Cajun Mac & Cheese

My husband picked a lot of our recipes for this week, and he loves pasta... specifically mac & cheese! He said this was really good! I'm not a huge pasta fan, but I thought it was pretty good too.

The only thing I would change about this dish is I would probably add more of each filler to it (bell peppers, scallions, and especially the andouille sausage). I like to have at least one of each thing in every bite, especially the meat. Also, make sure you use a VERY large skillet, I used my largest and had a hard time keeping the pasta from spilling while tossing it at the end.

Kosher salt
12 oz wagon-wheel pasta
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
6 oz andouille sausage, diced
2 bunches scallions, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper (red or green), chopped
1 Tbsp Cajun spice blend
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, diced

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook until al dente (about 1 minute less than box directions).
• Reserve 1 cup of cooking water and drain pasta.
• Meanwhile, combine olive oil and sausage in large skillet over high heat and cook until sausage starts to brown (about two minutes). Stir in scallions and bell peppers and cook until slightly soft (about three more minutes).
• Add Cajun spice and flour and cook for two more minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and continue until the sauce is thick and smooth (about five more minutes).
• Add the pasta, cheese, and reserved water to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium low and cook, tossing to coat the pasta and melt the cheese (about one minute).