Things I love about this dish:

1. How colorful it is. Bell peppers, you make life so pretty.

2. How easy it is. I'm pretty much lazy when it comes to making dinner.
3. The Cajun seasoning on the chicken. Seriously, where has Cajun seasoning been all my life? (If you are on the fence about buying yet another spice for your cupboard, make a small batch of it using this recipe.)
4. The mushrooms. Just because they are so tasty.
5. How different this dish is from other pasta dishes. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a rut with pesto pasta or pasta with tomato sauce. This dish has a unique flavor that is wonderful but not so crazy that my toddler wouldn't eat it. 

Have I convinced you that you need this meal in your life? I think you do. I think you will love that it makes a huge batch and that despite the deceptively long list of ingredients, it goes together quickly.

More time for dessert?

Awesome.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

By Heat Oven To 350 Published 01/28/2014

Ingredients

• 12 ounces uncooked linguine
• 2 pounds chicken breast strips
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 orange bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 (8 oz) package sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 1/2 cups milk (You can substitute half and half or cream and omit the cornstarch)
• 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions
2. While pasta is cooking, sprinkle chicken with Cajun season and 1 teaspoon salt. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook 5-6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken to a clean plate.
3. Add bell peppers and mushrooms to skillet. Cook until vegetables are tender and liquid has evaporated, about 8-9 minutes.
4. Return chicken to the skillet and stir in milk. Add cornstarch (mixing with a small amount of milk or water first will help reduce clumps), lemon pepper, basil, garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, over medium-low heat until thoroughly heated. Add salt to taste. (Don't skip this salting step!) Add linguine and toss to coat. Garnish with chopped green onions and serve.

Yield: 4-6 servings
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min

Recipe Source: adapted from allrecipes.com

Posted in: Main Dish