Monday, February 18, 2013

Cajun Chicken Pasta


Has anyone ever eaten at The Cheesecake Factory? Is that a dumb question? Well anyway...I have only eaten there a few times and loved the food every time. The first time I ever went there I ordered their Cajun Pasta with chicken and shrimp and *sigh it was sooooo delicious! Well, of course I had to figure out how to make it at home because it seemed to have such simple ingredients. Here's what I ended up with after coming across several recipes. I don't put in the shrimp however you certainly could. I may have to just try it some time like that too! Love this recipe! Oh and to reheat, just heat it up on the stove in a pot or in the microwave but make sure to add either a little cream or milk to bring back that creaminess since the pasta will absorb the liquid. I hate to admit it but I've even added those little half and half creamers for coffee when I was desperate..lol..


Ingredients
12oz box Bowie pasta (farfalle)
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
4 tsp. Cajun seasonings
4 T butter, unsalted
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 small package button mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
2 c. Heavy cream
2/3 c grated Parmesan cheese




1. Bring a pot of water for the the pasta to a boil. Make sure to add salt and put a lid on it and the boiling time will be quicker.



2. While waiting for the water to boil, cut up the chicken into 1 inch strips.



3. Add the butter to a preheated skillet and melt over medium heat. In a large gallon freezer bag add the chicken and the Cajun seasonings.






4. Add the seasoned chicken to the skillet and saute until cooked through.


5. Add the farfalle (bowtie) pasta to the boiling water and give it a stir so the pasta doesn't clump together or stick to the bottom of the pot. Stir occasionally. 


I decided that I wanted to try a trick I learned from Pinterest and I must say it works pretty well. I laid the wooden spoon across the top of the past pot and it kept the water from boiling over! Pretty awesome!


6. Remove the cooked chicken to a plate to drain, keep warm and set aside.


7. Next, add the onions, peppers, (I forgot to buy the green pepper...oops!) garlic and mushrooms and saute until tender.




8. Add the chicken back to the pot and pour in the cream, salt, pepper, basil, and lemon pepper seasoning. Toss to combine.



Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the skillet tossing to coat.



Finally, add the Parmesan cheese and toss. Remove from heat and serve immediately! So delicious!



4 comments:

  1. That looks good! How spicy is it?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Rabia! It's not too spicy...my kids can eat it...they drink more milk than usual but they like it:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. You have made this pasta lover very happy! I'm definitely trying this one soon! I'm visiting via SITS share fest!

    ReplyDelete

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