You want to know what I love about pastalaya? For one, it’s fun to say. It’s a weird word. Two, it’s the perfect “I got people to feed” food. It makes alot! Tailgating, church functions, whatever. This is there for you and your hungry tribe.
Third, it’s got everything I love about jambalaya – well, except for the pasta part. And finally, it’s in the Instant Pot, so it’s basically effortless.
I know some of you still haven’t found your groove with pasta. There are so many methods out there. I don’t know, I always use the same process and I always have the same perfect pasta results.
The one rule you need to remember is don’t use too much liquid. You just want enough liquid to just be even with the pasta. Think about your pasta choices. I always use sturdy pasta noodles. I don’t use angel hair. I don’t use spaghetti either. I just haven’t had great results with those. Not they come out bad or anything, just they tend to have some clumping action to them.
And I use 4 minutes. 4 minutes. 4 minutes. Again in case you didn’t hear me – 4 freaking minutes!!! I don’t care what time it says on the box and cutting that time in half and dividing twice by your shoe size minus pi. I use 4 minutes always and it works.
That’s my method for pasta in general and it’s also my method for pastalaya. Trust me. It’s gonna work marvelously.
So yeah, this makes a $h#@ ton of pasta, but in case you have some unexpected people at your party or tailgating situation or whatever reason you may need to stretch this, just add some extra hot sauce. It’ll work like a charm.
And if you’re in need of a real jambalaya – one that is sho nuff authentic, pure Cajun and will feed an army, you can check it out it out here.
Pastalaya – Instant Pot
Ingredients
- oil, for browning
- 16 ounces boneless, skinless thighs or breasts, cut in chunks
- 1 pound good smoked sausage cut in 1 inch chunks
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1-2 bell peppers, choped
- 3 stalks of celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomates, I like fire roasted Rotel
- 1 small can of tomato paste
- 32 ounces chicken broth
- ½ to 1 teaspoon Tony's or your favorite seasoning adjust for your heat level
- Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce, to taste
- 1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet or Gravy Master, for color optional but it makes it look sexy
- 1 pound pasta, shape of choice
Instructions
-
Turn the Instant Pot to the saute setting. When the pot gets hot, add a bit of oil to the pot. Saute your chicken pieces. You don't have to cook it all the way, just get a little color on it. Remove to a plate.
Add the sliced sausage to the pot and saute for 2 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery to the pot to saute with the sausage, another 5-7 minutes.
-
Turn your pot off. Add the chicken broth to the pot. Stir it around, scraping the bottom of the pot to remove any bits and bobs stuck to the bottom. Make sure to get all the stuck bits or you could get a burn notice.
Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, cajun seasoning, hot sauce and Kitchen Bouquet if using. Stir to combine. Add the chicken pieces and all the juices back to the pot. Add the pasta. Stir.
If you feel the pasta is not covered, be conservative here, but top it off with a tad bit of water. Just a tad. You want it just covered but if some tips are sticking out, it's ok.
-
Pressure ON HIGH FOR 4 MINUTES. WHEN THE COOK CYCLE IS DONE QUICK RELEASE CAREFULLY. You may want to do it in spurts the first few times to prevent spewing.
-
When the pressure is fully released, remove the lid. Stir. Let it sit for 5 minutes. That's it! Enjoy!
Just made this today. I did change from the single can of diced tomatoes to two cans of Rotel Hot with chilies and Texas Pete’s Hot Sauce. I’m a fan!!
Glad to hear it! Rotel Hot sounds great in this!
How many servings is this? And what size pot did you use? I’m thinking of doubling it (using my 8-quart IP) but want to make sure it would fit…..
Carlos, I use a 6 quart and I’m not gonna lie, it makes A TON! I think it would fit in an 8 if you doubled it, though I have no proof. If you give it a try, let me know how it turned out and if it all fit!
Made this for the first time ever. It was so amazing and everyone loved it and used bow tie noodles. Can this be done the same without the instapot?
So glad it was a hit Brandy!
I have not tried it without the Instant Pot but… I would brown the meats and remove from the pan. Saute the veggies. When your veggies get soft, add the meat to the it and add in all the other ingredients except the pasta. Simmer that on med/low till the chicken is tender (not sure how long that will take). When the chicken is tender throw in the pasta and cook until the pasta’s done.
Again, just as a rough guide, because I have not tried it any other way but the Instant Pot. Good luck and if you try it without I would love to hear how you did it!
This looks soooo tasty! Pinning.
Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday,450. Hope you are having a great week and come back to see us soon!
Miz Helen
This looks good. Jambalaya is severely overrated. Hopefully you’ll get in a hike or two this fall, Jaxx. Regards,
Dan
Thanks Danny! Great jambalaya is fantastic, but if it’s not great, it’s just not anything but brown or red rice. Not too much in between there.
I hope I get to hike some too soon. I had neck surgery a couple of months ago and am hoping to get back at it when the weather cools. It’s been way too long!