Pasta Jambalaya

If you have ever eaten at a Mimi’s Cafe, you would know they have, or least used to have, a menu item knows as Pasta Jambalaya. Many moons ago, I used to work for Mimi’s Cafe, when it was still a family owned and operated business. But now, they are a large franchised restaurant and everything has changed. I have not eaten at a Mimi’s in quite awhile. However, I did recreate their Pasta Jambalaya in “Jeanne’s Kitchen” last night. Now maybe I am just a little biased, but I think my version is much better. 🙂 It was loaded with ham, Andouille sausage and shrimp, as well as a lot of downhome vegetables and goodness. And of course, to be true to the Cajun and Creole roots, I had to have The Holy Trinity of vegetables included. Time For Gumbo

Again, I used up some of my leftovers, which is exactly how Cajun and Creole foods are supposed to be cooked. I also had some tomatoes that were a little mushy, which was great, since I just threw them into the mix for the sauce.

For my veggies, I threw in some red and yellow bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, onions and garlic. Of course there is garlic. ALWAYS garlic! Then I used some Creole seasoning, cayenne pepper, basil, oregano and salt & pepper to spice it all up and add some kick to it. I sauteed the vegetables first and then removed them from the skillet.

Maybe it is just me, but I like to cook my shrimp separately from my vegetables. First, they cook at different times, but secondly, I do not want my vegetables to taste like shrimp. Once the shrimp was cooked, I added everything, including my ham (already cooked) and my Andouille sausage back into the skillet. I also added the tomatoes and their juice as well as about 1` cup of red wine. Bring it all to a boil, then reduce the heat down to a simmer and continue to cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is done.

When it is all done, spoon it over some cooked pasta and laissez le bontemps roulez! I GAR-UN-TEE you’re going to love it!

Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.