Sausage and Seafood Pastalaya

 What is Pastalaya? (And How It Connects to Jambalaya)

For anyone unfamiliar with this Louisiana classic, the easiest way to understand pastalaya is to think of it as the cousin to classic jambalaya.

Traditional jambalaya is a one-pot Creole or Cajun dish where rice, aromatics (the "holy trinity" of onions, bell peppers, and celery), meats, and seafood all simmer together in a flavorful broth until the rice absorbs every drop of liquid.

Pastalaya keeps that exact same flavor profile, cooking method, and soulful foundation—but swaps out the long-grain rice for pasta. The starch from the pasta releases into the pot as it cooks, naturally thickening the broth into a rich, clinging sauce. It’s the ultimate comfort-food fusion.

 Sausage and Seafood Pastalaya

Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 30 mins | Servings: 6-8

 A Note on the Sauce: Pastalaya is incredibly versatile. While you can easily add heavy cream at the end for a rich, velvety finish, today we are opting for a light, tomato-based sauce that lets the natural sweetness of the seafood and the smoky punch of the sausage truly shine.

 

 Ingredients

 The Proteins & Base

  1 lb smoked sausage (andouille or high-quality smoked sausage), sliced into rounds

  1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

  1 lb sea scallops, tough side muscles removed and patted dry

  1 lb linguine or fettuccine pasta

  2 tbsp vegetable oil or lard

 The Trinity & Aromatics

  1 large yellow onion, diced

  1 green bell pepper, diced

  1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips (for color and sweetness)

  3 stalks celery, diced

  4 cloves garlic, minced

 The Liquid & Seasoning

  3 tbsp tomato paste

  1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce

  4 cups seafood stock (or chicken stock)

 1 tbsp Blaxican Fajita Seasoning 

 2 tbsp Cajun/Creole seasoning (adjust to taste)

  1 tsp dried thyme

  1 bay leaf

  Hot sauce to taste

 The Finish (No Parsley For ME)

  1 bunch green onions (scallions), finely sliced

  Note: We are skipping the traditional parsley garnish here entirely—fresh green onions bring all the bright, sharp flavor and color you actually want without any of that bitter parsley taste.

 Instructions

 1. Sear the Proteins

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sliced smoked sausage and cook until beautifully browned and the fat renders. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same flavor-packed fat, sear the scallops for about 1–2 minutes per side until they get a golden crust, followed by the shrimp just until they turn pink. Remove all seafood and set aside (we'll add them back at the end so they stay perfectly tender).

 2. Sauté the Holy Trinity

Drop the onions, celery, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper strips into the pot. Sauté for 5–6 minutes until softened, scraping up all those delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste, and allow it to cook for another 60 seconds until fragrant.

 3. Build the Light Tomato Base

Stir in the crushed tomatoes, Cajun seasoning, dried thyme, and bay leaf. Let the tomatoes cook down and darken slightly for about 3 minutes. Pour in the seafood stock and bring the liquid to a rolling boil.

 4. Cook the Pasta

Boil and drain your noodles. Drain but save some of the pasta water. Stir pasta directly into the boiling broth. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for about 5-6 minutes. Stir it occasionally to ensure the pasta doesn't stick. The pasta will absorb the rich broth, leaving you with a light, savory tomato sauce.

 5. Combine and Finish

Once the pasta is perfectly al dente and the liquid has reduced into a gorgeous sauce, turn off the heat. Discard the bay leaf. Fold the cooked sausage, shrimp, and scallops back into the pot, letting the residual heat warm them through.

Top the entire pot generously with your fresh green onions and serve straight out of the Dutch oven.