Light And Hearty Cajun Chicken Pasta Food

CREAMY CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 Tbsp salt. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water then drain, cover, and keep warm.
• Beat the chicken breasts so that they are even in thickness and season all over with 1½ Tbsp cajun seasoning.
• In a large non-reactive skillet*, heat 2 tsp oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and sear on both sides. Turn heat down to low and saute until cooked through and 165˚F on a thermometer. Transfer to a cutting board, slice into thin strips, and cover to keep warm.
• In the same skillet over medium heat, saute the butter and garlic for 30-60 seconds or until the garlic is fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes and saute another 2 minutes.
• Add in the heavy whipping cream, remaining cajun seasoning, and parmesan cheese, and bring to a simmer. Season to taste if needed.
• Add the sliced chicken and cooked pasta to the sauce and toss until combined and pasta and chicken are warmed through. Add warm reserved pasta water if desired to thin the sauce. Serve with freshly grated parmesan and chopped parsley.

ONE-POT CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in large wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and Cajun seasoning and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken just starts to change color and the spices are toasted, about 2 minutes.
• Add the peppers and onions and cook until they just begin to release some of their juices, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until softened, 1 minute.
• Add the pasta, chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce is thickened and reduced by about half, about 15 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and add the cream cheese and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt. Stir until the cream cheese is combined and melted. Don't worry if the sauce looks runny, it will thicken as it sits. Top with sliced scallions.

LIGHT AND HEARTY CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA

Steps:

• Cook the pasta in a large amount of boiling water until al dente; drain and set aside.
• Sprinkle the chicken with 2 t of the Cajun seasoning and mix until coated evenly.
• Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.
• Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook for 2 minutes without stirring.
• When the chicken is lightly browned on one side, stir it to cook the other side (leaving it to cook without stirring helps to keep it from sticking).
• Cook for about 5 more minutes, or until no longer pink inside.
• Remove from the pan and keep warm.
• Spray the pan again with the nonstick cooking spray and add the olive oil.
• Over medium-high heat, add the peppers, mushrooms and 2 of the green onions.
• Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in the lemon pepper, basil, garlic powder, remaining teaspoon of Cajun seasoning and the salt.
• Then add the half-and-half, bring to a boil and add the chicken.
• Stir until coated and warm.
• Add the pasta and toss to coat.
• Garnish with remaining green onions.

CAJUN CHICKEN ONE-POT

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large, shallow saucepan or deep frying pan over a medium heat, then add the chicken, season lightly and fry for 6-8 mins, stirring occasionally until just golden all over - no need to worry about it being cooked through at this stage.
• Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 mins more, then scatter over the Cajun-style seasoning and stir so the chicken pieces are evenly coated. Tip in the tomatoes, a quarter of a can of water and the stock cube. Stir, then bring to a simmer and cook for 5 mins.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta for a minute less than pack instructions. Stir the cream into the chicken and continue to simmer gently. When the pasta is cooked, drain well and stir into chicken mixture. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce over a low heat for 2 mins, then stir in the parmesan and lemon juice, and cook for 1 min more. Serve the pasta straight from the pan, or tip into a large serving bowl. Scatter with parsley, if you like, and extra parmesan.

SPICY AND CREAMY CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA

Steps:

• Combine ingredients for Cajun seasoning in a small bowl. Or, alternatively, use 2 tablespoons of your favorite Cajun seasoning. My recommendation is Frontier Cajun seasoning.
• Place 2 chicken breasts in a shallow bowl and coat on both sides with 1/2 of the Cajun seasoning. Save the remaining 1/2 of the seasoning for pasta. Note: be sure to use thinly sliced chicken breasts. That means if you bought large chicken breasts, slice each one in half horizontally.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts seasoned with Cajun spice and cook for about 4 minutes on each side. Turn off the heat, cover the skillet with the lid, and let the chicken sit, covered, off heat for about 10 minutes until it's completely cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate and slice chicken thinly.
• In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to the package instructions (that usually means somewhere between 10 or 15 minutes). Drain pasta.
• Add diced bell peppers to the same, now empty, skillet that you just used to cook chicken. Cook on medium heat for about 4 minutes until bell peppers are slightly softened. Remove 1/2 of the cooked bell peppers to a plate, leaving the remaing 1/2 in the skillet.
• To the same skillet with 1/2 of the cooked bell peppers, add the cream, the remaining 1/2 of the Cajun seasoning, and freshly shredded Parmesan cheese. Bring to a brief boil, reduce to simmer, and cook, constantly stirring, until the cheese starts to melt, for several minutes.
• Add drained cooked pasta to the skillet with the cream sauce and heat through on low heat. Season with red pepper flakes, more salt and extra cayenne pepper, if desired. Top with sliced cooked chicken and the remaining 1/2 of cooked bell peppers.

CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA

Steps:

• Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain when the pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!
• Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice (or more) over the chicken cubes. Toss around to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer; do not stir. Allow the 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. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Remove the chicken, leaving the skillet on high heat. Add the remaining butter and olive oil. When heated, add the garlic, peppers and onions. Sprinkle on the remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add the tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all the vegetables from the skillet.
• With the skillet still over high heat, pour in the chicken broth and wine. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in the cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook the sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until the cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste. The sauce should be spicy!
• Finally, add the chicken and vegetables to the sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook until the mixture is bubbly and hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the drained fettuccine and toss to combine.
• Top with chopped fresh parsley and chow down!