Creamy Cajun Chicken Tagliatelle is a delightfully easy and flavorful dish – great for serving to guests. It’s simple, but it tastes so luxurious! Serve it with crisp Little Leaf Farms salad greens and slivers of celery, dressed with White Balsamic Vinaigrette, and you’ve made the meal. Delish.
Be sure to bring the pasta water to a boil before your guests arrive, then cover the pot and turn off the heat. It will stay hot for a very long while, so it won’t take much time to return the pot to a boil when you’re ready to drop the pasta. Fresh pasta brings incredible flavor and texture, of course. It also cooks in a matter of minutes, so you’ll spend less time on the last-minute prep, allowing you to return to the table and refocus on your guests in short order. But whether you serve this dish with fresh Sourdough Pasta that you’ve made from scratch, as I do, or with dried taglietelle from a box, it will be fabulous. Actually, any flat ribbon-like pasta will love being cloaked in this Cajun cream sauce.
The flavors in this dish meld so beautifully. The chicken hangs out in the frige for a bit, coated in a spicy Cajun seasoning that does double duty – it flavors the chicken, then infuses the creamy sauce. Spicy Cajun Seasoning and cream are a match made in heaven, but I use evaporated milk instead and I don’t miss the extra fat. Tomatoes, Parm, and butter add a wonderful richness that takes this Creamy Cajun Chicken Tagliatelle to the next level.
In season, I like to add asparagus from our garden – simply trimming it and sauteing the spears with the peppers, reserving the asparagus tips for garnish. Sliced zucchini would work well too. Creamy, indulgent, and flavorful. Enjoy!
Creamy Cajun Chicken Tagliatelle
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ¼ cup Cajun seasoning (see below for recipe)
- 2 large sweet bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange)
- 1 bunch scallions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 lemon
- 3 T olive oil (divided – 2 T for searing the chicken and 1 T for sautéing the veg)
- 12 ounces tagliatelle (or a batch of sourdough pasta)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes, if that's what you have)
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan
- 2 T butter
Instructions
- Dry rub the chicken – Pat the chicken dry, and butterfly the thicker side of the breasts to ensure even cooking. Rub Cajun seasoning all over. Stash the chicken in the fridge for at least an hour, or up to overnight.
- Prep the veg – Destem and deseed the peppers, then slice them into strips, about 2-inches long and ½-inch wide. Separate the scallion whites from the greens. Slice the whites across, and slice the greens into 1-inch pieces on the bias. Trim and slice the garlic. Zest and juice the lemon. Dice the tomatoes if you're using fresh rather than canned.
- Start the pasta water and sear the chicken – Start the pasta water. Heat the oil in a large saute pan unti it shimmers, then sear the chicken on all sides until the internal temp reaches 160℉. Remove from the pan and set aside on a cutting board to rest. Cover with foil.
- Cook the veg – Add another T of oil to the pan. When shimmering, add the peppers and cook until they begin to soften. Add the scallion whites and the minced garlic. Cook for a minute or two, until fragrant. Add the lemon zest and stir to coat.
- Build the sauce – Pour in 2 cups of chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Stir in 4 ½ cup of milk and 2 T of lemon juice, and return to a simmer. While the sauce is cooking, slice the chicken. Once the sauce has begun to thicken, stir in the tomatoes, ⅓ cup Parmesan, and 2 T butter. Add the chicken and stir to coat, then remove from the the heat.
- Drop the pasta and combine – Drop the pasta and cook until al dente. Scoop the pasta out of the pasta water and add it to the pan. Toss gently to combine. Garnish with the reserved scallion greens. Serve immediately.
Notes
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