One of my favorite things to cook for dinner is a bowl of creamy pasta.  This stove top Cajun Pasta with Smoked Sausage (and optional peas) is a delicious bowl of pure comfort food.  Smoked sausage and Cajun seasoning just pair beautifully together but when you have smokey, spicy and creamy all in one bowl, you have hit the dinner jackpot.

I often buy the four pack of smoked sausage at Sam’s Club because you get four packages of sausage for just about the regular price you pay for two at the grocery store.  Having extra sausage in the refrigerator inspired me to create some different recipes so we can switch up how we use it.  This recipe is definitely one of my favorite things to make with it and it’s so easy!  You can have this delicious dinner on the table in under 30 minutes.

A couple of tips for this recipe:

• • First and foremost, if you don’t like peas, you can totally skip adding them.  I actually cook and serve my peas separately because half the family likes them and the other half doesn’t.  If you like peas, they add that fresh element and take the dish to a whole other level.  If you don’t, just leave them out.
  • You can use a variety of different pasta shapes in this dish.  Ziti, Penne, Cellentani, Rigatoni, Rotini – any tubular or squiggly pasta shape is going to work beautifully because it will allow the sauce to cling to the outsides and fill the insides.  I use Campanelle for this recipe because I absolutely love it.  It’s like little ribbons of thin lasagna noodles rolled up in to a cone so it looks a bit like a flower.  The texture is perfect for this recipe and it’s easily found at my local grocery stores!
  • I don’t usually insist on certain brands when I share recipes, but when it comes to shredded mozzarella cheese there is only one brand I will buy.  (Not a paid advertisement, just preference.)  Kraft Creamy Melt Shredded Mozzarella is unlike any other mozzarella cheese you can get because it has cream cheese in it to make it ultra melty.  It’s a staple in my refrigerator, (we are talking 3 or 4 bags at all times.)  It’s fabulous in sauces, on top of casseroles and it will singlehandedly upgrade any meatball sub.  It also gives this dish the ultimate creamy factor.

Ingredients:

• 16oz pkg of your favorite dry pasta (I used Campanelle)
• 12oz package of beef smoked sausage
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 cups half and half
• 1-1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp white cheddar
• 1/3 cup Kraft Creamy Melt Shredded Mozzarella
• 1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning (I use Slap Ya Mama original blend in the yellow container.)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Pasta water (reserve some of the water the pasta is cooked in)
• 2 cups frozen peas, cooked (optional)

Instructions:

1. Cook your box of pasta according to the directions on the box for al dente pasta.  Before draining, reserve a good size mug of that wonderful pasta water.  Then drain and set aside.
2. Slice your beef smoked sausage on the diagonal, about 1/4 inch thick.  Add the sliced sausage to a large sauté pan, and cook over high heat, tossing frequently until the sausage browns a little on each side.  Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.
3. In the same sauté pan, melt the butter over medium high heat.  Add the minced garlic and cook for just one minute.
4. Whisk in the half and half.  Continue to whisk as it comes to a simmer.
5. Once the mixture is simmering, add in all three cheeses, the Cajun seasoning and the black pepper.  Continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth and creamy.  Whisk in 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water, then stir in the sausage and turn off the heat.
6. Pour the sauce with sausage over the drained noodles and toss it all together.  Add additional pasta water by little splashes till the sauce is the perfect consistency.
7. Toss in the peas or serve on the side for the non-pea lovers in your fam.  I like to garnish with a little bit of the creamy melt mozzarella over the top of each plate.