Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Welcome back to Around the Kitchen. Today another savory treat from Natashia's Kitchen.

I love to make her dishes, as they are easy to make and are tasty!
Today's recipe does not come from her cookbook. 

Get the Cook Book !!
But from her web site:  It's a Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta is such a simple and quick recipe, perfect for weeknight dinners. Juicy chicken breast tossed with tender pasta in a creamy Cajun garlic sauce, ready in 30 minutes.

A complete index to all of our recipes can be found HERE

Let's get to it.

Prep Time: 10minutes mins

Cook Time: 20minutes mins

Total Time: 30minutes mins

Ingredients

Servings: 6 servings

• 8 oz linguine pasta
  
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp Cajun seasoning, divided, (or added to taste depending on the brand you use*)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2/3 cup diced tomatoes (these came from our garden)
• 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped, to serve (also from the garden)

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 TBL salt.

• 
   Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
• 
   Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water then drain, cover, and keep warm.
• 
  
  
  Cut your chicken sideways into 2 pieces
• 
• Place plastic wrap o top of the chicken slice and pound the chicken breasts so that they are even in thickness and season all over with 1½ Tbsp Cajun seasoning.
  
  
  In a large non-stick skillet, heat 2 tsp oil over medium-high heat. 
• 
  Once hot, add the chicken and sear on both sides. 
• 
  
  Turn heat down to low and sauté until cooked through and 165˚F on an instant read thermometer. Transfer to a cutting board, slice into thin strips, and cover to keep warm.

In the same skillet over medium heat, sauté the butter and garlic for 30-60 seconds or until the garlic is fragrant

Add the diced tomatoes and sauté another 2 minutes

Add in the heavy whipping cream, add some Cajun seasoning to taste. Add the parmesan cheese and bring to a simmer. 

Add the sliced chicken and cooked pasta to the sauce and toss until combined and the pasta and the chicken are warmed through.

• 
  
  
  Add warm reserved pasta water if desired to thin the sauce. (I did not need to do this step) Serve with freshly grated parmesan and chopped parsley.

A couple of notes from Natashia

*Avoid using cast iron or copper pans anytime you are making a creamy sauce with an acidic product like tomato, or it will react and make the sauce grainy. 

*If you are using a Cajun seasoning that has a high salt content, start with half of the seasoning and add more to taste. 
480 calories / 34 g carbs / 18 g protein / 31 g fat
This recipe was G R E A T!!  But be careful, it will fill you up in no time. We had PLENTY of leftovers.
One note of caution: This recipe FLIES by in a flash. Make sure you have ALL of your ingredients ready ahead of time. You'll thank me later.

See you next time on Around The Kichen

God Speed, Mother Nature

Natasha’s Chicken Scampi

HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO LET'S COOK !!!!

Today I want to introduce you to my new favorite on line cook.

Natashas Kitchen

To say I LOVE  YOU TUBE, would be an understatement. I have learned so much by watching You Tube Videos. 

Everything from how to maintain my lawn sprinklers to wood working, and cooking.

I have found several that we have featured here, like Cooking With Carolyn , One Pot Chef , &  Hillbilly Kitchen, just to name a few.

Maybe I should do a BLOG about on line cooks, or perhaps the best TV Cooks? 

But I digress.

Today we are making Natasha's Chicken Scampi. 

I have always run the other direction on Scampi because it is mainly made with SHRIMP. But this looked interesting and Penny wanted me to try it. 

So let's grab a beer, and get out ingredients together.

 

Natasha’s Chicken Scampi

https://natashaskitchen.com/chicken-scampi-pasta/

12 oz pasta

Flour for the chicken

4 T Olive Oil

4 T butter

4 cloves chopped garlic

1 1/2 lbs chicken tenders

salt and pepper

1/3 C parsley

1/4 C fresh squeezed lemon juice (1 large lemon) zest first.

3/4 cup dry white wine

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.

Melt 1 T butter and 2 T evoo in sauté pan. add half the chicken (one layer deep please) and cook for 5 minutes on each side until 165 F. remove to plate and cook second batch. And set aside.

for sauce:  melt 2 T butter and 2 T evoo. stir up bits from the skillet then deglaze with the white wine. cook for 5 minutes then add 4 T butter, lemon juice and zest, and parsley. 

Add chicken back to sauce and coat then put on a plate.

You can make the Pasta while you are cooking the chicken and making the broth.

Add cooked pasta to the sauce, stir, place in a serving bowl. Add the Chicken Tenders on top for serving.

Pass the parm.

Doesn't that look GOOD ????? Damn right.

I thought the Lemon taste was a bit much. 

BUT WAIT !!!!

The next day it was EVEN BETTER. Yes, left overs were better.

The Lemon taste had diminished just a bit. 

I would not change a thing about this recipe. Natasha NAILED IT.

You really should give this a try.  You can thank me later.

But we are not done yet !!!!

Can not forget the 'president'.

So what is next for 'Let's Cook' ? Well, how about another BUNT cake? This time CHOCOLATE. Or, The Banana Pudding I made the other day ? I have also been working on the best SMASH BURGER.

Stay tuned to see what we choose, next time on 'Let's Cook'.

Live Long and Prosper.

By the way, we are back to STAY THE (*_& AT HOME.