Description
This One Pot Creamy Cajun Sausage Pasta is a flavorful and comforting dish featuring smoky andouille sausage, sautéed mushrooms and bell peppers, and gluten-free penne pasta simmered in a rich, creamy Cajun-spiced sauce. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s perfect for a hearty weeknight dinner with minimal cleanup.
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 and 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 sausage to a large skillet or braiser over medium heat and sear until both sides are crisp, about 4 minutes total. Remove the sausage onto a paper towel-lined plate, keeping the rendered sausage fat in the skillet.
- Cook veggies: In the same skillet with the sausage oil, add mushrooms, bell peppers, and garlic. Sauté for about 3 minutes until mushrooms begin to brown and vegetables soften.
- Add pasta and liquids: Stir in the gluten-free penne, diced fire-roasted tomatoes, chicken broth, and Cajun seasoning. Mix everything evenly, then cover with a lid and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Simmer pasta: Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and let the pasta simmer uncovered for 12-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes until pasta is cooked al dente, and most broth is absorbed.
- Add cream cheese: Add chunks of cream cheese to the skillet and stir continuously until the cheese fully melts, creating a creamy, thick sauce.
- Combine and season: Return the cooked sausage to the skillet, season with salt to taste, give everything a final thorough stir.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle with optional fresh Italian parsley and red pepper flakes for added freshness and heat, then serve immediately.
Notes
- Using no-salt or low-salt Cajun seasoning helps control the sodium content.
- Don’t discard the sausage fat after cooking; it adds flavor to the vegetables and sauce.
- Keep stirring the pasta during simmer to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking.
- Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to your preferred spice level.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1/6th of recipe)
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
