pasta


Andouille sausage pasta recipe

andouille sausage pasta recipe

Pictured: blue mug / turquoise dish /

Do you love pasta? Do you like pasta with a kick? Then this is the pasta dish for you! Andouille sausage has a nice little kick to it, so when it is paired with pasta, it makes a fun pasta dish, with a kick! Love that!

This is a really easy pasta dish you can make at home. It’s a fun way to mix American cuisine with and Italian favorite. Can we call this, Italian-American fusion? I think so!

Without further ado, here are the ingredients and directions to make this yummy andouille sausage pasta dish with chicken, at home!

Ingredients

  • 1/4 olive oil
  • 2 cloved minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 10 oz chopped andouille sausage link
  • 2 chopped tomatoes
  • 1 lb. pasta, your choice for shape
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 pats butter
  • 1/2 pound shredded chicken, or vegan chicken. Pre-cook your chicken! The tomatoes will turn the chicken pink, so you want to make sure your chicken is thoroughly cooked before mixing it with the tomatoes.
  • Season to taste: paprika, basil, oregano, salt, black pepper

Fill your large pot with water and bring to a boil. While you are waiting for your pasta pot to boil, mix your sauce ingredients together into a large sauce pot. The tomatoes will add a little juice to the sauce. This helps it cook, and keeps your sauce from drying out. Embrace the juice.

Cook the sauce on low for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

pasta recipe ideas

When your water in your pasta pot boils, add the pasta. Cook until your pasta achieves it’s desired tenderness.

Once your pasta is done cooking, and your sauce has cooked for 30 minutes, drain your pasta and add the sauce to the pot. Mix the pasta and the sauce together. Voila! You have finished cooking your andouille sausage pasta dinner!

Serve, top with grated parmesan, and enjoy! I hope you love this easy pasta dish with a kick! If andouille sausage isn’t your thing, you can always make this dish a milder sausage of your choice. The possibilities are endless!

Things you might need to make andouille sausage pasta at home:

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you love it!

XOXO
Cathy

andouille sausage pasta recipe

Creamy Chicken Pasta recipe

creamy chicken pasta recipe light

Creamy Chicken Pasta recipe: tapered mug / Italian Soda recipe (inside mug) / turquoise dinner plate / tablecloth (sold out, also love this one) /

One of our favorite types of food is pasta. There are so many different ways to fix pasta, so it’s a fabulous staple to keep in the kitchen pantry for lunch or dinner. If you love pasta, and you love chicken, this is a great recipe you can make with them both! You can use chicken purchased for this meal, or use this as a way to incorporate chicken leftovers. It’s great with BBQ chicken leftovers, baked chicken leftovers, and rotisserie chicken leftovers.

This Creamy Chicken Pasta recipe uses cream; which, as we know, isn’t great for a diet. I made it lighter by switching the cream to half-and-half. You can also substitute milk for an even lighter version of the sauce. That being said, here is what you need to make Creamy Chicken Pasta yourself!

Creamy Chicken Pasta ingredients

  • 1 pound of your favorite pasta
  • 2 cups shredded chicken (I like to use Safeway’s shredded rotisserie chicken, or leftover chicken chopped in smaller pieces)
  • 2 cups chopped tomatoes (or one can diced tomatoes-drained)
  • 4 garlic cloves chopped or smashed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (I prefer extra virgin)
  • 1 pat of unsalted butter
  • 1.5 cups of heavy cream (I use half-and-half instead)
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • Dash of salt
  • Dash of pepper
  • 1 tablespoon each of paprika, basil, oregano
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion

You will need two pots to make Creamy Chicken Pasta. One large pot for cooking your pasta, and one medium saucepan for the sauce. Cook your pasta separately from your sauce. For the sauce, mix all the ingredients together and simmer on medium for thirty minutes. Stir frequently to keep the cheese from sticking to the pot. When the pasta is done cooking, drain, and then mix the sauce together with the pasta. Voila! You have easily cooked Creamy Chicken Pasta! Love!

My kids really enjoy this meal, and it is an enjoyed by adults too. This makes a great family dish! You can top it with more parmesan cheese if you’d like, once it’s on your plate. This should make about nine servings. We usually have leftovers, and the leftovers are great for lunch the next day. I hope you enjoy my Creamy Chicken Pasta recipe!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy


Beer Cheese Fondue and Mac and Cheese

Are you looking for a fabulous cheese dip for your next party? Or maybe the perfect fondue for a fun dinner night. Or, maybe you want to spice up your macaroni and cheese? This is the Beer Cheese Fondue recipe for you!

I originally made this Beer Cheese Fondue as an appetizer for my family while watching a movie on TV. They loved dipping cheese bread and pita chips into it. (Don’t worry, the alcohol cooks out, so it’s non-alcoholic, only slight flavor from the beer is left.) My kids enjoyed having fondue; something I don’t fix very often. I really should make it more, after all, fondue is super fun!

We only ate a small amount of the Beer Cheese Fondue. So the next day, I cooked a package of spiral pasta, and used the remaining Beer Cheese Fondue as a sauce. It was absolutely delicious; Beer Macaroni and Cheese!

Here is the recipe:

  • 1 cup of an amber ale.
  • 1 teaspoon of Tabasco Sauce
  • 2 pounds of Velveeta. (Velveeta comes in a meltable, 2 pound cheese block. Super easy!)

Cut the cheese block to fit inside your fondue pot. Put the tabasco and beer inside the pot too. You don’t have to mix it right away. Cook on simmer until the cheese starts to melt, then using a wooden spoon, mix everything together. Let the mixture simmer on high, stirring occasional, for forty-five minutes.

If serving as a dip or fondue, keep warm in a fondue pot and stir occasionally as a film will form over the top if it sits a few minutes without being dipped into. If using as the cheese mix in macaroni and cheese, pour over 1 pound of your favorite cooked pasta, mix together, and enjoy!

My kids absolutely love this dip/fondue as Beer macaroni and cheese. The alcohol cooks out, so don’t worry about getting your kiddos drunk, or anyone on the wagon getting tipsy. This is a non-alcoholic food. Love that!

Things you may need in your kitchen to make this recipe:

I hope you enjoy this simple cheese fondue recipe. I would love to know if you serve it as fondue, or macaroni and cheese!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy