Cajun Chicken Pasta

Cajun Chicken Pasta

This is a wonderful and relatively easy meal to cook if you enjoy food with a little bit of a kick!! However I am sure if you do not like spicy meals then you could do with out the Cajun spices and it would turn out just fine. 

Ingredients you will need are as follows: 

For the Chicken: 

  4    Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

1/2   Cup of Olive Oil

1/2   Cup of Ranch Dressing (I prefer to use the Buttermilk Ranch, but any Ranch will work!)

  3    Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

  2    Tablespoons of Cajun Seasoning (Tony Chachere's is what I use)

  2    Teaspoons of Salt

  1    Teaspoon of Lemon Juice

  1    Teaspoon of White Vinegar

1/4   Teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper

  1    Tablespoon of Sugar

For the Pasta: 
16      ounces of pasta (I have found that penne or bow tie work best)
2 1/2  Cups of Heavy Whipping Cream
  3       cloves of Garlic, crushed
  1       Tablespoon of Ground Black Pepper 
  2       Teaspoons of Cajun Seasoning (again I use Tony Chachere's)
1/4     Cup of Butter
1/2     Cup of Parmesan cheese (you can use fresh Parmesan that you grate or the Kraft kind)

Instructions: 

Mix up the FOR THE CHICKEN ingredients first minus the chicken to make sure that it is good and mixed together. Take your chicken breast and with a knife make small slits throughout the chicken, this is to help make sure that the marinade will absorb throughout the chicken breast. Then take either a gallon bag, a big bowl, or a marinating container and add the chicken and the marinade. You should stir, shake, or turn over the chicken every few hours. It is best if you leave the Chicken to marinate for 4-6 hours turning, shaking, or stirring it about every two or three hours, but I've made this before with only having the chicken marinate for about 2 flipping only once and it did just fine. I would not let the chicken marinate for over about 12 hours though just as my personal preference.

After the Chicken has marinated and you are getting ready to cook everything. Preheat your over to 375 degrees. The Chicken should be baked for about 25-45 minutes depending on the size of the chicken, just cook thoroughly.

While the Chicken is baking, go ahead and get your water boiling for the pasta in a big boiler and then you will need a smaller boiler to mix up the sauce. In the smaller boiler mix all the ingredients under FOR THE PASTA minus the pasta obviously, which will be added together in the end. I usually start by mixing the butter and the heavy whipping cream first. After the butter has completely melted into the cream then you can add all the other ingredients. It will start out kind of thin but just keep slowly cooking and stirring it and it will thicken up a bit.

When you have your noodles cooked and drained, and your sauce cooked to the consistency that you would like..just add the two together. Now when finishing this dish there are a few ways to serve it. You can add your chicken in with the pasta and sauce and just serve it all together, or you can serve it as pasta and sauce and chicken on the side to each separately. Whichever you choose will be delicious, I have done it both ways.

This recipe usually serves 4-6 people depending on portions. I hope you enjoy!!!!  :)