Lousiana Chicken Pasta
If you’re craving some real southern cookin’ with a slight Cajun kick, then you need to enjoy a big bowl of Louisiana Chicken Pasta! This pasta dish is cheesy, hearty, and can be made as spicy or non-spicy as you’d like it to be. It’s a flavorful comfort dish that I always eat seconds of!
Louisiana Chicken Pasta
You don’t need to be in Cajun country to still enjoy some down home Louisiana flavors! This chicken pasta dish is jam packed with ingredients that can be found in an array of different Cajun classics, and it’s all served with thick, creamy pasta sauce and perfectly cooked chicken. Hungry yet?!
I first fell in love with Cheesecake Factory’s Louisiana Chicken Pasta a few years back but the fried chicken in the decadent sauce left me feeling a bit heavier than when I first sat down. I knew I wanted to make this at home but with a few small edits to make it less sinful.
On top of being wholly delicious and a little lighter, this chicken and pasta dinner is also the BEST weeknight dinner because it’s easy, and kids love it! While you might need to cut back on the crushed red pepper if your little one’s going to eat it, they’ll still love the creamy noodles and chicken. Plus, this recipe is a surefire way to sneak in some pretty healthy veggies, too.
If tender, white meat chicken that’s seasoned to perfection served with pasta that’s drenched in thick, creamy Louisiana style sauce sounds good to you, then you’ve stumbled upon your new favorite easy weeknight dinner! This dish has seriously elevated my dinner game, and I love how my whole family practically runs to the kitchen when they know I’m making it. Try it out tonight!
How to Make Louisiana Chicken Pasta
- Make the pasta. Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Cook the chicken. First, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Then, season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Flip the chicken over and cook on the opposite side for an additional 4-5 minutes or until cooked through.
Transfer the chicken to a platter, cover and keep warm. - Heat up the veggies. Add the butter to the pan and stir in the bell pepper. Cook for 2 minutes. Then, add the mushrooms and onions cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes or until softened. Stir in the garlic and crushed red pepper cooking for 1 minute longer.
- Simmer. Whisk in the half and half and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer before lowering the heat.
- Create the sauce. Continue cooking until slightly thickened. Stir in the cheese and pasta, tossing to coat.
- Slice and serve! Slice the chicken and arrange on the pasta. Sprinkle with the fresh basil and serve with a sprinkle parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Spice It Up
Toss in more crushed red pepper! Keep adding more until the sauce taste as spicy as you’d like.
If you want to make this dish even more Louisiana based, toss in a teaspoon or two of Cajun seasoning. You can buy some at your local grocery store, and it’s an easy way to make just about anything taste like a Cajun phenomenon! It’s a little spicy, a little salty, and plenty delicious.
Just be careful with both the crushed red pepper and/or the Cajun seasoning. With both ingredients, a little goes a VERY long way!
Storage Suggestions
In an airtight container in the fridge, this bold dish will stay fresh for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to reheat it, I recommend popping everything right back into the skillet!
To keep the pasta sauce from drying out, you might want to toss a few tablespoons of heavy cream in the mix and stir it all together while it’s reheating. The chicken should reheat perfectly in the skillet with no help!
Here are just a few more of my favorite chicken and pasta weeknight dinners.
- The Very Best Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Baked Chicken Florentine Pasta
- Spicy Chicken Rigatoni
- Easy Chicken Tetrazzini
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Get the Recipe: Louisiana Chicken Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces bow tie pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 cups half and half or heavy cream
- 1 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 tablespoons chopped basil
Equipment
- skillet
Instructions
- Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Flip the chicken over and cook on the opposite side for an additional 4-5 minutes or until cooked through.
- Transfer the chicken to a platter, cover and keep warm.
- Add the butter to the pan and stir in the bell pepper. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and onions cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes or until softened.
- Stir in the garlic and crushed red pepper cooking for 1 minute longer.
- Whisk in the half and half and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer and lower the heat.
- Continue cooking until slightly thickened. Stir in the cheese and pasta, tossing to coat.
- Slice the chicken and arrange on the pasta. Sprinkle with the basil.
- Serve with parmesan cheese.