New New Orleans Pasta

This is one of those dishes I use to make often, then something else really fantastic took it's place and the recipe was put in a book and placed on a shelf.  The other day I was reading The Obsessive Chef's recipe for Shrimp Mac & Cheese (you gotta check out the recipe, it is scrumptious!) when one of the ingredients sparked the memory of this dish:  Chorizo.  Chorizo is a form of either fresh sausage (with lots of yummy seasonings) or as a fermented cured smoked sausage.  It has a very distinctive smokiness and deep red color.  I had never had chorizo until I moved to Arizona.  My first experience with it was in a breakfast burrito with egg, cheese (3 to be exact), chorizo, and homemade salsa.  YUM!  I was instantly hooked!  There are different types of chorizo; Spanish, Portuguese, Mexican, South American, Philippines, and a few others.  In this recipe, I used Mexican because it was what I had access to.  I suppose you could use Italian sausage in place of the chorizo, but you will definitely get a different flavor, but it is an option if you can't find or don't like chorizo.

New New Orleans Pasta
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse 
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
3/4 lbs penne pasta (you can use a full pound, aka 16oz)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast - cut into bite size chunks
3 chorizo sausages, casings removed
1 large garlic clove (or 2 small ones), minced
4 green onions, chopped
1/4-1/2 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt & pepper
Creole seasoning (recipe to follow)

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain; reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the sausage and chicken.  Cook 5 minutes, breaking up the sausage as it cooks.  Add the hot sauce and Worcestershire.  Add the green onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in the heavy cream; stir to combine.  Stir in the parmesan cheese and season with salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning.  Add the pasta to the skillet and toss to combine.  (If sauce is too thick, add a bit of pasta water).  Sprinkle with extra parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Creole Seasoning:

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.