I could probably count on one hand the amount of times I’ve eaten anything cajun.
Maybe the odd cajun chicken sandwich here and there, or maybe a pasta dish with a hint of spices. But in the USA, cajun is a pretty big deal. People go crazy for cajun, in all of its different forms. So of course I had to try it.After looking around for a recipe that I liked the sound of, I found this one by the Pioneer Woman, which I adapted slightly to fit with the ingredients in my cupboard and my local store. I have to say that for my first attempt at cooking a cream sauce pasta from scratch (I’m not counting glam mac ‘n’ cheese), I was fairly impressed. And I loved the sweet taste of the peppers and onion mixed with the spices.
Cajun Chicken Pasta
2
servings15
minutes20
minutesIngredients
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
3 teaspoons cajun spice
1 pound fettuccine (or any other pasta you prefer)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1/2 red onion, sliced into thin strips
3 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
4 tomatoes, diced
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I used buillon cubes and it tasted good)
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
1 cup cream
cayenne pepper to taste
Directions
- Boil some water in a pan and cook the pasta according to packet instructions.
- Heat half of the oil in a pan and add the chicken breast and half of the cajun spices. Once chicken is browned, remove from the pan and put to one side.
- Add the remaining oil to the same pan and cook the onion, peppers and garlic with the remaining cajun spice. Once the vegetables have softened and almost browned, add the diced tomatoes and cook for around 30 seconds more or until softened. Remove the vegetables from the pan and put to one side with the cooked chicken.
- Pour the wine (if using) and chicken broth into the same pan on a high heat and cook for around 5 minutes, constantly stirring so that it doesn’t burn. Reduce the heat to medium and pour in the cream. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce begins to thicken, always stirring. Add salt, pepper and as much cayenne pepper as you would like (lots if you want it to have a good kick).
- Once the sauce has thickened, add the chicken and vegetables to the pan and combine for a couple of minutes, until everything is hot and covered in the creamy sauce. Add the drained pasta and toss to combine. Then serve!
Notes
- Adapted from Pioneer Woman
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