Louisiana Chicken Pasta

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As you all might have understood by now, i love love LOVE to cook. I love to try out new recipes all the time. I usually don’t like making the same dish over and over again. I get bored. So we don’t have many recipes that are in rotation at home.

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But when it comes to eating from restaurants, its always the same thing i order. I have a particular dish allotted for each restaurant. I have to order only that when i get there. Dunno y!! Louisiana chicken pasta is the one i have to order from cheesecake factory. Always! Its soo worth it, maybe thats why.

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My favorite thing about this pasta is the contrast in flavors and textures. The crispy parmesan chicken breast, the creamy pasta, the bell peppers and the tangy and spicy cajun sauce all over just comes together perfectly.

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I make this just once in a while for dinner, since it is so rich. If you want to put on few extra kilos, do have this often. Hehe! Otherwise, you all know what to do. But do DO try making this super yummy pasta, i am sure you all will love this.

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Serves 4
Recipe courtesy: the piggly-wiggly.com

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Ingredients:

Cajun Sauce
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small bell pepper, chopped ( you can mix red green and yellow)
1/2 small onion, chopped
3 whole garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp cajun spice or creole seasoning
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp fresh basil or parsley
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
250g bow tie pasta ( i used fusilli)

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Chicken
300 g, 2 no.s boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 tsp Cajun spice
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp flour
1/8 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
1/2 cup milk
4 Tbsp vegetable oil

Directions:
Cajun Sauce

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1. Melt butter and olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the peppers, and onion to same skillet, until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.
3. Add garlic and crushed red pepper to skillet and sauté 3 minutes.

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4. Add whipping cream and chicken stock. Add in the cajun spice.
5. Simmer until sauce re-heats and thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
6. Add basil and Parmesan cheese to sauce, stirring to incorporate.
7. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, simmer; sauce will reduce and thicken. (It took a long for it to thicken- almost the length of time until the remaining steps were complete.)

Chicken

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8. Wash and drain chicken breasts. Season chicken with seasoning.
9. Pound until very thin (the thinner the chicken breasts the better).

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10. Mix breadcrumbs, flour, and Parmesan cheese together.
11. Place milk in dish for dipping.
12. Dip chicken in breadcrumb mixture and then in milk and then back in breadcrumbs.

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13. Place in fry pan that the oil has been heated and fry at medium high temperature until golden crisp and cooked through. Add more oil as needed.
14. Remove and drain chicken; keep warm.
15. Meanwhile, cook bow-tie pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite.
16. Drain and return to pot.
17. Add sauce and toss to coat.
18. Place pasta with sauce on plate, and top with chicken breast.
19. Serve, passing additional Parmesan separately.

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Notes:

✔️ When frying the chicken follow these steps. First on medium heat place the chicken on the pan. When it turns light golden brown turn it. Again let that side also turn golden brown. This might take only 2-3 minutes per side. Turn over again and close the lid. Let it cook for 5 minutes. Then turn again close the lid and cook for another 5 minutes. The chicken must be done by then. The chicken shouldn’t be overcooked or else it would become hard. By cooking in the above mentioned way you will get tender, juicy chicken.
✔️ Try to pound the chicken very well. The thinner the chicken, the better. I think i didn’t hit it hard enough, so it was not very thin. Im sure it would have tasted even better if the pieces were very thin.

 

 

Louisiana Chicken Pasta

Ingredients
  

INGREDIENTS

    Cajun Sauce

    • 1 Tbsp butter
    • 1 Tbsp olive oil
    • 1 small bell pepper chopped ( you can mix red green and yellow)
    • 1/2 small onion chopped
    • 3 whole garlic cloves minced
    • 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
    • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
    • 1 1/2 tsp cajun spice or creole seasoning
    • 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
    • 2 Tbsp fresh basil or parsley
    • 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
    • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 250 g bow tie pasta i used fusilli

    Chicken

    • 300 g 2 no.s boneless skinless chicken breast halves
    • 1 1/2 tsp Cajun spice
    • 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
    • 1 Tbsp flour
    • 1/8 cup parmesan cheese grated
    • 1/2 cup milk
    • 4 Tbsp vegetable oil

    Instructions
     

    DIRECTIONS

      Cajun Sauce

      • Melt butter and olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.
      • Add the peppers, and onion to same skillet, until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.
      • Add garlic and crushed red pepper to skillet and sauté 3 minutes.
      • Add whipping cream and chicken stock. Add in the cajun spice.
      • Simmer until sauce re-heats and thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
      • Add basil and Parmesan cheese to sauce, stirring to incorporate.
      • Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, simmer; sauce will reduce and thicken. (It took a long for it to thicken- almost the length of time until the remaining steps were complete.)

      Chicken

      • Wash and drain chicken breasts. Season chicken with seasoning.
      • Pound until very thin (the thinner the chicken breasts the better).
      • Mix breadcrumbs, flour, and Parmesan cheese together.
      • Place milk in dish for dipping.
      • Dip chicken in breadcrumb mixture and then in milk and then back in breadcrumbs.
      • Place in fry pan that the oil has been heated and fry at medium high temperature until golden crisp and cooked through. Add more oil as needed.
      • Remove and drain chicken; keep warm.
      • Meanwhile, cook bow-tie pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite.
      • Drain and return to pot.
      • Add sauce and toss to coat.
      • Place pasta with sauce on plate, and top with chicken breast.
      • Serve, passing additional Parmesan separately.

      Notes

      Notes:
      ✔️ When frying the chicken follow these steps. First on medium heat place the chicken on the pan. When it turns light golden brown turn it. Again let that side also turn golden brown. This might take only 2-3 minutes per side. Turn over again and close the lid. Let it cook for 5 minutes. Then turn again close the lid and cook for another 5 minutes. The chicken must be done by then. The chicken shouldn’t be overcooked or else it would become hard. By cooking in the above mentioned way you will get tender, juicy chicken.
      ✔️ Try to pound the chicken very well. The thinner the chicken, the better. I think i didn’t hit it hard enough, so it was not very thin. Im sure it would have tasted even better if the pieces were very thin.

       

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      28 thoughts on “Louisiana Chicken Pasta

      1. That kind of pasta is what I often do when I don’t know what I want to cook. Next time I’ll remember this and add some chicken!

          1. It was delicious Sadia! I added a bit more cajun spice because my husband and I like the extra heat, and served it with some chopped tomato mixed in at last minute (you’re beautiful tomato pictures inspired that). Was so happy to finally have the chance to make one of your recipes…so worth it!! 😉

      2. Hi, Sadia…
        Curious – the post reads “Recipe Courtesy:” but doesn’t say who from?
        I really enjoyed reading this post. I like your writing style! Your prose is witty, cute and funny. 🙂 I do not need ANY extra kilos (or even ounces!) but I do need to try this delicious recipe. You explain the various steps very well, so I am sure it would turn out to be oh-so-delicous.
        On a completely different note, I had NO idea you had Cheesecake Factory in Kuwait! It is quite common here in the States. Shows how little I know!
        Have a great weekend – thank you for sharing!
        Best,
        Shanna

        1. Hey there Shanna! Oh yeah i have been struggling with this recipe courtesy thing. Dunno why, but after the update in WordPress i just cannot add any link. I feel soo bad too that i cannot give the due credit to the original author. Waiting for a new wordpress update, hoping they will fix it soon.

          Hehe, soo glad that you are liking my writing style. To be frank, that is the most difficult part for me, writing. Aah! I get too lazy to do that. 🙂

          About cheese cake factory, they just started recently in kuwait. And oh my God! They have soo much crowd there. That place is a big hit here. I too love that restaurant. 🙂

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