Louisiana Chicken Pasta
Take your taste buds on a Cajun journey with this one-pot Louisiana chicken pasta recipe! It's easy-peasy to make, yet it's so flavorful! This dish has tender chicken, perfectly cooked pasta, and zesty spices. It gives Cheesecake Factory's famous pasta dish a run for its money.
Ingredients
- 10 oz farfalle pasta
Parmesan Chicken
- 4 (4 oz each) thin-sliced chicken breasts, (pat them dry with paper towels)
- ¼ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 whole egg
- ¾ cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup oil
Sautéed Vegetables
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1 cup diced yellow bell pepper
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 8 oz thick-sliced cremini mushrooms
Seasoning
- 1½ teaspoons cajun seasoning, (or more according to your taste)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sauce
- ½ cup (1½ oz) freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon flour
Optional for serving:
- 1 stalk of green onion , (diced)
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Get three shallow dishes. Fill the first bowl with flour. Beat an egg and 1 tablespoon of water into the second one. In the third dish, add seasoned breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and black pepper. Dip the chicken pieces first in the flour then shake off the excess. Dip the chicken into the egg then shake off the excess. Finally, coat them in the breadcrumbs and shake off the excess.
- In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, season with salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve at least ½ cup of pasta water and then drain the pasta in a colander.
- In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat (hot but not smoking). Working in batches, cook the chicken breasts until golden brown and fully cooked, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Wipe off the extra oil from the skillet, leaving about a tablespoon of it. Melt the butter over medium heat and cook bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant.
- Add flour to the pan and stir for a minute.
- Pour in chicken stock, heavy cream, cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and paprika. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it thicken for about 5 minutes or until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Lower the heat. Add grated parmesan cheese and stir to combine until smooth.
- Add the cooked pasta, ¼ cup pasta water or more as needed and toss to combine. Taste and add more cajun seasoning, salt, and other seasoning if needed.
- Serve pasta with sliced parmesan chicken, diced green onion, and parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Pound the Chicken. If you are using a large chicken breast, it's necessary to cut it horizontally and then pound it to an even thickness. This ensures that the chicken cooks both quickly and evenly.
- Pat the Chicken Dry. Take the extra key step of patting the chicken dry with paper towels before seasoning, breading, and frying. This removes excess moisture from the chicken, allowing it to develop a beautiful golden crust and improved texture.
- Use low-sodium chicken stock to prevent the dish from being too salty.
- Seasoned breadcrumbs. If you don't have access to seasoned breadcrumbs, you can easily create your own homemade version. Simply combine 1 cup of Italian breadcrumbs with ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon of onion powder, ¼ teaspoon of parsley flakes, ⅛ teaspoon of Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon of sugar, ⅛ teaspoon of black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Mix these ingredients thoroughly, and you'll have your homemade version ready to go.
- Customize the spice level. As always, use this recipe as a start and adjust the amount of paprika and cayenne pepper to give it some kick!
- Onion-y flavor. For an onion kick, you can sauté the white and light green parts of green onions along with other vegetables. Skip or use only the green part for a milder flavor.
- Don't overcrowd the pan. Cook the chicken in batches which will make it easier to cook evenly and avoid overcrowding the pan. Soggy and unevenly cooked chicken cutlets are such a bummer, this is an easy way to prevent them!
- Storage. Store the chicken and pasta in separate airtight containers. Keep them in the fridge for 3-5 days or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
Calories: 603kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 20gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 848mgPotassium: 529mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 2250IUVitamin C: 80mgCalcium: 295mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!