Opps, I did it again! hahahaha...I promise, I will stop now. Let's not bring back flashbacks of Brittany Spears in red pleather -- must. stop. nightmares ;) Just kidding! Let's not ding us 2000 teens who grew up on Brittany, N'SYNC and the Back Street Boys. Before Brittany went cray, Justin Timberlake dabbled in acting, and the Backstreet Boys did not look like our dads! How does time fly?!?
I do not like to admit my own "oldness," yet giving away that I listened to N'SYNC clearly dates me. You know how I know I'm getting up there? Mostly because for my birthday I count backwards. I also teach undergrad courses. I love giving music and television show examples, because let's be honest -- I have no life ;) I tried to give examples on Saved by the Bell, Boy Meets World, or Full House and I get blank stares. How do you not know the awesomeness that is Zack and Kelly, Cory and Topanga, and Michelle Tanner. And some of the TEENS I work with were born in the 2000s. Oh goodness! I-am-
I know, I am weird, but that whole blurb started from me thinking that I made another Cajun recipe and went Opps, I did it again. Sometimes when I have a type of food and I crave it, I just want to make it over and over again. I do that with music too (when I love a song, I play it on repeat -- over and over again). Well, after posting about this Cajun Risotto, I was still wanting more. I had pinned this recipe to my Pasta board on Pinterest, some time ago and thought now would be a great time to make it! And it was great! There were so many things I loved about this recipe. 1. After a long day, I whipped this up in 30 minutes and got an eye catching, yummy meal, 2. The creaminess, 3. The hint of spiciness and flavor. ::droooool:: I hope you enjoy making this as much as I did!
CREAMY CAJUN PASTA
Adapted from Food.Com
INGREDIENTS
Double recipe if serving for more than 2
4 oz. linguine noodles
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tbsp. garlic (optional)
1 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
3 tbsp. + 1 tsp. flour
1 1/2 c. heavy cream (milk)
1 c. Parmesan cheese (or other shredded cheese)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. Cajun seasoning*
8 oz. cooked chicken strips or 1 1/2 chicken breasts (I used Tyson's Grilled Chicken Strips)
1.5 oz of diced sun dried tomatoes
1 diced green onion
*Can adjust seasoning based on spice preference
DIRECTIONS
In a large pot of salted boiling water -- cook pasta according to package directions. Drain excess water and run cold water through pasta to prevent sticking. Keep pasta in colander. Do not return to pot.
After pasta is cooked, use the large pot to heat olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, saute garlic and red pepper flakes until garlic is browned and fragrant. Do not over cook, as this will burn the garlic. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in heavy cream, stirring constantly until mixture is slightly thickened. This can take some time, approximately 10-15 minutes -- but it will thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in shredded cheese until melted and smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste, followed by Cajun seasoning. Pour sauce over pasta and stir to evenly distribute sauce. Gently fold in chicken and sun dried tomatoes. Garnish with green onions.
Bye, Bye, Bye ;) (My ode to 'NSYNC),
Chika
Are the sun dried tomatoes in oil or do you use the dry ones and rehydrate them?
ReplyDeleteHi Mary! I used the dry sun dried tomatoes, but I did not rehydrate them. I just threw them in the sauce and it tasted just fine. I bet you could use the sun dried tomatoes in oil, and just drain the oil. Let me know if you have any other questions! Thank you so much for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteI've made this dish a few times and love it!! I never would have thought to use the olive oil to make the Alfredo sauce. I'm actually planning on making it tonight as well!!
ReplyDeleteHi Holly! Aww yay! I am so glad you love this recipe! :) Thanks for stopping by and letting me know! And so sorry it took me forever to respond.
DeleteI just made this for the first time for my mom and boyfriend and we all LOVED it!!! I will definitely be making this again soon :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jackie! YAY! I am so glad you all loved it! :) Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteMy sauce didnt turn out creamy, what did i do wrong?
ReplyDeleteHi Christian! Its really hard to say without knowing all the details. BUT whenever a sauce it not creamy enough, you should try adding more milk, heavy cream, etc. It may help with the texture. Sory I can't be of more help.
DeleteSauce was cheesy at first so I added more half and half as and stirred it slowly until I was happy with the creaminess of it. I also added peas for color and to have a wholesome dish. This turned out absolutely amazing. you don't really need the salt and pepper if you use the creole seasoning. I loved this!
ReplyDeleteHi Krystal! So glad to hear you enjoyed your own version of this recipe :) I agree you do not need the salt/pepper with creole seasoning. That's why I put to taste...some people just like a little more saltiness/or pepperiness (is that a word)? But I actually like to keep the salt down.
DeleteI am considering making this for a banquet next week in a rather large quantity. Do you feel this is something that can be made earlier in the day and kept warm in the oven without being corrupted? If you have any suggestions, I would appreciate hearing them. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Chollish1! I have a feeling I am way late for this. But I hope this helps: You can make it in a large quantity and earlier in the day. Sometime the oils will separate so when you warm it again, make sure to stir it well so that all the ingredients come back together. Sorry again!
DeleteFound this gem through pinterest! Its what's for dinner tonight! :)
ReplyDeleteTiffany @ arrowsandawe.com