Pastalaya

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil

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

  1 tbsp or 14g

• Sausage

  Beef, pork, chicken, skinless, smoked

  220g

• Garlic

  Raw

  2 cloves, minced or 6g

• Onions

  Raw

  1 medium or 110g

• Green bell pepper

  Sweet, green, raw

  1 medium or 119g

• Celery

  Raw

  2 stalk, medium or 80g

• Tomatoes

  Crushed, canned

  1 can (15 oz) or 425g

• Chicken broth

  Soup, canned, less/reduced sodium

  2 cup or 480g

• Water

  Plain, clean water

  1 cup or 237g

• Whole wheat pasta

  Dry

  500g

• Sour cream

  Reduced fat

  2 tbsp or 30g

• Parsley

  Raw

  1 ⁵⁄₁₆ tbsp or 5g

• Onions

  Young green, tops only

  3 stalk or 36g

• Creole Seasoning

  1 tablespoon or 8g

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. Chop the onion, bell pepper and celery stalks. Mince two cloves of garlic and add them to the pot. Sauté for one to two minutes, or until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Add the vegetables and sauté until heated through (3-5 minutes). Finally, add the can of diced tomatoes (with juices), Creole seasoning, chicken broth, 1 cup of water, and pasta to the pot. 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, remove the lid briefly to stir, then replace the lid, turn the heat down to low, and let the pot simmer for 12-15 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 after stirring to avoid heat loss.
4. While the pasta is simmering, pull the parsley leaves from the stems and give them a good chop, and slice the green onions. Once the pasta is tender, most of the liquid in the pot should be absorbed. If it's still a bit soupy, let the pot simmer for one to two minutes without the lid to allow some moisture to evaporate.
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. Serve hot with a pinch of fresh parsley and green onions on top of each bowl.