Hearty Cajun Penne Pasta Recipes
I love this pasta dish because it’s so easy to put together and I usually have all of the ingredients already in my pantry. It’s also a great way to use up leftover grilled chicken from your Sunday dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of cooking oil
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1/2 cup chopped onion (about one small onion)
- 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (about one small pepper)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- One 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
3 cloves garlic, chopped
- Chop the garlic. Place the garlic on a cutting board and cut off the stem end of each clove, then peel away any loose or bruised skin. With a sharp knife or kitchen shears, make sure there are no green shoots still attached to the root end. If there are, remove them with your fingers or a small paring knife (be careful!). Then chop into quarters lengthwise and mince across these pieces until it’s all chopped up real good!
- Chop an onion. Peel your onion’s outer layer off first (if necessary), then slice it in half from root to tip end along its equator—that way you’ll be able to trim both ends at once when you’re done chopping it. Now place one half cut side down onto your cutting board, then chop that baby up into bite-size pieces until they’re about 1/4 inch tall by 1/4 inch wide, with some smaller bits mixed in for good measure. You should have about 2 cups total once you’re done chopping everything all up nice and even—and if not, don’t worry; this recipe can handle any amount of onions so long as they’re roughly sliced into similar sizes like these ones were!
1 medium red onion, chopped
Onions are a good source of vitamin C and vitamin B6. They’re also a good source of dietary fiber, folate and potassium.
1/2 tsp salt
- Salt is a spice that enhances the flavor of food. It’s also used to cure meats, preserve food, and can help control your blood pressure. When you’re cooking with salt, remember that it’s very important not to overdo it—just use enough for flavor and don’t worry about measuring out every grain!
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt: Option for this amount if your buttermilk is neither very salty nor bland; this should give you an appropriate amount of seasoning for the pasta.
2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Tomato paste is a condiment made by cooking, crushing and straining tomatoes. It’s available in tubes or cans, but you can use canned tomatoes to make it at home: pour the tomatoes into a food processor and blend until smooth.
1-1/2 cups heavy cream (can substitute half & half)
The first thing you should know about cream is that it’s a dairy product, made with the fat of milk. It forms when butterfat rises to the top and separates from whey proteins and water. While this process is something that happens naturally in raw milk, most creams sold in grocery stores are pasteurized (heat treated) so they don’t contain any harmful bacteria.
8 oz penne pasta or any short pasta. small shells work too.
Penne pasta is the best choice for this recipe. If you want to use a different shape of pasta, go ahead! This recipe can be made with whatever shape of pasta you like best.
This is a one pot recipe and simple to make!
This is a one pot recipe and simple to make! This pasta dish is great for a family dinner, or even just a romantic dinner. You can easily make it in advance and freeze it. Since I am vegetarian, I use vegan cheese (Daiya brand), but you can use dairy cheese if you like! It can be made gluten free by using gluten free penne pasta.
The great thing about this recipe is that it’s so easy to make and tastes great! You can serve the Cajun Penne Pasta with salad, bread or even as a side dish for steak and chicken. Let me know how it goes for you in the comments below and let me know what other recipes you want to see next.
