Cajun Chicken Pasta

 This is a simple pasta dish that will sure make everyone happy. The Cajun chicken brings a nice spice and the creamy sauce with tomatoes lightens it up. I also love the lemon zest addition.

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning - **or use my recipe below

8 oz penne pasta

2 Tbsp butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 C heavy cream

1/2 C milk

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese

2 roma tomatoes, diced

2 Tbsp chopped or dried parsley

salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl add the chicken and sprinkle on the Cajun seasoning. Use your hands to gently massage the seasoning onto the chicken, making sure to fully coat them. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook about 5 minutes on each side, until browned and cooked through. Set aside.

In the meantime, in a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente.

In the pan the chicken was cooked in, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Whisk in the heavy cream, milk and lemon zest. Bring to a light simmer, stirring constantly, and add the Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the chicken to the pan and the cooked pasta. If sauce is too thick, add a little pasta water to thin it up.

Add the tomatoes and parsley. Stir until well combined. Serve!

**Cajun Seasoning

In a bowl combine 1/2 Tbsp paprika, 1 Tbsp kosher salt, 1 Tbsp garlic powder, 1/2 Tbsp black pepper, 1/2 Tbsp white pepper, 1/2 Tbsp onion powder, 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano, 1/2 Tbsp cayenne & 1/4 Tbsp dried thyme.