Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

One-pot Cajun chicken pasta with creamy garlic parmesan sauce

Juicy Cajun-spiced chicken served with silky rigatoni in a rich garlic parmesan cream sauce. Ready in under 20 minutes for a restaurant-quality dinner at home.

37Min

2Servings

875Cal

MediumLevel

halal

#pasta#chicken#one-pot#creamy#quick#spicy

Equipment

Chef's knife

Cutting board

Large pot

Large pan or saucier

Colander

Tongs

Spatula

Whisk

Plate

Measuring cup

Ingredients

Chicken

chicken breast (flattened)

2 piece

olive oil

1 tbsp

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

Pasta & Sauce

rigatoni pasta

225 g

butter

3 tbsp

shallot (finely diced)

1 piece

garlic (minced)

7 clove

heavy cream (room temperature)

240 ml

chicken bouillon powder

1 tsp

parmesan cheese (freshly grated)

75 g

parsley (fresh, chopped)

2 tbsp

Instructions

Prepare the chicken

Pat chicken dry and pound to even thickness, then season with oil and spices.

5 min

Pounding ensures even cooking and prevents dry spots.

Cook the pasta

Boil rigatoni in salted water until just shy of al dente. Reserve pasta water before draining.

8 mintimer 8 min

Save at least 1/2 cup pasta water before draining - it's liquid gold for the sauce.

Sear the chicken

Heat pan, sear seasoned chicken breasts until golden and cooked through.

8 minMedium-high heattimer 4 min

Don't move chicken while searing to get a good crust. Rest after cooking for juicier meat.

Sauté aromatics

In the same pan, melt butter and cook shallot and garlic until fragrant.

6 minMedium heattimer 5 min

Scrape up all the fond from the chicken - that's where the flavor is!

Create the cream sauce

Lower heat, add cream and seasonings, simmer until thickened. Stir in parmesan until smooth.

5 minLow heattimer 3 min

Add parmesan gradually while stirring to prevent clumping. Keep heat low to avoid separation.

Combine pasta and sauce

Add cooked pasta and pasta water to the sauce. Toss until silky and well coated.

3 minLow heattimer 2 min

Add pasta water gradually until sauce reaches desired consistency - silky and coating the pasta.

Serve the pasta

Slice rested chicken and place on top of pasta. Garnish with extra parmesan and fresh parsley.

2 min

Slice chicken against the grain for maximum tenderness.

Original recipe

YouTubeRecipe by Ben Chelin

Storage

Fridge: 2 days

Reheat: Microwave 2-3 minutes or skillet over medium heat

Best enjoyed fresh. Sauce may separate when reheated. Add splash of cream or milk when reheating to restore creaminess.

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