Dinner For (4) Recipe

Brown sausage

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sliced andouille and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and some fat renders, about 4–5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove sausage to a bowl and leave rendered fat in pot.

Sear chicken

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil if pot is dry. Season chicken pieces lightly with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken to the pot in a single layer and sear until lightly browned but not cooked through, about 3–4 minutes. Remove chicken to the bowl with the sausage.

Add shrimp later

Reserve the shrimp to be added near the end of cooking (shrimp cooks quickly and will be added in final steps). Season shrimp with a pinch of salt and pepper and set aside in the refrigerator until needed.

In the same pot with the rendered sausage fat and any browned bits, add the diced onion, bell pepper, and celery. Sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to caramelize slightly, then pour in the crushed tomatoes and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.

Return the browned sausage and chicken (with accumulated juices) to the pot. Add the rinsed rice and, if making a half-and-half or full pastalaya, add the dried penne. For jambalaya-only, omit the pasta. Stir to combine so rice (and pasta, if using) are coated with tomato mixture.

Pour in the 4 cups chicken broth. Add bay leaves, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, dried thyme, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste), remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and hot sauce if using. Stir well.

Bring the pot to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer: if only rice (jambalaya), simmer 18–20 minutes until rice is tender; if only penne (pastalaya), simmer 10–12 minutes until pasta is nearly al dente; if half rice half pasta, check at 12–14 minutes and adjust so both components are cooked—you may need to uncover and stir gently to prevent sticking. Avoid stirring vigorously while cooking to prevent mushy rice.

When rice and/or pasta are just about done and liquid is almost absorbed, remove the lid and gently fold in the reserved shrimp. Increase heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, stirring gently, until shrimp are opaque and cooked through, about 3–4 minutes. If mixture looks dry before shrimp finish, add up to 1/4 cup additional broth or water.

Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or hot sauce as desired. Remove and discard bay leaves.

Turn off heat and let the jambalaya/pastalaya rest, covered, 5 minutes to finish steaming and settle flavors.

Stir in chopped parsley and sliced green onions. Serve hot with lemon wedges on the side and one dinner roll per person.