SEMOLINAS PASTA JAMBALAYA

Semolina's Pasta Jambalaya

You will need to make the Creole sauce for this dish first, and it makes two quarts -- much more than you need for the pasta recipe.  

The sauce will yield a little more than 10 servings (so multiply the ingredients in the pasta recipe by five to make one big batch). 

Makes 2 servings

1 tablespoon corn oil

2 ounces andouille sausage

2 ounces chicken breast meat

1 tablespoon diced tasso

¼ small red onion, in strips

½ small bell pepper, in strips

2 teaspoons minced garlic

¼ cup butter

¾ cup Creole sauce (below)

8 ounces spiral pasta, cooked

½ cup shredded provolone cheese

½ cup shredded smoked gouda

Green onion slivers and crushed red pepper for garnish

Saute andouille, chicken and tasso in corn oil until the chicken has lost its raw color. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic and butter. Cook until the butter is melted and garlic is done. Add Creole sauce and bring to a boil. Make sure the butter is fully incorporated into the sauce.

Reheat the pasta by dipping it into boiling water for 15 seconds. Place the heated pasta into a large bowl and cover with the sauce. Top the dish with the cheeses. Garnish with the green onions and red pepper.

Semolina's Creole sauce

Makes 2 quarts

¼ cup butter

½ cup diced yellow onion

1 cup diced bell pepper

½ cup diced celery

1 tablespoon minced parsley

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

½ teaspoon basil leaves

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon white pepper

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 ½ teaspoons salt

3 medium bay leaves

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ cup chopped green onion

3 cups whole tomatoes with juice, diced

2 cups tomato puree

3 cups shrimp or chicken stock

2 teaspoons Crystal hot sauce

Melt butter in a heavy sauce pot. Add yellow onion, bell pepper, celery, parsley, garlic, basil, peppers, salt, bay leaves, sugar and green onion. Cook until the bell pepper turns bright green and onions start to become transparent. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato puree, stock and hot sauce. Bring to a boil; then simmer until reduced to 2 quarts, approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally.