Cajun Chicken Pasta

By Foodiewife

This is a flavorful Cajun chicken pasta recipe that can be on the dinner table in less than 30 minutes. The cajun spices give it a great punch of flavor.

Ingredients

• CAJUN SPICE MIX:
• 3 whole chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into cubes
• 3 teaspoons Cajun spice mix (If you don't have any on hand I've included a homemade blend below)
• 1 pound fettuccine
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 whole green bell pepper (I used yellow), seeded and sliced
• 1 whole red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1/2 whole large red onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• OPTIONAL: Fresh sliced mushrooms would be a great addition.
• 4 whole Roma tomatoes, diced
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cups white wine
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Cayenne pepper, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Fresh parsley, chopped, to taste
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon Lawyry's Spice Mix
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 30mins
Adapted from foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!

Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces**. Toss around to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer; do not stir.

Allow chicken to brown on one side, about 1 minute. Flip to the other side and cook an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean plate.

**We like spicy and flavorful food, but I can't handle too much heat. I used half of my own spice mix. It's wisest to use caution. You can always add more heat, but you can't take it away. I also didn't add a lot of black pepper, due to preferences of our family.

Repeat with remaining chicken. Remove chicken, leaving pan on high heat.

Add remaining olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed.

Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly.

Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy!

Finally, add chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.

Top with chopped fresh parsley and chow down!

CAJUN SPICE MIX:

Combine ingredients thoroughly.