This easy and delicious Jambalaya Pasta is one of my family’s favorite dinners! It is packed with so much flavor, amazing ingredients, and spices. Plus, it is really easy to make, which is always a plus.
Inspired by the classic Jambalaya dish, which is made with rice, I’m doing the pasta version of Jambalaya. In fact, I posted a classic Jambalaya recipe a while ago – be sure to check it out! That’s just how much I love Cajun flavors.
This easy Jambalaya pasta is made with linguini, andouille sausage, shrimp, and chicken. The tomato base is made with the classic sofrito (celery, onions, green bell pepper), tomatoes, and other amazing spices. It is so good!
Jambalaya is a Creole dish of Spanish, West African, and French origin. It is a rice dish made with the classic sofrito base (celery, green bell peppers, onions), along with canned tomatoes and other aromatic spices. I make it with andouille sausage, chicken, and shrimp.
This Jambalaya pasta recipe I am sharing today is inspired by classic Jambalaya. Instead of rice, I used linguini and made it a little saucier.
The dish turned out amazing, packed with all the classic Jambalaya flavors and loaded with chicken, andouille sausage, and shrimp. So, so good!
It’s also really easy to make and reheats well if you want to make some extra for lunch later in the week (I always do!). Let me show you how to make it!
Amazing Ingredients
If there is one thing I enjoy about making this Jambalaya pasta, it’s prepping the ingredients. Every ingredient in this recipe is amazing, and together, they make a well-balanced and flavor-packed dish.
Here is an overview of the ingredients you will need:
- Linguini: I love using linguini here, but you can also use fettuccine or something similar.
- Andouille sausage: My favorite! The andouille sausage I use is already cooked, and it’s sooo flavorful.
- Chicken: I use chicken breast cut it into cubes. Simple seasoning for the chicken, just salt and pepper.
- Shrimp: The shrimp needs to cook for only 3 minutes per side.
- Celery, onions, and green bell pepper: These 3 ingredients will be the base for the sofrito, which will add deep flavors to the dish. The sofrito is like the flavor foundation, so don’t skip it!
- Garlic: For flavor!
- Tomato paste: Tomato paste is packed with deep flavors. It will make it taste really really good!
- Old Bay seasoning: For flavor!
- Cayenne pepper: To add some heat.
- Crushed tomatoes: For the base sauce. Canned crushed tomatoes come with a lot of flavor and make a smooth sauce.
- Olive oil for pan
- Chopped Italian parsley for garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
The Sofrito
Central to Cajun cooking is the sofrito, made with diced onions, green bell pepper. It’s also known as the “holy trinity” in Cajun cooking, and a lot of dishes in Louisiana cuisine are made with sofrito.
The sofrito in my Jambalaya pasta recipe is made with green bell peppers, onions, and celery. This base builds amazing, deep flavors that enhance the entire dish. To that, you add spices and tomatoes to complete it. It’s amazing!
Let’s Make It
Making this Jambalaya pasta dish is really easy and straightforward. It takes about 45 minutes to make.
Per usual, the specific instructions can be found in the recipe card down below, but I wanted to give you a general idea of the process here:
- Cook the pasta: Cook until al dente, according to package directions. I use linguini, but you can also use fettuccine or similar pasta.
- Cook the proteins: In a deep skillet, cook the seasoned chicken. Then, cook the shrimp, and brown the andouille sausage. Set aside.
- Make the sauce base: Make the sofrito by cooking the celery, onions, and green bell peppers. Then, in go the tomato paste, Old Bay seasoning, cayenne pepper, and the canned diced tomatoes.
- Toss and combine: Return the cooked chicken, shrimp, and sausage, along with the cooked pasta. Toss and combine! Then garnish with parsley and serve.
It’s that easy. This dish is truly absolutely delicious! It’s so good that it’s on our regular dinner rotation.
I’m sure you’ll love it!
Prep Ahead Tips
If you want to prep certain ingredients ahead of time, here are some helpful tips:
- Dice the vegetables: Dice the green bell peppers, onions, and celery. Store them in the fridge until ready to cook.
- The sauce can be made ahead! These would be steps 5 and 6. Let it cool down and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Additionally, the Jambalaya pasta keeps really well in the fridge for about 2 to 3 days, so it makes for great leftovers. I always make extra for lunch!
Prepping ahead these Jambalaya pasta ingredients is a sure way to make this delicious weeknight dinner super easy and simple.
I hope you love this Jambalaya pasta as much as I do. It’s definitely a family favorite because it’s so flavorful and comforting. Plus, it’s really easy to make!
It does take about 45 minutes or so to make, but if you want to save time the day you make it, there are several things that you can prep ahead. For example, you can dice the veggies or make the sauce base in advance.
If you’re craving classic Jambalaya with rice, check out my One Pot Jambalaya recipe.
If you’re looking for more comforting pasta recipes, check these out:
Happy cooking!
Tips for Success
- Use a large, deep skillet so that all the ingredients can fit in properly.
- The onions, green bell peppers, and celery can be diced in advance and stored in the fridge. The garlic can also be minced in advance and refrigerated.
- You can also make the sauce base (steps 5 and 6) in advance and keep it refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Jambalaya Pasta
Ingredients
- ½ pound linguini
- ½ pound andouille sausage, sliced
- 2 small chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch cubes
- ½ pound shrimp, deveined
- 1 cup diced celery
- ½ cup diced onions
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (it’s spicy) - (plus more to make it spicier)
- 1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil for pan
- Chopped Italian parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the linguini according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Season the cubed chicken with about ½ teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
- On a large deep skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Cook the chicken on all sides until fully cooked through, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- On the same skillet, add a few more drizzles of olive oil if needed, and cook the shrimp and the andouille sausage for about 2-3 minutes per side until the shrimp is fully cooked through and the sausage is golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- On the same skillet, heat another tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Cook the diced celery, onions, and bell pepper for about 8 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic and cook another 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste, Old Bay seasoning, and cayenne pepper, and stir to coat the vegetables. Add crushed tomatoes and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a low simmer for about 5 minutes (covered) to allow the flavors to come together. Note: if you want it less spicy, use less cayenne pepper.
- Return the cooked chicken, shrimp, sausage, as well as the cooked (and drained) linguini to the pan. Toss to combine. If needed, season with more salt and pepper.
- Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Special equipment: large deep skillet with lid.
- Prep ahead: the vegetables can be diced in advance. Also, if needed, you can make the sauce base in advance (steps 5 and 6) in advance and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Lilyana Pinto says
Sooo good!!! Wow!! Thank you for sharing. I’m adding it to my recipe repertoire.