Comfort Food Friday Recipe: Cajun Shrimp & Sausage Pasta

Hey guys! Miora and I are SUCH foodies!  We LOVE good food - and more than that - we love to cook!  And let's keep it real! Our preference is for healthy meals, but every so often we treat ourselves to higher calorie, buttery, tastes great going down then gives you the ITIS and has you feeling boated the next day meals too! 

Like you guys, we have tried and true recipes and dishes we like to eat and those we're really good at creating.  But I'm also ALL IN when it comes to trying new food and I love to cook from recipes.  So when I saw a rendition of this recipe floating around on Facebook, I had to give it a try. Of course I modified it with my favorite ingredients from Trader Joe's and added spinach during the final step to help me feel a little better about the calorie consumption!  LoL. 

This meal is extremely delicious and although it's quite filling, it doesn't leave you feeling weighed down the next day!  WINNING!!!!!  Oh - and if you are cooking for one, I'd suggest cutting the ingredients in half or planning to freeze part of it.   Give it a try and let me know how you like it!  Enjoy!!!!

Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
1/2 - 3/4 lb cooked fettuccine
2 TBS olive oil
1 lb Trader Joe's Argentinian Shrimp or peeled, deveined raw large shrimp (I use TJ's)
1 TBS plus 2 tsp Essence seasoning (recipe below - I think you can buy this, too.)
1 1/2 Trader Joe's Andouille Chicken Sausage or hot linked or smoked turkey sausages, sliced and quartered (I use TJ's)
1/2 cup diced green pepper
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1 TBS minced garlic
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tsp dried thyme (I used fresh)
1 tsp dried basil (I used fresh)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Essence Creole Seasoning
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme (I used fresh)

Directions
Heat 1 TBS of olive oil over medium high heat in a large saute pan. Season the shrimp with 2

teaspoons of the Essence. Place the shrimp in the pan and saute until almost done. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.

Place the remaining TBS of olive oil in the saute pan and onions and bell peppers. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the sausage and cook another minute.

Add the garlic to the pan and saute for 30 seconds.
Add the chicken stock to the pan and scrape with a spoon to remove any browned bits that have formed in the bottom of the pan, about 30 seconds.
Add the thyme, 1 TBS of Essence and 1/2 tsp salt and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the heavy cream to the pan and cook an additional 2 minutes.
Return the shrimp to the pan and pasta to the pan. Continue to cook the sauce and pasta, stirring occasionally, for about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the basil and Parmesan.

Voila!  Enjoy!