Chicken breast is often bland and dry, but this recipe proves you can make a quick weeknight dinner and enjoy flavorful, moist chicken breast with pasta. What could be more satisfying after a day at work.
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| Julian's Cajun Chicken Pasta |
In today’s recipe I’m using the Slap Ya Mamma HOT
seasoning, although you can use any similar Cajun seasoning of your choice. As I’m
suing the hot variety, I’m not using quite as much as stated in the recipe. Remember
you can always add more seasoning after tasting the near final dish, so don’t
over-season initially.
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| Browned Chicken Breasts Ready for Oven |
Ingredients (serves 4 adults)
2 chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless
2-3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (Slap Ya Mamma)
8 ounces butter
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound pasta (penne, ziti, or rigatoni of your choice)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 - 3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Dried parsley flakes
Instructions
Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to make thinner, more even chicken breast slices. You will now have four pieces. Do your best to cut them into a similar thickness so they cook more evenly. Season the chicken on both sides with half the Cajun seasoning. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. Pre-heat your oven to 180F. (Set your table and prepare an optional salad during this time.)
Add the olive oil to a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and give it a shake to coat the entire surface. When starting to shimmer (about 2 minutes) add the prepared chicken cut side up and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Turn and cook on the other side for another 2 minutes until just lightly browned. Remove to a pan or rimmed baking sheet and place in preheated oven to finish cooking. Remove skillet from heat but reserve for later use.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta to
the boiling water. Stir and return to a low boil and cook per package
instructions (typically 8-12 minutes) until al dente. While the pasta cooks, add butter to a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the remaining Cajun seasoning and when melted, stir to combine. Check the internal temperature of the chicken when the pasta is nearly done, which should be 165-175F degrees at the center of the thickest piece.
Add heavy cream to the pot with the melted butter and stir to combine. After the sauce is hot but not boiling, stir in the parmesan cheese a little at a time until melted and the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Return the skillet where you cooked the chicken to the cooktop over medium-low heat. Add the drained, cooked pasta to the skillet and add the seasoned cream cheese sauce. Stir or toss pasta with sauce to combine.
Plate the pasta with the cooked chicken and sprinkle with dried parsley. Serve.
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