Cajun Chicken Pasta

Oh, man, is this good!

I saw this a few weeks back on---can you guess?---The Pioneer Woman's website. (I know, I'm obsessed. But seriously, she hasn't proven me wrong about a recipe yet!)

Anyway, I saw her recipe for Cajun Chicken Pasta, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. Simple. Delicious. Cajun.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

1-2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, uncooked, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (I, naturally, used Tony Chachere's)
1 lb. fettuccine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 whole green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 whole red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1.5 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine (if you don't have white wine or don't wish to use it, just increase your chicken broth to 2 cups)
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste
parsley, for sprinkling, if desired

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!

2. Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces. Toss around to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer; do not stir. Allow chicken to brown on one side, about 1 minute. Flip to the other side and cook an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean plate.

Repeat with remaining chicken. Remove chicken, leaving pan on high heat.

3. Add remaining olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for several minutes, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional minute. Remove all vegetables from the pan.

4. With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy!

5. Finally, add chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.

Top with chopped fresh parsley if desired.

This was so delicious! I had some of the leftovers for lunch today, and I think they tasted even better than it did last night. Since the hubs will be out of the house for dinner tonight, I think I might finish it off for my supper. Shh, don't tell!

Preparing this recipe gave me an inspiration for another one that I hope to try out sometime next week. If it comes out tasty, I'll be sure to share it with you guys.

YEAH for PASTA!!!!!