Cajun Chicken Pasta: Your New Favorite

Everyone had that sit-down chain restaurant that was considered “fancy” when you were growing up and for me, that was TGI Fridays. My parents would actually go there without us kids for a night out and I was always so jealous because they had the commercials with delicious looking food that I wanted. One of those delicious looking foods was their cajun chicken pasta and *spoiler alert* no, my parents never took me and no I never tried it in real life.

I did, however, have the chance to actually live in New Orleans for several years and *spoiler alert* cajun chicken pasta is not really a thing. Pastalaya, sure, but I would certainly not consider cajun chicken pasta authentic. It’s an original chain restaurant delight that graced not only the famed table of TGI Fridays, but also Chili’s – another mediocre chain restaurant with microwaved pre-prepared food.

Alright, so cajun chicken pasta might have two strikes against it, but my version will make it taste as good as it looks on those old commercials and make you forget about authenticity. It’s better than your local chain restaurant and it’s an easy meal you can have on the table quicker than it takes to go out and certainly a lot cheaper.

Serves 4

Suggested Wine Pairing:

A Pinot Noir would be a good choice and plays well with the fruity profile as long as the spice isn’t too heavy.

Cajun Chicken Pasta Ingredients:

4 small chicken breasts, pounded thin

1/4 cup of Cajun Seasoning

16 ounces of penne or rigatoni

1/2 onion, minced

1 celery stalk, minced

1/2 bell pepper, cut into thin strips

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cayenne pepper, minced (optional)

Another tablespoon of cajun seasoning

1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes

1/2 cup of cream

1 tablespoon of butter

2 tablespoons of oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oil in a stainless steel skillet. Meanwhile, dredge the chicken in the cajun seasoning. Once the pan is heated, sear the chicken and cook through, about 8-10 minutes each side depending on how thick the breast fillets are. Once the chicken is cooked through, rest for a few minutes and slice against the grain.
2. While the chicken cooks, start your pasta water boiling and cook the pasta to package instructions.
3. Next, in a separate saucepan, saute the onion, celery, and bell pepper in butter, seasoning with salt and pepper. Allow the vegetables to become soft, about 5 minutes. Then add in the garlic and cayenne pepper if using. Saute for another minute or so before adding the cajun seasoning, canned tomatoes, and cream. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
4. Once the pasta is cooked through, combine it with the sauce. To serve, add the pasta in the sauce to a bowl and top with sliced cajun chicken.