In 1920, Chef Alfredo di Lelio invented what we know today as Alfredo cream sauce. This recipe uses di Lelio’s famous sauce, but adds a Cajun spice and pasta from Southern Italy.

Cajun cooking, which originated in the 19th century, is know for its “joie de vivre” (joy of living). It’s exciting food, that experiments with herbs, spices and ingredients to create dishes know for their spicy flavor.

Any dish becomes better when you use fresh ingredients, so make sure you have fresh tomatoes and green onions for this recipe.

This dish is different from other pasta dishes I’ve made. Its spicy cream sauce is deeply soul-satisfying, but not overwhelming.

This recipe was adapted from www.food.com.

 

Creamy Cajun chicken pasta:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

4 ounces linguine or spaghetti noodles, cooked al dente

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

2 tablespoons butter

1 stalk of green onions, thinly sliced

1-2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons chopped sun dried or fresh tomatoes

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon dried basil

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

¼ grated Parmesan cheese

 

When handling any raw meat such as chicken, follow safe handling instructions and wash your hand regularly with soap and water.

Prepare the spaghetti before handling the raw chicken to prevent cross contamination.

Cook the pasta in salt water according to the package instructions. Drain, rinse and return it to the pot. Then cover with a plate to keep from drying out.

Place the sliced chicken and Cajun seasoning into a bowl and evenly toss and coat both sides.

Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for about five to seven minutes, or until it’s tender and the meat is no longer pink.

Reduce the heat to low and add the green onions, heavy cream, tomatoes, basil, salt, garlic powder and black pepper to the sauce. Simmer for one to two minutes until heated through.

I used fresh tomatoes instead of sun dried because I like the taste better, but use whichever tomatoes you like.

If you can’t find heavy whipping cream, substitute it with half-and-half. It works just as well and makes the pasta dish creamy and rich in flavor. The half-and-half creates a silky and milky texture when incorporated with the other ingredients.

Add your cooked pasta to the sauce and stir and incorporate until the noodles are evenly coated, Don’t forget to top with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately with your favorite pasta side.

Jane Park can be reached at [email protected]