Pastalaya

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil

  Natreon canola, high stability, non trans, high oleic (70%)

  1 tbsp or 14g

• Italian sausage

  Sweet, links

  3 link 3 oz or 252g

• Garlic

  Raw

  2 clove or 6g

• Seasoning Mix and Cooking Bag

  Chicken - Kroger

  10 oz or 284g

• Tomatoes

  Red, ripe, canned, packed in tomato juice

  ⁹⁄₁₆ can or 112g

• Creole Seasoning

  Zatarain's

  1 ½ teaspoon or 4g

• Oregano

  Spices, dried

  ¼ tsp, ground or 0.5g

• Paprika

  Spices

  ½ tsp or 1g

• Thyme

  Spices, dried

  ¼ tsp, leaves or 0.3g

• Pepper

  Spices, black

  0.03 dash or 0.003g

• Chicken broth

  Soup, canned, ready-to-serve

  2 cup or 480g

• Water

  Plain, clean water

  1 cup or 237g

• Penne Pasta

  Ragu

  16 oz or 454g

• Cream

  Heavy, Sweetened, Extra Creamy - Kroger

  2 tbsp or 6g

• Parsley

  Raw

  50g

• Scallions

  Spring onions or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw

  50g

Directions

1. Slice the smoked sausage into thin rounds, then cut any larger pieces in half. Add the sausage and vegetable oil to a large pot and cook over medium heat until the sausage is well browned (about 5 minutes).
2. Mince two cloves of garlic and add them to the pot. Saute for one minute, or until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Add the bag of frozen seasoning mix and saute until heated through (3-5 minutes). Add the can of diced tomatoes (with juices), Creole seasoning, oregano, smoked paprika, thyme, freshly cracked pepper (about 20 cranks of a pepper mill), and pasta to the pot. Finally, add the chicken broth and 1 cup of water, and stir until everything is evenly combined.
3. Place a lid on the pot and turn the heat up to medium-high. Let the pot come to a boil. As soon as it reaches a boil, stir briefly, replace the lid, turn the heat down to low, and let the pot simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Stir the pot once every few minutes as it simmers to prevent the pasta from sticking. Replace the lid as quickly as possible to maintain a simmer. If the mixture still seems soupy at around 8 minutes, let the pot simmer without a lid for the last few minutes. A little bit of thick sauce at the bottom of the pot is perfect.
4. While the pasta is simmering, chop the parsley and slice the green onions.
5. Turn off the heat and stir in the half & half or cream. Stir in most of the chopped parsley and green onions, reserving some to sprinkle over top of each bowl. Serve hot.
6. Recipe by: Beth M (source: https://www.budgetbytes.com/pastalaya/)