Slice the smoked sausage into thin rounds, then cut any larger pieces in half. Add the sausage and vegetable oil to a large pot and cook over medium heat until the sausage is well browned (about 5 minutes).
Mince two cloves of garlic and add them to the pot. Sauté for one minute, or until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Add the bag of frozen seasoning mix and sauté until heated through (3-5 minutes). Add the can of diced tomatoes (with juices), Creole seasoning, oregano, smoked paprika, thyme, freshly cracked pepper (about 20 cranks of a pepper mill), and pasta to the pot. Finally, add the chicken broth and 1 cup of water, and stir until everything is evenly combined.
Place a lid on the pot and turn the heat up to medium-high. Let the pot come to a boil. As soon as it reaches a boil, stir briefly, replace the lid, turn the heat down to low, and let the pot simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Stir the pot once every few minutes as it simmers to prevent the pasta from sticking. Replace the lid as quickly as possible to maintain a simmer. If the mixture still seems soupy at around 8 minutes, let the pot simmer without a lid for the last few minutes. A little bit of thick sauce at the bottom of the pot is perfect.
While the pasta is simmering, chop the parsley and slice the green onions.
Turn off the heat and stir in the half & half or cream. Stir in most of the chopped parsley and green onions, reserving some to sprinkle over top of each bowl. Serve hot.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1.5 Cups
Calories: 472 kcal
Carbohydrates: 66 g
Protein: 19 g
Fat: 15 g
Sodium: 715 mg
Reviews
Winter on 2026-03-05 (2 stars): Not terrible, but incredibly bland. The only flavorful part was the Andouille sausage I used. If I made it again, I'd consider doubling all seasonings, but at this moment, I don't think it's worth trying again. If you like super flavorful food, I'd pass on this.
Emily on 2025-02-16 (5 stars): This is in the all time hall of fame in my house! I love the creaminess that the half and half adds right at the end!
I always triple the scallions. My favorite!!!!
Kimberly on 2024-06-02 (5 stars): We enjoyed this. I made a few modifications but basically followed the recipe. We will definitely make again. It makes a huge amount!
Riley Pvotchker on 2024-05-18 (5 stars): I make this at least twice a year since 2018. Always delicious, always budget friendly.
WaynesWife510 on 2024-03-10 (5 stars): Greetings from Baton Rouge, LA! I just tried this recipe Sunday March 10, 2024, and it turned out DELICIOUS! I added shrimp and chicken thighs along with the Andouille sausage. We had salad and yeast rolls with it! Thanks for sharing!
Elizabeth Nunes on 2024-03-03 (5 stars): Your way of making this is fantastic. However, I want to stress that this is New Orleans style pastalaya. I used to cook jambalaya and pastalaya that way, too, because I'm originally from Chalmette. However, I now live in the Gonzales area. Gonzales is known as the jambalaya capital of the world. They do t make a tomato based jambalaya or pastalaya...they make it roux jambalaya and pastalaya. So if you leave out the tomatoes and make a roux instead, add some pork temple meat or bite sized pieces of the darker meat of the Boston butt portion, use beef broth instead of chicken and use spaghetti noodles instead of penne, you will have what we in Gonzales call pastalaya. I like it both ways! Thanks for the recipe!
ProDad_HackCook on 2023-10-16 (5 stars): Not too spicy. Almost has a "refreshing" taste. Very pleasant and flavorful. Tomatoes and sausage bring a party each time you get a piece of each. Recipe saved!
Ruby on 2023-06-25 (5 stars): I looked at the date and realized I haven’t been quite cooking it for a full 10 years. But Beth, if you’re out there, I am still cooking this one!
Judy L on 2023-04-26 (5 stars): This is delicious. I did need to cook my poster about 8 extra minutes to get to al dente, and I began to check at 11 minutes. My husband loved it and felt that I'd cooked him something very special. This recipe lends itself to being even faster if I'd want to cut up the trinity, garlic, mix spices etc. the day before.....super quick to pull together.
Willy on 2022-12-11 (5 stars): Made for a family of 8 today. So basically doubled the recipe. Yummy! Everyone had 2nd helpings.
Sarah on 2022-12-04 (5 stars): I think I forgot to rate my previous review. 5/5.
Theresa Phillips on 2022-06-12 (5 stars): Great easy recipe. I needed an extra cup chicken stock.
Bryton Killian on 2021-12-19 (5 stars): Quick and easy and very tasty! This one has been added to the dinner recipe collection! Thank you!
