Spaghetti jambalaya 

Jambalaya noodles are a tasty and rich first course, inspired by one of the most popular dishes in Louisiana, namely a Creole stew of rice and meat, in which you can find Spanish, French and African influences. Don't worry though, because this recipe doesn't include weird or untraceable ingredients.

Few dishes like jambalaya can reflect so well the identity of the place where they were created: just as New Orleans is a mixture of different cultures and ethnic groups, even the symbolic dish of its cuisine is the result of contaminations born from the need to creatively combine the local products available. The essence of Creole cuisine is in fact to blend ingredients of African and Caribbean origin with typical recipes of European settlers, especially French, Spanish and Portuguese, without forgetting the influences of Native Americans and other minorities, including Italian! 

Ingredients

320 g spaghetti

2 chicken thighs

100 g spicy sausage

1 clove of garlic, minced

half chopped white onion

1 small chopped celery stalk

half red bell pepper in small pieces

5 g chopped fresh parsley

400 g canned peeled tomatoes

olive oil to taste

salt to taste

To prepare Jambalaya spaghetti, start by taking care of the two chicken legs, which must be stripped of the skin and bones. Once the bone is removed, reduce the meat into cubes and keep it aside for a moment. Cut 100 g of spicy sausage into small pieces. In a large pan placed on low heat, heat a drizzle of olive oil and as soon as it is hot, brown the diced chicken meat and the spicy sausage into small pieces until they have started to take color. At this point add half a red pepper in small pieces, half a chopped white onion and 1 small chopped celery stalk, then continue cooking for a few minutes, until the vegetables are slightly softened. Now add 1 clove of chopped garlic, mix well, then add 400 g of canned peeled tomatoes and crush them coarsely with a fork, then continue cooking for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce is cooked and slightly shrunk. Towards the end of cooking, season with salt, then cook 320 g of spaghetti in a pot full of lightly salted water boiling for the time indicated on the package and as soon as they are al dente, drain and sauté them in a pan for a minute over high heat together with the sauce, also adding 5 g of chopped fresh parsley. 

Serve your Spaghetti jambalaya on the table immediately and enjoy your meal!

PRESERVATION

Spaghetti jambalaya can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a day, in an airtight container. Freezing is not recommended.

ADVICE

There is not just one jambalaya, but many different recipes that change depending on the ingredients available... Feel free to use chicken breast instead of thighs or replace crustaceans with other seafood or crustaceans such as cuttlefish or octopus. Chorizo is a particular type of sausage with a strong and spicy flavor: if you do not find it you can choose to use smoked sausage, pancetta or salami paste. Chicken broth can be replaced by beef broth, which, however, will give the preparation a stronger flavor. As for spices, however, you can find the Cajun spice mix on the market or replace it with smoked paprika, while instead of Jamaican pepper you can use common black peppercorns.