Pastalaya

Oh y'all!! I'm so excited to share this pastalaya recipe. It's one of my all time favorites and it's a dish I've made for our friends countless times!

In case you are a little confused of what pastalaya is, it's just jambalaya but instead of rice, we use bow tie pasta! It's packed with flavorful meats and veggies to create a meal that will make you say - Mais yeah sha, that's delicious!

When I make this dish, it immediately reminds me of LSU tailgates with my friends and family. I don't get to visit them nearly as often as I would like, but this is a great piece of home that I can have with me across the country.

This recipe is adapted from The Cajun Ninja! His recipe is where I got the idea for using the bow tie noodles and I've got to say, it's a game changer!!

Some tips to ensure success!!

1. Take your time. This isn't an after work recipe so I need you to understand that!! Letting the veggies sloooowwy cook down is key for developing the amazing flavor in this dish. Don't rush it!
2. Try to brown all of your meats (chicken, sausage, pork) in the same pot to ensure when the veggies go in, it'll pick up all of the remnants of the meat (you want those stuck pieces of meat to mix with the veggies for FLAVOR)
3. When you add the pasta in, it'll seem impossible to cook it in the broth, it won't seem like enough room/liquid. But trust!! Keep the lid on in between stirring and it'll be the PERFECT amount of liquid for the pound of pasta.

What should I serve it with?

Glad you asked. You can serve this with the best ever cornbread or roasted asparagus. Or if you're making it for a tailgate, it pairs perfectly with a beer 🤪

Print Recipe

Louisiana Pastalaya

It's like jambalaya, but with pasta!! Perfect for family get togethers or tailgating for an LSU football game.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time1 hr 10 mins

Total Time1 hr 30 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 people

Cost: $20

Ingredients

• 1 pound smoked sausage sliced into ½ inch rounds
• 1 pound pork shoulder cubed
• 1 ½ pound chicken thighs seasoned with 1 teaspoon Tony’s
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 stalks celery
• 3 beef bouillon cubes
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ tablespoon Tony Chachere’s seasoning + more for serving
• 1 tablespoon Louisiana Hot Sauce
• 1 tablespoon Kitchen Bouquet
• 1 can cream of chicken soup 10 oz
• 3 ½ cups + ¼ cup water
• 1 pound bow tie pasta

Instructions

• Season chicken with Tony's and cook in a dutch oven or cast irons skillet for 8 minutes on medium-high, then flip and cook for another 8 on medium. Remove from pan, let cool, and then cut into small pieces.
• Add sausage to the Dutch oven and brown for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan and blot grease from the sausage.
• Add cubed pork to the hot Dutch oven and let brown for 10 minutes on medium high heat, stirring every 3 minutes. Remove from Dutch oven.
• Dice the onion, bell pepper, and celery and add to the Dutch oven with ¼ cup of water. Cook on medium-low for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add beef bouillon cubes, garlic powder, Tony's, hot sauce, and Kitchen Bouquet and cook down for 5 minutes. (Crumbling bouillons before adding to the pot helps to cook down)
• Add in cream of chicken and meats and stir to combine
• Add in water and stir to combine, bring to boil.
• Add in pasta and stir to make sure all noodles are touching the liquid
• Lower the fire to medium-high and cover the Dutch oven completely.
• Let the pastalaya boil for 3 minutes, stir gently, and then cover and let boil for another 3 minutes. Continue this until pasta is al dente (about 10-12 minutes total).
• Turn off fire, cover completely and let sit for 10 minutes.
• Dig in!!!