Description
Wholesome, hearty, and flavorful, this Creamy Cajun Pasta Skillet is a satisfying and comforting weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients:
- 1 medium yellow onion, fine dice
- 1 red bell pepper, small dice
- 1 celery rib, fine dice
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth *
- 1 cup water
- 1 – [ 14.5 oz. can ] petite diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda *
Spice/Herb Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (+/-)
- ½ teaspoon dried basil (+/-)
- ½ teaspoon dried crushed thyme leaves *
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley (+/-)
- 1 ¼ teaspoons smoked paprika (+/-)
- ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika (+/-)
- ¾ teaspoon regular chili powder (+/-) *
- ¼ to 1 1/8 teaspoons sea salt (+/-)
- Pinch to ¼ teaspoon black pepper (+/-)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (+/-) *
Other Ingredients:
- 3 Tablespoons almond butter *
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 8 oz. pasta (of choice) *
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions, when done, drain and rinse pasta in cold water and set aside to drain.
- Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients (except the bay leaf and cayenne pepper) into a small bowl, whisk well to combine, set aside.
- In a large skillet, add the finely diced onions, sauté over medium-high heat for 7 to 9 minutes until perfectly tender, add a splash of water, if needed to avoid burning. Then lower the heat to medium, add the minced garlic and tomato paste, sauté, stir constantly for one minute.
- Then add all the remaining Skillet Ingredients (except the bay leaf, cayenne pepper, and baking soda) and the Spice/Herb Mix to the skillet, stir well, bring the mixture to a boil, add the baking soda, stir well, then immediately lower to a simmer. Tuck in the bay leaf.
- Simmer over medium-low heat for 7 minutes.
- After 7 minutes, stir in the almond butter until dissolved, then add the apple cider vinegar, simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta and cayenne pepper, stir to incorporate, heat through and allow to simmer for 3 minutes.
- Taste test the flavors, ramp spices and/or herbs, if needed, and simmer for several minutes if additional spices are added.
- Remove the skillet from the stove and allow to sit for 4 minutes undisturbed to allow the flavors to develop and the sauce to thicken, remove and discard the bay leaf, stir well, then serve and enjoy!
Notes
Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.
Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Serving: 5