I was craving a creamy pasta but I didn’t know what kind for quite some time, at least 3 weeks. I headed to pinterest and typed creamy sausage pasta and stumbled upon this recipe from Cooking with Cocktail Rings. I knew I wanted to use some heavy cream because I never cook with heavy cream and that’s something I want to get more familiar with. This recipe seemed easy enough so I decided to whip it up and get it ready for my husband to take to lunch and for me to eat throughout the week. Keep reading below to read my thoughts!
Ingredients
For the shredded chicken:
¾ pound chicken breasts, sliced into 2” strips
2 cups chicken stock
For the Cajun sauce:
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium shallots, diced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream
Kosher salt, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
For the sausage and collard green mixture:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces smoked Andouille sausage, sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
2 (packed) cups chopped collard greens
For serving:
¾ pound penne pasta
¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
For the recipe head to Cooking with Cocktail Rings, click here.
What I liked
- It was very forgiving, since I made all those little substitutions it was still pretty good when it came together.
- The flavors were pretty good, but I wanted more spice. However, when you let the flavors sit it really comes together and tastes GOOD.
Any substitutions
- I thought had andouille sausage but I didn’t I had Hot Italian Turkey Sausage from Shady Brook so I substituted that for that. I also didn’t have chicken at room temp, nor did I want to add any, trying to spread out my meats.
- I used kale because all I had was kale or spinach and I’m saving the spinach for some lasagna.
- Red onions for the shallots.
- Rotini instead of Penne because I like the surface area so sauce can get in on all the nooks and crannies.
- Whole wheat flour instead of AP flour because I’ve run out of AP, added a nice nutty flavor.
Next time
- I will try with collard greens because I think the texture would be better for this recipe or dino kale.
- I definitely messed up making the sauce, I had it nice and thick and then when I went to add the 2nd and 3rd cup of stock it broke. Next time I’ll have all the water pre-poured.
- Double up on the spice, specifically more heat.
- Make sure I have the right sausage, what I had was good but it was more of a crumble, andouille would have been sliced and held together and definitely what this dish needed for texture.
- I am going to add cheese (pockets of mozzarella and parm) and bake it, maybe some breadcrumbs.
Will I make it again?
Yeah, but with those changes I mentioned, to make it tastier and provide more texture. It was really good and easy to make. I do suggest making as little mess as possible by using two pots instead of the three or four it looks like the recipe was calling for #imlazy. Otherwise if you’re looking to try something new, give this recipe a try and tag us and Cooking with Cocktail Rings.
Have you made a pasta dish like this before, what did you love about it?
