I’ve been making this cajun pasta recipe for years and it’s always been a favorite dish for my friends and family. I’ve typically used pork sausage from the grocery store in the past, but we recently got a few packages of smoked venison kielbasa made with the deer my husband shot last fall, so I used that instead. It tastes just as good as the pork sausage, plus it’s made with organic venison.

This recipe uses few ingredients which is always nice for the budget and cleanup. 

Ingredients

1 package of smoked venison kielbasa (about 3 sausages), diagonally cut into 1/4-inch slices

8 ounces of penne pasta

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups of heavy whipping cream

2-3 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning

1 cup frozen peas (or any veggie)

Directions

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and add your pasta, stirring occasionally (cook according to package directions). In my case, I used whole grain penne because of a dietary restriction, but you can use regular penne too (or a different type of noddle if you prefer). While your pasta is cooking, slice the kielbasa and cook in a large frying pan on medium-high heat for five minutes, turning over halfway through. Add heavy cream and Cajun seasoning to your frying pan, turn heat to low and let simmer for three to four minutes. If you’d like to thicken your sauce a bit, add a little corn starch or flour. Turn off heat and add Parmesan cheese. When your pasta has about three minutes left to go, add your frozen peas into the water to cook. When done, drain the water from the pasta and peas and then add them to the frying pan with your kielbasa and cream sauce. Mix everything together and serve.

Recipe inspiration courtesy of Hillshire Farm.

Check out more recipes: