1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
10 – 13 oz Andouille sausages, sliced
1 ½ green bell peppers, sliced thin
½ medium yellow onion, sliced thin
3 ½ tbsp Cajun spice mix (add less, if you like it less spicy)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
½ cup crushed tomatoes
½ cup half and half (or ¼ cup water and ¼ cup single cream)
OR use ½ cup of Greek yogurt
2 tsp brown sugar
Salt and pepper
Parmesan to serve
Oil
1 lb of uncooked Penne pasta
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Place a large pot of water with salt, over medium high heat and bring to a boil to cook the pasta. When the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and set the timer for 9 minutes (packet says 10-12 minutes, but you want it slightly under-cooked.). Drain the pasta, but reserve 1-2 cups of the pasta water. While, the pasta is cooking, place another pot or large pan over medium high heat and drizzle some olive oil. When the pan is hot, add the chicken, generous ¼ tsp salt, 1 tbsp Cajun spice and mix well. Increase heat to high, and cook the chicken for 5 minutes, till it shows good caramelization (about 5 – 6 minutes, depends on the heat of your pan). Place the chicken in a separate bowl and set aside until needed. Lower the heat to medium high and return the pan to the heat. Drizzle in some olive oil (if needed) and add the sliced Andouille sausages and fry until they start to show some good caramelization as well (about 5 minutes). Add the onion, garlic, green pepper, rest of the Cajun spice mix, generous pinch of salt, 1 tsp brown sugar and saute until onion softens. Add the crushed tomatoes, the reserved cooked chicken, half and half or cream, and about ½ cup of the reserved pasta water and stir to combine. Mix in the pasta and simmer until the pasta is al dente. If you’d like more pasta sauce, add up to another cup of milk or pasta water. Stir in chopped parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with extra black pepper on top (optional) and freshly grated Parmesan.
