Blackened Chicken Pasta
Celebrate Mardi Gras with some tasty Cajun food! This Cajun Chicken Pasta is one of our favorites!
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This Blackened Chicken Pasta has been in my recipe box for many years, and it’s definitely one of my favorites! It features pasta tossed in a creamy sauce with bell peppers and onions. Add some blackened chicken on top, and you’ve got a fantastic comfort food dinner ready to go! Let’s break this recipe down a bit:
What Sauce Goes Well with Blackened Chicken?
Rich and creamy sauces pair well with blackened chicken as the cream in the sauce cuts through the spices of the blackened chicken. Plus, a good creamy pasta sauce is the ultimate comfort food! The creamy alfredo sauce used in this Blackened Chicken Pasta starts with a seasoned cream sauce made with heavy whipping cream. The sauce simmers in a skillet until it thickens a bit, giving it the perfect consistency to toss with the cooked pasta.
What is Blackened Chicken?
The first time I heard this term, I thought blackened chicken was burnt chicken. I was totally wrong! Blackened chicken is raw chicken that is coated in a spicy seasoning blend. The chicken is then seared over high-heat until a dark, flavorful crust forms. Blackened chicken can also be cooked on a grill for added smoky flavor.
Blackened Chicken Pasta
Back when I lived in Louisiana, one of my favorite Cajun restaurants was Ralph and Kacoo’s. Not only did they serve a great selection of Cajun food, but the Baton Rouge location often had a live band playing Zydeco music. (The Baton Rouge location has since closed.) Tasty food, good music and even a bit of Cajun Two Step dancing. Talk about a good way to introduce folks to southern Louisiana!
One of the things that I found cool (albeit a bit odd) was that Ralph & Kacoo’s shared recipe cards for some of their famous recipes. I grabbed the one for their Cajun Chicken Pasta, and I stuck it in my recipe box at home. This blackened chicken alfredo pasta recipe is nearly identical to the one from Ralph & Kacoo’s. I made my own Cajun Blackened Seasoning, but you could certainly use a store-bought Cajun seasoning instead. I also slightly reduced the butter in the recipe, and I finished the dish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover Blackened Chicken Pasta should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, place in a skillet on the stove top over medium heat until heated through. The pasta will lose a bit of its creaminess when reheated, but it will still be delicious. This pasta does not freeze well.
If you’re looking for a fantastic Cajun recipe, then I highly (!) recommend this recipe. We’ve made this dish on a number of occasions for friends and family, and it’s always met with high reviews. I hope your whole family enjoys it as much as we do – Cheers!
Blackened Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
For the Cajun Blackened Seasoning
- 1½ Tbsp paprika
- 2¼ tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- ½ Tbsp black pepper
- ½ Tbsp onion powder
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- Pinch cayenne pepper
For the Cajun Chicken Pasta
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp garlic minced
- 1 medium white onion sliced
- 1 green bell pepper sliced
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 3 ½ cups heavy whipping cream can substitute heavy cream
- 2 medium tomatoes diced
- ¾ cup green onions chopped
- 16 oz. ziti pasta can substitute penne pasta
- fresh Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
For the Cajun Blackened Seasoning
- Using a small bowl, combine all ingredients until well blended.
For the Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Preheat grill (outdoor) or grill pan (indoor) to medium high 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.)
- Cook chicken until done, flipping once (~10-12 minutes total).
- Meanwhile, place the olive oil in a deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook 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, stirring occasionally.
- Add diced tomatoes and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens noticeably (15-18 minutes).
- While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- Once sauce has thickened, add green onions and stir until well combined.
- Divide the cooked pasta into 4 bowls and top with sauce.
- Slice blackened chicken breasts into strips and lay on top of pasta.
- Before serving, garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
I love your cajun recipes and anything to make chicken more exciting is good with me!
Yes! I totally agree, Dannii. I love chicken, but it’s way too boring unless you make it fancy. 🙂 With Mardi Gras coming up tomorrow, I think this blackened chicken is an excellent way to celebrate!
I don’t think I’ve ever been to a restaurant that was giving away their recipes – but then again, I don’t eat out often – time to step it up eh?!
That blackened spice mix sounds fabulous – if I had made this for guests, I’d have to eat all the blackened chicken before they got there and serve them the pasta! Works right?! 🙂
Haha…I don’t think many restaurants willingly give away their recipes. That’s why I was surprised when I saw those cards. I grabbed one, and then promptly forgot about it for at least 4 years. To be fair though, the blackened seasoning is my own creation…they just said ‘blackened seasoning’ on their recipe card. But here’s the thing…blackened seasonings can vary so much! I went through a phase some years back trying all of the different blackened seasonings I could find. I ended up making up my own version. 🙂 And yes, I think the guests will be quite happy with the pasta…just don’t tell them about your belly full of chicken!
Ooo that pasta dish looks amazing! And I’m loving that cajun seasoning, that’s gotta be tasty! That chicken just looks so flavorful, moist, and overall delicious!! 🙂
It is indeed a flavorful meal, Christina! Perfect for celebrating Mardi Gras…or any other day of the year!
Hey David this sounds good. Question – in Step 7, is it another 15-18 minutes, or is that the total time?
Nope, that is another 15-18 minutes in that step. Basically it takes about 20-25 minutes to reduce the sauce once you add the cream. I’m not quite sure why it was broken into two stages there, though…the extra few minutes certainly wouldn’t have hurt the diced tomatoes. Either way, good eye, my friend! I’m impressed with your attention to detail! 🙂 Happy Mardi Gras, Kevin!
Cool, thanks David. Happy Mardi Gras to you and Mrs. Spiced! 🙂
I’m all about jazzing up a chicken recipe, and definitely with Cajun flavors. Looks delicious, Dave!
Thanks, Becca! Cajun flavors have been in my blood permanently ever since I lived down there. Haha!
This seasoning is genius- I first tried ‘blackened catfish’ when I wast in New York and as delicious as that was, I fell in love with the collard greens- much to my mate’s disgust. Who knew such a flavourful seasoning was doable! I’ll need to blacken (insert protein here) this week!
Dude! You need to make No Bake Blackened Cookies this week. Now that would be epic! Haha…just kidding! Blackened seasoning does require having a handful of spices on hand…but they are fairly normal spices. I often keep a little container of the stuff pre-mixed when I need a quick pop of flavor for a dish. I’m thinking you need to travel in the Southern part of the U.S. You will love the food down there!
David, Wow! I’ve never seen a restaurant give away their own recipes! I would have snatched that recipe card too!!! this Blackened Chicken Pasta looks amazing and love that you made your own Cajun Blackened Seasoning!! double wow! love this!
Haha…I know, Alice! It made no sense to me why they had recipe cards to give away. I think it was a promo of some sort, and they only had one recipe available. Heck, for all I know, they were leftover from some sort of cooking event. Either way, I snagged that card…and then I promptly forgot about it for several years. Good thing I rediscovered it! Happy Mardi Gras!!
And now… I want chicken! I get some crazy intense CHICKEN CRAVINGS sometimes… And just looking at this recipe SPURRED IT! LOL!
Hahaha! Well, I’m glad (I think?) that I was able to kickstart your chicken cravings, GiGi! Happy Mardi Gras!!
This recipe sounds wonderful with a touch of heat and the creamy pasta. Will be trying it soon. Yum!
This is totally one of my favorite comfort foods, Ali! Nothing beats a good creamy pasta with just a hint of spicy. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! 🙂