New Orleans Pasta Recipe

This is a straightforward homemade version of Cheddar’s New Orleans Pasta — creamy, spicy, loaded with chicken, shrimp, and sausage, and comes together fast. Works well as a cozy dinner or lazy weekend treat.

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Quick Summary

• Prep time: 15 mins
• Cook time: 30 mins
• Flavor: creamy, Cajun‑spiced, savory seafood + sausage mix
• Great for: comfort nights, casual sharing, those “I need a hug in pasta form” moments

Why I Like This Recipe

Not gonna lie, I wasn’t planning to make anything fancy. Just had chicken, shrimp, sausage, and thought, why not groove? Ended up with this rich, saucy mess that makes you stand over the pot, spoon in hand, “just one more bite” kinda good. I’ve made it a few times since. It doesn’t get old.

Ingredients

• 8 oz chicken breast, bite‑sized
• 1 cup Italian dressing
• 16 oz penne pasta
• 4 oz butter
• 4 Tbsp all‑purpose flour
• 1½ cups heavy cream
• ⅓ cup shredded Parmesan
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella
• 1½ cups salsa
• 1½ Tbsp Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• 8 oz smoked sausage, sliced
• 8 oz shrimp, peeled & deveined
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 white onion, sliced

How To Make New Orleans Pasta

1. Marinate chicken in Italian dressing, about 1 hr. Drain.
2. Cook pasta per pack. Drain.
3. In big pot, melt butter, dump flour, stir 1 min till smells nutty.
4. Add cream, Parmesan, mozzarella, salsa – stir till thick-ish, then simmer till it hugs the spoon.
5. Heat oil, cook chicken 5–7 min till done, remove.
6. Sear sausage in same pan, remove.
7. Season shrimp with Creole seasoning, cook till pink, remove.
8. Sauté onions & pepper till tender.
9. Toss pasta, meats, veggies in sauce. Serve hot.

Tips for Success

• Let marinaded chicken drain well or sauce gets weird.
• Make sure your roux smells nutty before cream – that’s flavor city.
• Cook shrimp just till pink or rubber city.
• Use real salsa — saves time and gives that cozy tang.
• Toss gently — don’t mush the pasta.

Storage and Reheating

• Fridge: refrigerate in sealed container up to 3 days.
• Freezer: don’t bother – creamy sauce gets weird.
• Microwave: 1–2 mins, stir halfway. Honestly, still good.
• Stovetop: gently reheat with splash of cream or water to loosen sauce.

FAQs

Common Mistakes and How to Dodge Them

• Sauce too thin – didn’t cook roux long enough. Fix: stir flour & butter a bit more.
• Shrimp rubbery – overcooked. Remove at first pink.
• Seasoning bland – forgot Creole seasoning. Don’t skip it.
• Vegeta­bles raw – didn’t sauté onions/pepper enough. Sauté till soft.
• Pasta dry – didn’t reserve pasta water or sauce thicken too much. Add splash of water or cream.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

• Calories: 989 kcal
• Total Fat: 62 g
• Saturated Fat: 30 g
• Cholesterol: 281 mg
• Sodium: 1275 mg
• Potassium: 590 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 68 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3 g
• Sugars: 7 g
• Protein: 37 g