Recipe - Cajun Chicken Pasta

This recipe is yet another one from the fabulously talented Ree Drummond aka Pioneer Woman. Being new at this whole domestic thing and cooking dinner virtually every single night hasn't proven to be too challenging for this previously undomesticated mama yet, but I will admit that I will take all of the help I can get. Thus, why I seek out recipes from stellar domestic divas such as Ree to help me along the way in my journey of becoming a domestic diva myself! So, when I wanted to find another meal to complete my meal plan this past week, I didn't have to think twice about just picking out a chicken dish off of Ree's roster since she has never failed me in the past and once again, I was not let down. Not in the least, in fact, even though it took me a bit longer to prepare and cook this dish than the directions stated since I am a cooking newbie, it turned out pretty dang fantastic and not only did I think so, but the hubby and my fabulous mother-in-law both agreed as well! Even cooler, it tasted even better leftover! That is certainly a plus in my book since we eat a ton of leftovers for lunches around here and since I'm a total tyrant when food gets wasted especially when I busted my arse so hard in making it, ha!

So, yeah, SCORE! Another meal success! This is BIG in my book since seriously, I have always previously relied on a handful of recipes on the rare ocassion that I ever did cook and even still, seemed to use every excuse in the book not to cook. Now that I have the time and don't have to do it after a 9 plus hour day of working outside of the home, I absolutely lurve it! I have seriously become borderline obsessed with finding new recipes and looking for new things to cook and bake so that we try something new at least a couple of times per week if not more! I get bored with the same-ole, same-ole and the same holds true for what I eat and what I cook....I don't have a passion to cook the same things every.single.week, but rather would prefer to at least mix it up a couple times a week so that things stay interesting and fun, hopefully avoiding all possibilities of my menu plans becoming stale and bland.

I didn't really deviate from the original recipe found here with the exception of adding a heaping helping of shredded Parmesan cheese to top the dish since it SO seemed like a dish that should have had some cheese included in the ingredient list yet it did not and well, if you know me then you know that cheese is my favorite condiment even though it truly isn't one and thus, I just had to put some cheese on it! Oh, and of course, I served some garlic bread along with the pasta because every good pasta dish deserves some garlic bread love on the side!

Ingredients

• 3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Cubes
• 3 teaspoons Cajun Spice Mix, More To Taste
• 1 pound Fettuccine
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
• ½ whole Large Red Onion, Sliced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced -- used jarred minced garlic instead
• 4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
• 2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• ½ cups White Wine
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Cayenne Pepper To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• Salt To Taste
• Chopped Fresh Parsley, To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions. 

Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!

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. 

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 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. 

Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. 

Remove all vegetables from the pan. 

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, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy! 

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 and chow down!