Creamy Cajun Pasta with Sweet Cajun Plantains

I had a bunch of vegetables in a fridge today that I really needed to use up. I was also craving cajun food, so I decided to whip this up. Safe to say it was delicious, filling, and nutritious. The sweet plantains paired well with the salty cheesiness of the pasta

Creamy Cajun Pasta served with a side of Plantains

For Pasta: 

1 medium yellow onion

1 bell pepper (I used orange but preferably green) 

2 stalks of celery 

2 tbsp of butter 

2 cups milk (I used cashew milk) 

2 sausages (optional: I used Field Roast Frankfurters)**

1 cup water

2 cups pasta (I used Rotini) 

1 tbsp Cajun seasoning 

vegan cheese (I used vegan parmesan)

For Plantains:

1 plantain 

1 tbsp olive oil 

1/2 tsp cayenne 

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp pepper 

For pasta, finely dice your onion, bell pepper and celery (aka your holy trinity). Place in a wide brimmed pot with 2 tbsp of butter. Sautee the veggies in medium-low heat. Then chop up your sausage, and add to the veggies. Let this sautee for 3-5 minutes until the sausages start to brown. Continue stirring to ensure that nothing burns. Add more butter if desired. Once the veggies and sausage have sauteed, add milk and water. Mix up everything and then add pasta. then add your cajun seasoning. Let the pasta cook in medium-high heat for 8-9 minutes. The starches in the pasta will help thicken the sauce on it's own. 

As the pasta boils, chop up your plantain into large chunks , and place on a pan with oil. Add your seasonings and flip the plantain pieces twice to coat them in the oil and spice. Let the plantains cook on each side of the chunk for 2 minutes. Be careful to flip them as they will brown very quickly due to the high sugar content. Once cooked, set aside the plantains and let's focus on the pasta. After the 9 minutes are up, the sauce should hopefully have reduced and thickened with the starch of the pasta while the pasta is cooked. Add cheese and let it melt into the pasta, while stirring. Once the pasta is complete, plate the pasta with the plantains on the side. Enjoy!  

**NOTE: Vegan sausages and mock meats are quite expensive. Feel free to omit or substitute with anything else you like!