Pastalaya - an almost Creole tradition

So this is a little late as I made this dish for the whole in law family who came over for dinner last week. With all the other interesting stuff going on, I didn't get a chance to share it with y'all until now.

Now just think, Jambalaya is a wonderful dish, so why not make it even more wonderful by making it inexpensively and with pasta? A one pot of wonderful, no doubt. Here is the recipe:

Pastalaya

Ingredients
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
½ lb. smoked sausage (preferably Andouille)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 15oz. can diced tomatoes (I used fresh cuz I had them.

½ tsp oregano

½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp thyme
½ tsp curry powder
½ tsp parsley flakes
¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

20 turns of freshly cracked pepper

2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 lb. penne pasta
2 Tbsp half & half or cream

Instructions

Slice the smoked sausage into thin rounds, then cut any larger pieces in half. Add the sausage and vegetable oil to a large pot and cook over medium heat until the sausage is well browned (about 5 minutes).
Mince two cloves of garlic and add them to the pot. Sauté for one to two minutes, or until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Add the Celery and Bell Pepper and sauté until heated through (3-5 minutes). Finally, add the can of diced tomatoes (with juices), oregano, smoked paprika, thyme, curry powder, parsley flakes, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire Sauce, freshly cracked pepper (about 20 cranks of a pepper mill), chicken broth, 1 cup of water, and pasta to the pot. Stir until everything is evenly combined.
Place a lid on the pot and turn the heat up to medium-high. Let the pot come to a boil. As soon as it reaches a boil, remove the lid briefly to stir, then replace the lid, turn the heat down to low, and let the pot simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Stir the pot once every few minutes as it simmers to prevent the pasta from sticking. Replace the lid as quickly as possible after stirring to avoid heat loss.
Once the pasta is tender, most of the liquid in the pot should be absorbed. If it's still a bit soupy, let the pot simmer for one to two minutes without the lid to allow some moisture to evaporate.
Turn off the heat and stir in the half & half or cream. Serve hot with a pinch of fresh parsley and green onions on top of each bowl.

I didn't add any onion cuz Little Brother.

I made it in my lovely Le Creuset Dutch Oven (THANKS JANET) and that was the only cooking dish that was dirtied. How great is that?!

Until next time...cook it up!