Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Servings: 4

Prep time: ~30 minutes

Cook time: ~1 hour

Ingredients:

•2 chicken breast

•2 tbsp olive oil

•Salt

•Pepper

•4 tbsp Cajun seasoning

•1 cup chicken broth

•1 cup heavy cream, room temp

•1 tbsp Italian parsley

•½ medium red onion

•4 cloves garlic

•1 lime

•1 bell pepper

•1 pint baby bella mushrooms

•1 cup parmesan

•16 oz Penne pasta

•2 tbsp butter

•Large pot and strainer

•12’’ frying pan

•Cutting board

•Knife

•Cup measure

•Tablespoon

•Wooden/rubber spoon

•Tongs

•Gallon Ziploc bag

Remove excess fat from chicken breasts.

Butterfly cut each chicken breast and separate into 2 pieces. Cut through the middle as evenly as possible.

In a Ziploc bag, add chicken breast and 1tbsp olive oil. Coat evenly.

Slice lime, saving half for the sauce.

Add spices (salt and pepper to taste, 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning, and 1/2 lime juice) to chicken bag. Shake well until evenly coated. Leave to marinate for 15 minutes.

While chicken is marinating, cut up veggies. Slice your bell pepper into ½ inch thick strips.

Dice half a medium onion.

Peel and mince 4 cloves of garlic.

Finely chop parsley, about a tablespoon.

In a pan on medium heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and a half tbsp of butter and allow to heat. Then, add your chicken breast

Cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until cooked through and golden brown (165°Fahrenheit).

Remove chicken from heat and allow to rest. Begin boiling water for pasta with a pinch of salt.

Remove chicken oil from pan—do NOT put down the drain. Collect the oil in a cup, let it cool, then throw it in the garbage with paper towels.

In the same pan on low heat, add 2 tbsp of butter and your minced garlic. Allow to brown and become fragrant. Add pasta to the boiling water.

Add chopped onions and bell pepper and allow to soften.

Add your mushrooms and mix them in. If there is not enough butter in the pan to coat the mushrooms, add 1/2 tablespoon. While mixing in mushrooms, add salt and pepper to taste, remaining 2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning, and half lime juice. Cover with lid until mushrooms are softened.

Add 1 cup chicken broth and allow to simmer with lid on.

Once chicken broth is simmering, add 1 cup cream, mix well, and allow to simmer again with lid off.

While cream is coming to a simmer, dice chicken breasts and check pasta. Once the pasta is al dente, strain and put back in pot with a drizzle of olive oil to keep pasta from sticking.

Once cream sauce has simmered for a few minutes, begin to add parmesan slowly, stirring constantly.

Allow sauce to simmer and thicken until it coats the spatula.

Add sauce and chicken to pasta pot and stir until combined.

Serve immediately with parmesan and parsley to garnish. Enjoy!