CHICKEN RECIPES

CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA

CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA
Chili’s copycat recipe made at home with an amazingly creamy melt-in-your-mouth alfredo sauce. And you know it tastes 10000x better!
CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA
yield: 4 SERVINGS 
prep time: 10 MINUTES 
cook time: 20 MINUTES 
total time: 30 MINUTES
INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
  • 8 ounces penne pasta
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup heavy cream, or more, to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
DIRECTIONS:
  1. In a gallon size Ziploc bag, add chicken, 1 tablespoon olive oil and cajun seasoning, shaking to coat thoroughly.
  2. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a grill pan over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 5-6 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm.
  3. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
  4. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
  5. Gradually whisk in heavy cream and lemon zest. Cook, whisking constantly, until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more heavy cream as needed; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  6. Stir in pasta and gently toss to combine.
  7. Serve immediately with chicken, garnished with tomatoes and parsley, if desired.