This a pasta that can be made to enjoy for yourself, friends, and family. This is something that everyone can say no too. Who doesn’t like pastas with many different types of ingredients included, nothing can go wrong with making pasta during this fall season.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Parmesan Chicken Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Cajun seasoning
- Eggs
- Bread crumbs
- Parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
- Chicken breasts
Pasta with Vegetables
- Dry pasta
- Olive oil
- Yellow bell pepper
- Red bell pepper
- Green bell pepper
- White or yellow onion
- Mushrooms
- Garlic
Cajun Cream Sauce
- Unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour
- Cajun seasoning
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Reduced sodium chicken broth
- Heavy whipping cream
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley, optional for garnishing
- Green onions, optional for garnishing
Steps:
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts – Gather 3 shallow dishes and in one dish add the flour and Cajun seasoning, in the second dish add the eggs, and in the third add the bread crumbs and Parmesan. Tip – If you don’t have Cajun seasoning, Old Bay Seasoning is a good alternative.
- Dip each chicken breast into the flour-Cajun dish on both sides, quickly dunk into the egg, and finally dip into the bread crumbs-Parmesan mixture, coating both sides. Repeat with all 4 chicken breasts.
- To a large skillet, add the olive oil, chicken, and cook over medium-high heat for about 4 to 5 minutes on both sides. Tips – Do not crowd the pan and if you need to do this in batches of 2 + 2, do so. Set the cooked chicken aside on a plate. While the chicken is cooking, I suggest start boiling the past to save time overall.
- Pasta – While the chicken is cooking, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Some people like to rinse their pasta, others don’t; do what you prefer.
- Vegetables – Wipe out the skillet you used to cook the chicken in, add the olive oil, bell peppers (Tip – You can use any color and any color combination of peppers you like or have on hand), onion, mushrooms, and saute over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables have softened and become translucent; stir frequently.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir constantly. Set vegetables aside while you make the cream sauce.
- Creamy Cajun Sauce – To a large skillet (the same one is fine, just wipe it out again with paper towels), add the butter, and heat over medium heat to melt the butter; whisk constantly.
- Add the flour to the melted butter, whisking very wel to stir it in, and continue whisking until the roux (the butter and flour mixture) thickens to a paste-like consistency and is amber or golden-colored. Tip – Do not skip the step of making a proper roux or your sauce won’t thicken properly later on. Don’t overcook it though and burn it. It only takes about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Quickly whisk in the Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper to the roux.
- Slowly add the chicken broth, noting it will likely bubble up and steam, so use a bit of caution. Continue whisking until the sauce begins to thicken a bit, about 2 to 3 minutes or as needed.
- Turn the heat to medium-low, slowly add the heavy cream, whisking as you are adding it. Tips – Don’t let the cream bubble up like crazy. If it is, your stove is too hot, and turn the heat down. High heat and dairy products don’t mix. And the lower fat percentage product, the more danger there is in ruining a sauce. Fat is insurance against poor sauce making which is why I recommend heavy cream.
- Add the Parmesan cheese, and continue to whisk until it has melted and integrated fully into the sauce. Tips – Stop and taste the sauce. If it needs more salt, pepper, or you want additional Cajun flavor, make any necessary seasoning adjustments. It’s okay if it tastes a little heavy on the Cajun and/or salt and pepper right now because these flavors will mellow out as you coat a pound of plain pasta so I tend to go heavier handed here, knowing things will mellow out, but use your judgment.
- Assembly – Add the vegetables into the sauce and stir to combine.
- Add the pasta and stir and toss well to combine and coat the pasta evenly.
- Slice the chicken into strips or bite-sized pieces, add it to the pasta, and stir to combine as desired. Tip – You can leave a bit of chicken on top for a nice visual effect.
- Garnishes – Both the parsley and/or green onions are optional but nice additions. The Chili’s Restaurant dish tends to garnish with diced tomatoes and green onions. Serve immediately. Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Reheat gently. Note that as the leftovers sit, the pasta will continue to absorb the sauce so don’t be surprised if they leftovers look a bit drier, this is normal, and the flavor isn’t affected.
Nutritional Facts
- Calories: 947
- Total Fat: 51g
- Saturated Fat: 26gT
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21g
- Cholesterol: 210mg
- Sodium: 1760mg
- Carbohydrates: 86g
- Fiber: 5g
- Sugar: 8g
- Protein: 37g
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