Our family loves delicious pasta recipes. I swear that my kids could have pasta every single night for dinner and not get tired of it. I’m pretty sure that pasta is one of my many love languages. One way we like to keep it interesting is by mixing in different seasonings. I love my homemade Cajun Seasoning. It works so well with the Homemade Alfredo Sauce in this Cajun fettuccini Alfredo with chicken.
Make it With Shrimp
This recipe is also delicious made with Blackened Shrimp. I have a separate recipe that I share below, but you can also just swap the chicken for blackened shrimp when you put the dish together at the end. By starting the next step before the previous step is done, you can keep this recipe moving and make it a 20 minute meal. You can see all this come together in the video in the recipe card.
Use plenty of water. Make sure your pasta has plenty of water while it cooks. It needs to do more than just cover the pasta, it also needs room for the pasta to expand. One pound of pasta needs four to six quarts of water. Bring it to a roaring boil. You want to see big, constant bubbles before adding the dry pasta. Salt the water. I always add about a teaspoon of kosher salt to my water before adding the dry noodles to add flavor. Set a timer. Follow the directions on the package and set a timer as soon as the noodles are added to the water. Once the noodles are al dente, drain and set aside. Drizzle with olive oil. Once your noodles are done cooking and drained, drizzle them with a little olive oil and toss to prevent them from sticking together and drying out until the rest of the meal is ready.
That being said, if having to make your own seasoning mix will hold you back from making this recipe, buy some Cajun seasoning! Use a very sharp knife to butterfly the chicken breast open, then cut all the way through like in the photos below. You will know your blackened chicken is done when it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. I recommend using an instant-read thermometer to check this. Keep it tented with foil while you prepare the other parts of this recipe to prevent it from drying out. The chicken can be made in advance and kept in the refrigerator for up to three days. For best results, I recommend grating the parmesan cheese from a block rather than buying cheese that is already shredded. Pre-shredded cheese is covered in preservatives that keep it from clumping together in the bag, but also prevent it from melting well in recipes. Grating it yourself will taste fresher and melt better which is crucial in this recipe. You will be so glad you took the extra couple of minutes to do this. Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for up to five days.
