Garlic Chicken Pasta

Mmmmm...pasta.. I really love it. I try to only make it once a week. Normally that does satiate my cravings, but some times I want it more! This week I broke down and made pasta dishes twice. I threw together an Asian noodle dish with some leftover spaghetti noodles and veggies that needed to be eaten a couple days ago and tonight I made this Garlic Chicken Pasta that I came across on Kevin & Amanda's blog. They adapted it from another blog and I am now adapting it from them. It delicious as is, but I think it is even better with my additions.

If you are on some sort of diet that says no pasta, cream, or bacon, I would stop reading now. If you love everything delicious, continue. This pasta has a sauce very similar to alfredo, but it has a kick. It doesn't take long at all and it is a great weeknight dinner.

Before I go any further, I should mention that TBDH is no longer To Be Determined Husband! He recently accepted a job as Technology Support Specialist in a small school district and is enjoying his job so far. So exciting! But now he needs a new name! My brain is a little dead and I am not feeling very creative so I will have to come up with something before my next post. Now back to deliciousness.

Time: 20ish minutes
Yield: about 4 servings
Ingredients
10-16oz pasta (depending on what kind of pasta:sauce ratio you like)
1 1/2 of cooked, shredded chicken (or however much you want, really)
6-8 slices cooked bacon crumbled
 2 Tbsp butter
3 gloves of minced garlic
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Couple tsp of black pepper (depending on taste)
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup white wine
Dashes of cayenne pepper, oregano, and basil (or other desired herbs)

Prepare the pasta and drain. For two of us I used about 3 handfuls of pasta. The original recipe calls for Farfalle, but I used Penne this time. It's really up to you. Dump the pasta back into the pot and toss the chicken with it. Let it hang out while you prepare the sauce.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Toss in the garlic and stir.

Add in the whipping cream, pepper, wine, and spices/herbs.

Stir to combine and whisk in Parmesan cheese. Whisk the sauce until smooth. It will probably take 3-4 minutes. Taste and adjust for preferences.

Stir bacon into sauce.

I could eat this whole little bowl...

Dump sauce on top of pasta/chicken mixture. For best results let the pasta sit for a few minutes to thicken and combine. Now try to not eat every last bit by yourself!

Original sources 
http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/becky-higgins-garlic-chicken-farfalle.html
http://www.beckyhiggins.com/recipes/?p=21

Creamy Cajun Pasta

I didn't realize until a friend asked me about my blog that I haven't posted in almost a month. School has been crazy! Everything has been piling up and my blog has honestly slipped my mind. But I'm back! It's spring break and my batteries are slowly recharging. I plan to start posting more frequently again. The recipe for today is one that I have made several times and that I have started spotting on pintrest. Cajun Chicken Pasta comes from the popular Ree Drummond ThePioneerWoman.com. If you have not visited her site, your probably should. She has some amazing recipes on there and even has her own book now. Good stuff. This pasta is absolutely delicious if you like spicy, creamy pasta. It's got a cajun zing, veggies, and a creamy sauce to top of your pasta of choice.

Time: 30-40 minutes (depends on how fast you chop and slice things)
Ingredients
3 chicken breasts cut into cubes (I normally use 1 huge one for LSH and I and it makes plenty)
4 tsps cajun mix (use whatever you have or the recipe to follow)
1 lb pasta (Pioneer Woman uses fettuccine but I just use whatever long pasta we have.)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter (You know it's good when olive oil AND butter are involved.)
1 whole green bell pepper sliced
1 whole red bell pepper sliced
1/2 onion sliced (she used red but I always use yellow)
3 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
Cayenne pepper
Salt
Pepper
Parsley

Go ahead and cook the pasta according to directions and let it hang out while you get everything else cooked.

Before you do anything else, make sure you have all your ingredients ready to go. I'm lazy and do not always prep my ingredients before I start cooking. You better do the right thing and prep for this one or else you will have some issues. Cube that chicken, slice those veggies, and have cups ready for you broth and cream. Also have a whisk available.

Toss the cubed chicken with 2 tsp Cajun seasoning.

Pour 1 Tbsp olive oil in a deep heavy skillet (preferably not non-stick) over medium high heat and introduce the oil to 1 Tbsp of butter. I'm not really sure why both are necessary, but it doesn't seem like something to be messed with. Once the oil and butter are well acquainted, throw in the chicken and watch it sizzle. Brown the chicken on all sides and remove it to a plate. The chicken does not get fully cooked in this step.

Leaving the pan hot, add in the other Tbsp of oil and butter and let them get reacquainted. Throw in the peppers, onions, and garlic. Careful with this step because stuff my sizzle and pop as it hits the pan! Sprinkle on the other 2 tsp of Cajun seasoning and cook over the high heat. The goal is to stir slowly and allow the veggies to blacken as much as possible. Once they are good and blackened, toss in the tomatoes and cook for another 30 seconds or so. Remove the veggies to the same plate or bowl as the chicken.

Still keeping the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Scrape the bottom of the pan as the liquids heat up and get all those blackened goodies incorporated into the sauce. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium low and pour in the cream whisking fiercely. Cook the sauce until it starts to thicken. At this point, taste and decide if cayenne pepper, black pepper, or salt are needed. We like it spicy but it's up to you.

Once it has thickened a bit more, add the chicken and veggies to the sauce, including all the juiced from the plate/bowl. Stir over medium heat for a couple minutes until the sauce thickens even more and is bubbly.

When it has reached your desired consistency, toss in the pasta and mix it all up. Top with a bit of parsley and you are good to go! FYI, the longer this pasta sits, the thicker it will become.
 

Original recipe: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/09/cajun-chicken-pasta/

Cajun spice mixture (from TLC Cooking)
1/4 cup salt
2 Tbsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp paprika
1 1/2 Tbsp onion powder
2 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp dried cloves

Mix it all together! This makes a lot but it's a good spice mix to just have on hand. It keeps well in a air-tight container.