I Love Pasta in just about any form and I love spicy foods. When the two meet, it is heaven in a dish as far as I am concerned. I had my eye on a new Rachael Ray recipe from 2,4,6,8 Great Meals for Couples and Crowds that Rachael calls her Daddy's favorite Birthday Dinner, Jambasta!

I have had a jambalya type pasta dish in a restaurant before and really enjoyed it so I had some high expectations. While not exactly the same as I remember, it is pretty darn close and pretty darn good. I used Barilla Plus Penne, Grandessa Chicken Andouille Sausage, and Muir Glen Diced Fire-Roasted Tomatoes. You have your traditional chopped veggies of garlic, onion, peppers, celery. Add some dried thyme, flour, beer, chicken stock, hot sauce, and your chicken and shrimp. Finish the sauce with a small amount of cream and toss in the pasta. Serve it up in bowls and you have a satisfying meal . By using the Barilla Plus pasta and chicken sausage, I feel less guilty having this dish for the family. One thing I did do differently than the posted recipe was to cook the shrimp separate and use it as a garnish since Chris is allergic to shellfish (poor kid). Let me know if you give this one a try, it will be a repeater here for sure!

Until next time...