One-Pot Creamy Cajun Pasta
As seen on The Morning Blend!
One of the most surprising things about being a new mom has been the challenges just to getting dinner figured out each night. When Eliza was first born, simply carving out time to get to the grocery store was a hurdle. I definitely started looking at recipes with a whole new perspective. And, of course, babies tend to hit that “witching hour” right around the time we are gearing up to make dinner! There have been times that the best solution was simply to put her in the Baby Bjorn and wear her around the kitchen while cooking.
That’s when this recipe and the segment for The Morning Blend was born. I wanted something with very little prep (sharp knives and babies don’t mix) that comes together quickly without much effort. This magical one-pot pasta was the solution. And by one-pot, I mean that the pasta is boiled along with all the sauce ingredients in one pot all at the same time. It sounds crazy, and very counter-intuitive, but it totally works. The result is a spicy pasta dish that tastes like red beans and rice meets a creamy fettuccine alfredo.
The key to success with this recipe is the proper cooking vessel. You want a shallow skillet with straight sides. My favorite tool is this 3.5 quart braiser from Le Creuset. It is definitely an investment piece for your kitchen, but I use it so much that it ends up being well worth the price over the long run. Of course, there is the added bonus that classically beautiful pieces like this one from Le Creuset can go from oven or stovetop to the table and be served right out of the pan.
I have also made this is an 11-inch stainless steel skillet with 2 1/2 inch high sides and both worked great. The only thing you want to avoid is a very deep skillet, stockpot, or Dutch oven. Anything deep will prevent the liquid from evaporating during the cooking process and will result in overcooked pasta.
All the ingredients go in the pan at the same time. Then you just bring it all to a boil. This is where you need to trust the process. At first you will think, “this doesn’t make any sense” and “there’s no way this is going to work.” Believe me, I thought the same. It takes a few minutes for the ingredients to combine and the pasta to begin to soften. You will need to continuously stir the ingredients and toss the pasta while it boils. I found using tongs works best for this. It really helps move around the pasta and the lifting action keeps it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Slowly but surely the dish with transform. The liquid will evaporate, the sauce will thicken, and after about 10 minutes the pasta will be cooked to a perfect al dente. The sauce will thicken even more as the dish sits, so just give it time and let the recipe work it’s magic. The pasta can be served with a salad (if you have time) and a glass of wine (I save mine as a treat after she goes to bed). Also, the leftovers reheat well the next day, so my husband likes to take it with him to work for lunch.
One-Pot Creamy Cajun Pasta
12 ounces linguine pasta
1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can light kidney beans, drained and rinsed
6 ounces fully cooked andouille sausage, sliced
4 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning blend
Dashes of hot sauce, to taste
4 ½ cups water
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
In a large, straight-sided skillet combine linguine, diced tomatoes, beans, sausage, cream cheese, olive oil, Cajun seasoning, and hot sauce. Pour 4 ½ cups water into the skillet.
Bring to a boil over high heat. As the mixture boils, use tongs to stir the ingredients and turn the pasta to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the skillet. Over the course of 8 to 10 minutes the ingredients will combine, the pasta will cook to al dente, and the liquid will evaporate to create a creamy sauce. Remove from the heat, and the sauce will continue to thicken. Top with chopped fresh parsley, if desired. Serves 4.