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Pastalaya DSC 9599

Pastalaya (Jambalaya pasta with chicken, sausage, and shrimp)

Course Main Course
Cuisine Texan, Cajun
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 8
Author Lisa Fain

Ingredients

For the chicken:

  • 1 ½ pounds bone-in chicken thighs
  • 5 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper

For the pastalaya:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 ribs celery, diced
  • 2 jalapeños, seeded, stemmed, and diced
  • 1 bell pepper, seeded, stemmed, and diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound Andouille or other smoky sausage sliced into half-moons
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnishing
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 14- ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted, and its juices
  • 4 cups chicken broth (prepared or from the chicken above)
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 8 ounces dried pasta, such as farfalle
  • 8 ounces raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
  • Sliced green onions, for serving
  • Parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions

  1. To make the chicken, place the chicken thighs in a Dutch oven or large pot, skin side down, then cover with water. Add the salt and pepper then bring to a soft boil on medium heat. Once it begins to gently bubble, turn the heat down to low and simmer uncovered for 12-15 minutes or until the internal temperature is 150°F.

  2. In order to retain the broth that's formed from cooking the chicken, strain the chicken in a colander over a large bowl. Measure out 4 cups of the broth. If you have less, make up the difference with water or prepared broth.

  3. As for the chicken, when it's cool enough to handle, remove the skin and bones then shred the meat with your hands.

  4. (If you don’t want to cook chicken, to save time you can substitute 3 cups shredded cooked chicken and 4 cups of prepared chicken broth instead.)

  5. To make the pastalaya, rinse out the pot and return to the stove. Pour in the oil and heat on medium-low. Add the onion, celery, jalapeño, and bell pepper, and while occasionally stirring, cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.
  6. Add the sausage, and while stirring, cook until warm and some fat has been released, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley, thyme, oregano, paprika, and cayenne until well combined.

  7. Stir into the pot the tomatoes, the reserved 4 cups of chicken broth, and Worcestershire sauce. Turn the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. When boiling, stir in the pasta, then cook until tender, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking, about 12-15 minutes. (If you notice the liquid getting too low, you can add more broth or water to the pot.)

  8. While the pasta cooks, lightly season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Taste the shredded chicken and see if it needs any additional seasoning.
  9. Once the pasta is tender, add the shrimp and shredded cooked chicken to the pot. Cook until the shrimp are pink and opaque, about 4 minutes. Stir in the lime juice, then taste and adjust seasonings.
  10. Garnish the pastalaya with parsley and sliced green onions and serve warm with Parmesan cheese.

Recipe Notes

Substituting beer or wine for some of the broth is delicious, too. And if you wish to make this vegetarian, you can use mushrooms and/or tofu for the meat, along with vegetable broth. Likewise, other pasta shapes such as fusilli, penne, or fettuccine can be used, instead.