Jake Smollett's New Orleans Gumbo Pasta
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 10 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup finely chopped onion, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped celery, minced
- 2 hot Italian turkey sausages, removed from casing
- 1 2/3 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon pure ground gumbo filé
- 1 teaspoon basil flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut in half
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (for topping)
- Handful chopped parsley (for topping)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the penne. Cook pasta about 7-8 minutes or until it's the softness that you prefer. Drain and set aside while you prepare your gumbo sauce.
In the same pot you cooked the pasta in, heat olive oil over high heat then add garlic and veggies. Sauté about 8-10 minutes or until they become soft or paste-like. (The veggies make up the roux for the gumbo.) Add in the turkey sausage and brown. Once the sausage is cooked, add in the chicken stock and begin building your flavors by adding in the gumbo filé, basil flakes, cayenne pepper, granulated onion and garlic, and salt. Let that simmer and thicken for about 7-8 minutes then add in the shrimp. Once the shrimp is cooked through, add in the cooked pasta and toss so all those flavors absorb into the pasta.
Serve with freshly chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese.