Blackened Chicken Pasta |Cooking With Amanda

I've always loved to cook and bake. I grew up in a traditional Southern household, which meant there were always sweet treats and freshly baked snacks around. After graduating from college, I developed a love for baking and cooking.

This partially grew out of necessity since cooking your own meals is typically a lot cheaper than going out to eat. However, this interest soon turned into a passion, and I began looking for opportunities to cook and bake for friends. This blackened chicken pasta has been in my recipe box for many years, and it's definitely one of my favorites!

Even though I loved to cook and bake at home, I certainly still enjoyed going out to eat. I moved to south Louisiana after college, and if you know anything about that area of the U.S., then you certainly know about the delicious Cajun food!

There was no shortage of amazing restaurants featuring all kinds of amazing food. Whenever company came to visit, one of my favorite places to go was Ralph and Kacoo's restaurant.

Not only did they serve a great selection of Cajun food, but the Baton Rouge location often had a live band playing Zydeco music. Tasty food, good music and even a bit of Cajun Two Step dancing. Talk about a good way to introduce folks to southern Louisiana!

On one occasion, Ralph & Kacoo's had printed up recipe cards for their blackened chicken pasta. You don't often see restaurants handing out their recipes, so I grabbed one and stuck it in my recipe box at home.

I didn't find it again until a couple years later when I had moved away from south Louisiana. My wife and I invited a couple of friends over, and we made a big pan of this pasta for everyone to enjoy.

It was delicious, and it totally reminded me of the tasty Cajun food in south Louisiana! This recipe is nearly identical to the one from Ralph & Kacoo's.

I made my own Cajun blackened seasoning, but you could certainly use you're a store-bought version instead. I also slightly reduced the butter in the recipe, and I finished the dish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Mix things up a bit tonight! Pop open an Abita beer, turn on some Cajun Zydeco (look for a station on Pandora) and enjoy a plate of this delicious blackened chicken pasta. If you're looking for more tasty Cajun food, check out my Cajun grilled shrimp or my Creole red beans and rice.

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Blackened Chicken Pasta Recipe

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Ingredients

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 1/2 tablespoons cajun blackened seasoning, divided
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 medium white onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
3 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 medium whole tomatoes, diced
3/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 pound ziti pasta
grated parmesan cheese
french bread, for serving (optional)

Directions

Heat grill to medium heat.
Brush chicken with melted butter and rub both sides with 3 Tbsp of Blackened Seasoning. (Note: The remaining Blackened Seasoning will be used later.)
Place chicken on grill and grill over medium heat until done, flipping once (~6-7 minutes per side).
Meanwhile, place the olive oil in a deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sliced onion and peppers; continue cooking over medium heat until onion and peppers are soft (~10 minutes).
Add the heavy whipping cream and remaining Blackened Seasoning. Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
Add diced tomatoes and continue cooking over medium heat until sauce thickens noticeably (15-18 minutes).
While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta according to the package directions.
Once sauce has thickened, fold in the chopped green onions.
Divide the cooked pasta into 4 bowls and top with sauce. Slice blackened chicken breasts into strips and lay on top of pasta.
Finish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and serve with slice of crusty French bread (optional).