My love for cajun seasoning started when I did the Whole30 program. As soon as I tasted it when I made this, there was an instant special connection between the cajun seasoning and me. The love for pasta, of course, started a long, long ago… I have seen recipes using cajun seasoning in pasta, but I never had a chance to try them. Knowing that I am madly in love with the seasoning, I thought ‘why not?’. So… this Cajun Chicken Pasta with Spinach became an instant favorite.
Don’t be intimidated with the long list of ingredients – they will make your pasta so so good! And you may already have them on hand, especially if you are a pasta lover like me. The cajun seasoning – I always make them. You can use store-bought ones, of course, but making your own is so much better. 😉
This dish is so tasty. The chicken is cooked perfectly – so tender. The veggies added extraordinary something to the dish. Take note – do not skip the tomatoes. I think they are there for a special reason. The moment you’ll taste them with the pasta – you’ll know what I mean. 😀 I’ve been eating a lot of unhealthy foods lately so I added spinach to this dish to pretend that this is something healthy. Ha! Who am I kidding??
Seriously, you have to try this! I am not telling you to eat this everyday, but at least treat yourself with a good pasta dish when it’s your cheat day. What’d you say??
I am sharing this with my amazing friends at Angie’s Fiesta Friday #229. Thanks to our solo co-host, Liz @ Spades, Spatulas & Spoons.
Cajun Chicken Pasta with Spinach
Ingredients
- 150 g pasta cooked (I used penne)
For the chicken:
- 3 thinly sliced tender chicken breasts
- 1 egg
- 30 g parmesan cheese grated
- 70 g breadcrumbs
- 20 g all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- Olive oil to fry the chicken
For the sauce:
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 100 g brown mushroom
- ¼ cup yellow bell pepper
- ¼ cup red bell pepper
- ¼ cup tomatoes chopped
- 2 fat cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 250 ml heavy cream
- 250 ml chicken stock I just dissolved 1 chicken cube in 250 ml warm water
- 60 g parmesan cheese grated
- A handful of baby spinach
- Salt to taste
To serve:
- Parmesan cheese grated
- Chopped tomatoes optional
Instructions
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Please make sure to have your ingredients ready.
For the chicken:
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In a shallow dish, add cheese, bread crumbs, flour, salt, oregano and thyme. Mix to combine.
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In another dish, add egg and beat.
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Take a piece of thinly sliced chicken and coat it with the dry mixture, then dip it in the egg to coat then back to the dry mixture.
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In a frying pan over medium heat, add olive oil.
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Fry chicken about 5 minutes on each side and place on a stack of paper towels to drain excess oil.
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While chicken is frying, let's do the sauce.
(Just make sure to check the chicken in order not to burn it.)
For the sauce:
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In a skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil.
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Add mushrooms and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
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In the same skillet, add bell peppers, tomatoes and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes or until soft.
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Add all-purpose flour, Cajun seasoning, paprika, red pepper flakes, heavy cream, chicken stock and the cooked mushrooms. Simmer on low-medium heat until thick (about 5 minutes).
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Add parmesan cheese. Also, add salt at this point and do a taste test. You can add more Cajun seasoning and paprika if necessary.
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Add cooked pasta and mix until well coated.
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Turn off the heat and add baby spinach and mix until wilted.
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Transfer to serving plate or individual plates. Top with sliced chicken, grated parmesan cheese and chopped fresh tomatoes.
I am also sharing this at
Happiness is Homemade | What’s for Dinner? | Mix it up Monday | Melt in your Mouth Monday | What’d You Do This Weekend? | Totally Terrific Tuesday | Cook Blog Share | Delicious Dishes Recipe Party | Recipe of the Week | Tasty Tuesday | Party in Your PJ’s |
