Description
Creamy Cajun-spiced Louisiana chicken pasta blends Southern comfort with zesty flavors. Hearty pasta combines blackened chicken, rich sauce, and bold seasonings for a satisfying meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) chicken breasts, thin (4 to 5 pieces)
- 10 oz (283 g) bow tie pasta
- 1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock, sodium free
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
- 1 cup (100 g) parmesan cheese, grated (divided)
- 8 oz (227 g) cremini mushrooms, sliced
- ½ large yellow bell pepper, chopped
- ½ large red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ cup (60 g) bread crumbs
- ¼ cup (30 g) flour
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil, divided
- 2 tbsps (28 g) butter, divided
Instructions
- Chicken Preparation: Pat chicken pieces dry to promote optimal crispiness and create dual dredging stations with egg mixture (containing eggs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning) and dry coating blend (Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, all-purpose flour).
- Breading Technique: Dunk each chicken piece into egg mixture for complete coverage, then transfer to dry coating bowl, pressing firmly to achieve uniform breading.
- Chicken Cooking: Heat olive oil and butter in large skillet over medium-high heat, carefully placing chicken pieces and cooking 3-4 minutes per side until achieving golden-brown exterior.
- Vegetable Sauté: Without cleaning skillet, add remaining oil and butter, introduce sliced mushrooms, sauté for 3 minutes, then incorporate diced bell peppers, onions, and minced garlic, cooking until vegetables soften and develop deeper flavor profile.
- Sauce Creation: Pour chicken stock and heavy cream into skillet, whisk in Cajun seasoning and salt to create smooth, cohesive liquid.
- Pasta Integration: Cook pasta in salted water until al dente, drain completely, then gently fold into sauce, ensuring even coating and sprinkling grated Parmesan cheese.
- Final Presentation: Slice cooked chicken into thin diagonal strips, arrange artfully atop pasta, garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and chopped green onions for enhanced visual appeal and flavor complexity.
Notes
- Maximize Chicken Crispiness: Pat chicken completely dry to remove excess moisture, ensuring a perfectly crisp and golden-brown exterior when cooking.
- Breading Technique: Create separate wet and dry coating stations to achieve even, consistent breading that adheres perfectly to chicken pieces.
- Flavor Layering: Sauté vegetables in the same skillet used for chicken to capture and build deeper, more complex flavor profiles from residual cooking bits.
- Pasta Texture Tip: Cook pasta just until al dente and avoid rinsing to maintain a starchy coating that helps sauce cling better to noodles.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Cajun
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 640
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg