Cajun Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Thanks to Pinterest, I came across yet another delicious recipe! As I've mentioned before, I'm slightly addicted to pasta so I'm always on the lookout for a different recipe. This one caught my eye because Cajun pasta isn't something I've had before so I was intrigued and excited to cook it up.

This recipe makes A LOT of food - it can easily feed 6 or more (as the original blogger states), and I don't mean the kind of 'servings' you eat to avoid overeating. In fact, my hubby and I (a.k.a. pasta fiend), had quite the feed of it and had an entire casserole dish left over that we were then able to heat up the following night for supper with my mom and sister. So it's a great dish if you've got company coming over, or if you have a busy week (it's great as leftovers as well).

Anywho, down to the recipe:



Ingredients:

• 4 small Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (approx. 1 1/4lbs)
• 1 1/2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 2 tbsp Butter, divided
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil (and a splash or two extra)
• 2 tsp Fresh Minced Garlic (approx. 2 cloves)
• 1 cup Grape or Cherry Tomatoes, halved (I used cherry)
• 1/4 cup Dry White Wine (or chicken broth) ...go with the wine!
• 1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream (or half-and-half)
• 1 1/2 cups good quality, Freshly Grated Italian Cheeses (I used Parmesan only)
• 3 oz Herbed Goat Cheese, crumbled (I used honey flavoured as it was all I had on hand)
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt (or more, to taste)
• 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper (or more, to taste)
• 1 lb cooked fettuccine (I used a little over half of a box or enough for 5 servings according to the side)
• pinch of Nutmeg, for serving (completely forgot this step unfortunately)

Instructions:
Note: I made a few adjustments to the recipe as I went along - prepared my chicken breasts differently and skipped the oven step - for the original recipe instructions check out the original post here.

1) Wash then dry chicken breasts with paper towel.

2) Slice the Chicken Breast in half, as if you were going to butterfly them but just keep slicing. Essentially you want a thin chicken breast so try to slice them horizontally to create 2 breasts of equal thickness.

3) Sprinkle heavy amount of Cajun Seasoning on both sides of each breast, ensuring to press down so it adheres well.

4) In the meantime, prepare fettuccine pasta according to box directions. Use approximately half of the box which equals approximately 5 servings. Allow the pasta to cook as you fry the chicken, once Al Dente, strain and rinse with cold water so it's not one big clump when you combine it with the sauce.

5) Heat Butter & Oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and fry until fully cooked.

6) Once chicken is cooked, remove from skillet and slice against the grain. Keep skillet on heat and add some extra oil if the pan looks dry.

7) Using your wine, deglaze your pan, using a whisk to free the browned chicken bits from the pan and into your sauce. (1-2 Minutes)

8) Add garlic and tomatoes and sauté to soften, stirring occasionally. (1-2 minutes)

9) Reduce heat to medium-low and pour the heavy cream into the pan with the tomato mixture, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Next add salt, pepper, and your remaining butter (tbsp).

10) Continue stirring for the next 3-4 minutes as the cream mixture simmers. The sauce will reduce slightly.

11)  Next add grated cheese (in my case Parmesan) and goat cheese to the cream sauce. Stir constantly until all the cheese has melted, and sauce is smooth. Taste sauce and adjust seasonings if desired.

12) Once happy with your sauce, add the fettuccine and chicken to the mixture tossing until fully combined (and everything is nice and saucy!)

13) Plate it up and serve immediately