant milk. Add Cajun seasoning. A recipe follows if you don’t have this blend in your cabinet. Adjust to taste - The Butcher’s Wife makes her own and cuts way back on the cayenne on account of The Butcher’s Daughter’s Tender mouth! Bring to a boil and simmer 4 minutes, stirring very often, until when you coat the back of a wooden spoon with sauce, you can wipe a stripe away with your finger and the stripe stays.

5

Add the pasta, then down the heat to medium, and stir to combine. Cook a couple minutes more. Every pasta deserves the last few minutes of cooking to happen in the sauce - it helps really embed the sauce and flavors into the pasta. Add a splash of starchy cooking water if the pasta and sauce gets too thick. This is a great tip for every pasta dish.

Notes

Smoked Sausage Cajun Pasta
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