Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Juicy Cajun-spiced chicken served over rigatoni tossed in a rich, creamy garlic parmesan sauce, all ready in one pan under 20 minutes.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Chicken
chicken breasts (flattened)
2 piece
paprika
1 tbsp
garlic powder
2 tsp
onion powder
2 tsp
Italian seasoning
2 tsp
salt
2 tsp
black pepper
2 tsp
cayenne pepper
1.5 tsp
olive oil
1 tbsp
For the Pasta & Sauce
rigatoni
225 g
butter
3 tbsp
shallot (finely diced)
1 piece
garlic cloves (minced)
7 piece
heavy cream (room temperature)
240 ml
chicken bouillon powder
1 tsp
Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
75 g
fresh parsley (chopped)
2 tbsp
Instructions
Prepare the chicken
Pat the chicken dry and pound to an even thickness. Coat with olive oil and season both sides with all the spices.
Cook the pasta
Boil the pasta in salted water until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
Sear the chicken
Heat a large pan over medium heat, add olive oil, increase to medium-high, and sear the chicken 3-4 minutes per side until golden. Reduce heat if needed and cook through. Set aside to rest.
Sauté aromatics
Reduce heat to medium. In the same pan, melt butter, scraping up fond. Add shallot and cook 5 minutes, then add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
Make the sauce
Reduce heat to medium-low, slowly pour in cream. Add seasonings and simmer 2-3 minutes. Reduce to low, add parmesan and stir until smooth.
Combine and finish
Add pasta and 1/4 cup pasta water, toss over low heat 1-2 minutes until sauce is silky. Add more water if needed. Slice chicken, add on top, and finish with more parmesan and parsley.
Original recipe
Storage
Best enjoyed fresh; sauce may separate slightly when reheated
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