Jambalaya Pasta

This easy jambalaya pasta is one of our favorite creamy pasta recipes. It’s super filling, loaded with flavor and easy to customize. Garnish with green onions and serve with your favorite grated cheese for a simple weeknight meal.

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A bowl of jambalaya pasta garnished with green onions.

What I love about jambalaya pasta

  • With smoked andouille sausage and boneless, skinless chicken thighs, this dish is filled with protein and flavor.
  • As the meal cooks, the starches from pasta thicken the cooking liquids and create a light and creamy sauce without heavy cream.
  • Using a store bought seasoning blend makes this recipe so much faster, and just using a little bit makes sure it’s not too spicy for kids.
overhead of cajun pasta with chicken and smoked sausage in a cast iron pan

Here’s what you’ll need to make it

A close up of a dutch oven full of jambalaya pasta.

How to make jambalaya pasta

Sear the chicken. Season the chicken with cajun or creole seasoning (use what you have, we always have creole for making gumbo). Then, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot to medium high and sear the chicken until it’s golden brown on both sides.

Transfer to a plate and let it rest until later, it doesn’t need to be fully cooked because it’s going to go back into the pot while the rest of the ingredients cook.

Sauté the vegetables. Add the rest of the olive oil and sauté the veggies until they’re nice and tender and the onions will be are pretty translucent. Make sure to stir frequently as they cook to prevent them from burning.

A close up of jambalaya pasta garnished green onions.

Deglaze the pan. Add the white wine to the pot and make sure you scrape up all of those delicious brown bits from the chicken. They add so much flavor to the recipe.

Simmer the pasta. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and return the chicken, making sure it’s submerged in liquid. Bring the pot to a boil and the reduce the heat to medium-low and let everything cook until the pasta has softened to al dente and the liquid has been absorbed.

Remove the chicken and shred or chop it, the return it back to the pot. Adjust the seasoning with salt & pepper, to taste. If you want to add more cajun seasoning, do it now.

Garnish and serve. Sprinkle the pasta with green onions and serve immediately.

A bowl of jambalaya pasta garnished with shredded parmesan cheese and green onions.

FAQs and tips on making jambalaya pasta

What are the different types of jambalaya?

Traditionally jambalaya has two different styles, creole and cajun. Both include onions, celery, and green bell pepper. The main difference between the two being that Creole jambalaya also includes tomatoes, making it what is considered “red jambalaya”.

What is the difference between jambalaya and gumbo?

Though they are very similar dishes, gumbo is more of a soup served over rice and jambalaya has the rice cooked into the dish.

An overhead shot of 2 bowls full of jambalaya pasta.
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Jambalaya Pasta

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This easy jambalaya pasta is one of our favorite creamy pasta recipes. It’s super filling, loaded with flavor and easy to customize. Garnish with green onions and serve with your favorite grated cheese for a simple weeknight meal.

  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: Farfalle
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 pound chicken (boneless breast or thighs)

  • Creole or cajun seasoning

  • 1/2 large red onion, chopped

  • 1 green pepper, chopped

  • 5 – 6 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1/2 cup dry white wine

  • 1 14-ounce package andouille or other smoked sausage, sliced

  • 1 pound farfalle pasta

  • 2 cups water

  • 1 1/2 cups milk

  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt

  • 1 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes with juice

  • 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

  • Green onions, sliced (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Season the chicken thighs with creole seasoning. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven to medium-high and sear the chicken, 2 – 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
  2. Add the remaining olive oil to the pot and add the onion, peppers and garlic. Sauté the vegetables until they have softened and the onions are translucent.
  3. Deglaze the pot with wine, making sure the scrape up any of the brown bits from the chicken.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and allow it to come to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and let it simmer until the pasta is al dente and the liquid has been mostly absorbed.
  5. Pull the chicken out and chop or shred it. Then, return it to the pot. Allow any extra liquid to absorb.
  6. Remove from heat and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
  7. Garnish with green onions before serving.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 585
  • Sugar: 4.3 g
  • Sodium: 1410.3 mg
  • Fat: 32.3 g
  • Saturated Fat: 9.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 41.2 g
  • Fiber: 2.4 g
  • Protein: 28.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 91.2 mg

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