Jambasta

Zack has our Dish set to automatically record Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals. So I was sitting on the couch putting the girls to sleep for their nap and decided to watch an episode that was titled "Fire and Ice" - sounds good right? Well Rachael was making Jambasta, a dish that she created for her dad's birthday that combines jambalaya and pasta.

The ingredients for this dish are:
1 pkg andouille (we used linguica) sausage
1 chicken breast
3-4 large deveined shrimp per person
celery - we used about 6 stalks
half an onion
some (1t +/- to taste) garlic
1 red bell pepper (we used yellow)
1 poblano pepper
1T butter
2-4 t flour
about 1/2C beer
about 1 C chicken stock
a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
a couple sprigs of thyme
about 1/2C cream
1 pound of any short-bodied pasta (we used whole grain penne).
**Liquid measurements are estimates, Rachael Ray did "turns around the pan" rather than measurements. A turn around the pan starts at one spot near the edge of the pan and goes around to that point again.**
To make Jambasta
You start out by removing the casing from your sausage and cutting it up into small pieces. In a large, deep skillet brown the sausage until it is crisp, set aside. While cooking sausage, cut up your veggies.
In the same pan, melt some butter - maybe a tablespoon, and then put your garlic, onion, celery, bell pepper, and poblano pieces in there, sprinkle with flour (maybe 2-4 t) and mix well to combine.
Don't forget to start a pot of water to boil for the pasta.
Pour some beer over the top of your veggies - not really sure how much, about one turn around the pan.
Then pour some chicken stock in, about two turns around the pan. Open the can of crushed tomatoes and add that, mix. Add a couple of sprigs of thyme, when getting ready to serve you are going to remove the stems.
Now is the time to cut the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces, and add them to the sauce. Add the raw shrimp at this time too. The chicken and shrimp are going to cook in the sauce and add a bunch of flavor! Put in one turn around the pan of cream, and stir.
Add your pasta to the water which should now be boiling. Cook according to the package directions, but you want to drain the pasta just shy of "al dente" because it is still going to cook when added to the sauce.
When the pasta is cooked, pick out the thyme sprigs from your sauce. Combine the pasta in with the sauce and mix gently to combine.
Put in your serving dish, and top with linguisa!
ENJOY!!!!

This was an absolutely delicious meal!
Rachael Ray paired this dish with individual pecan ice cream pies, but to be honest with you, we were so full that desert wasn't even on our minds! I hope that if you decide to try Jambasta, that you enjoy it as much as we did!
Thank you for reading this and have a blessed day!