Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta with Homemade Cajun Spice Mixture

Oh, boy, if you want a dinner that will make your eyes pop open and reawaken your taste buds,  try this quick and inexpensive recipe.  In the time it takes to boil the water for the pasta and cook it, you can have a spicy, piquant meal that is as delicious as it is filling.  There's cream and grated Parmesan cheese in this, which helps to put out some of the fire, smiles, but this is definitely for for anyone who may not care for spicy hot (that would be Ole Sweetie-Pi who wouldn't even take a little whiff to see if he'd even sample it).

I found this recipe on Recipezaar.Com, and made a couple of adjustments.  First of all I  didn't have Cajun seasoning in the spice rack, because I thought it was something I didn't like, but after seeing it was just a mixture of spices that I do like,  I had to mix up my own.  I was a little leery of the cayenne pepper, but in for a dime, in it for a dollar, right?  I used the 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning called for to coat the chicken, but did not add any additional to the sauce even though it was a small amount.  Even if I do say so myself, it was the right decision; any more and it would have been too spicy hot, and as it was, I found it to be tad salty but still delicious.  I would definitely make this recipe again for the enjoyment of my spicy friends.

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

(Recipezaar.Com #39087)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips **

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (recipe to follow)
2 tablespoons butter
1 thinly sliced green onion **
 2 tablespoons chopped sundried tomatoes

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
 
4 ounces pasta, cooked and drained

Place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl and mix well to coat chicken.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, saute the chicken in butter or margarine until chicken is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Reduce the heat and add remaining ingredients, except the Parmesan cheese, and heat through. Stir to bring up any flavorful bits.

Place drained pasta in a bowl, and pour the chicken and sauce over.  Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese, toss gently, and serve immediately.

Serves 2

Homemade Cajun Seasoning

(GroupRecipes.com)

3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt **
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne powder **
1 tablespoon black pepper **
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon thyme

Combine all ingredients in a covered jar, shake well to mix.

**My notes
I used skinless, boneless chicken thighs.
I didn't have a green onion, but I did have a scallion, used one small, diced fine
I found this to be a little salty for my tastes, I would suggest reducing salt to half; you can always add.
I used a Penzey's spice mixture called Red and Black, a mixture of  red  and Tellicherry pepper. Wonderful!