Wednesday, September 4, 2013

{In My Kitchen} Louisiana Shrimp Pasta


My sister has been raving about this dish she makes called Louisiana Chicken Pasta. I think she got it off Pinterest. Because, let's be honest, we hardly ever find new recipes in cookbooks anymore. 

I feel I've been in a recipe-rut, cooking the same dishes over and over. Lately it's been chicken burgers (will have to do a blog post soon) and Mexican stack-ups. When I mentioned to Christy that I wanted something different, she persuaded me to try this recipe. She even wrote it on a cute little recipe card. That's how committed she is to this recipe. I mean, ya don't give someone a handwritten recipe card for a so-so dish.

I tried it last night, and y'all, it was DELISH. Really and truly, down to your core DELICIOUS.

I had to share the recipe right away. I did make a few minor changes to her recipe, so I'll include both versions. Be prepared to drool.


Louisiana Chicken {Shrimp} Pasta

Ingredients:

  • 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces {I used a bag of Gulf caught peeled & deveined shrimp}
  • 8 oz bowtie pasta {1 cup Hodgson Mills whole wheat pasta spirals}
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil {3 tbsp organic virgin coconut oil in place of butter & olive oil}
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 cup half and half {1/2 cup organic half and half}
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream {1 cup heavy whipping cream}
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder {1/4 tsp organic minced garlic}
  • 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning*
  • 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper*
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 3 scallions, chopped
* We both used more Cajun seasoning and Cayenne than suggested.

Get Cookin'
  1. Cook chicken {or shrimp} in small amount of butter/olive oil {coconut oil} in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season with salt and Cajun spices. Cook until lightly brown {or pink if using shrimp} and is thoroughly cooked. Set aside.
  2. Cook pasta according to instructions on package. 
  3. Sautee peppers and onions in the same skillet the chicken {shrimp} was cooked in. Season with salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning, and Cayenne. Cook until veggies are tender, about 6-8 minutes.
  4. Add the half and half and heavy cream to the skillet and bring to a simmer.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water until dissolved. Add to skillet once the cream mixture has started to bubble. Allow to cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.*
  6. When the sauce has thickened, add cooked pasta and chicken pieces {shrimp} to the skillet. Cook until chicken {shrimp} is warmed through. 
  7. Stir in scallions.
  8. Serve immediately and top with addition Cajun seasoning, if desired. Which we did.
Christy's Note: Makes about 6 servings. This would be good for company. {I completely agree!}

*I skipped step 5, choosing not to add cornstarch as a thickening agent. Instead I allowed my sauce to simmer a bit longer. It thickened up on its own.



Even Michael, who doesn't generally like pasta dishes for supper, gave this one two thumbs up. I'll leave you with one final picture to drive home the point. Now, go get in the kitchen!




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