Louisiana Chicken Pasta Bake
This Louisiana chicken pasta is inspired by the Cheesecake Factory’s crowd favorite pasta. Full of cajun spices, creamy alfredo sauce, perfectly cooked veggies and tender chicken then baked with layers of cheese until bubbly!
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken tenders, breast or thighs
- 6 tbsp butter
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 10 cloves garlic
- 2 crowns broccoli, broken into small florets
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 lb pasta, farfelle penne or any pasta of your choice
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup chicken stock/broth
- 1 cup parmesan, grated
- 3 cups shredded cheese, divided colby jack, cheddar, pepperjack whichever you prefer
- cajun seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil
Instructions
Prep & Saute Veggies
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prep the chicken by seasoning it well with cajun seasoning. Set aside for 20 minutes to remove the chill from the fridge. In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp butter and add in 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the peppers, onion and broccoli and season with salt and pepper. Saute for just 3-5 minutes, until they are browned but not cooked through. Remove veggies from the pan and set aside in a large bowl.
Cook Chicken
- In the same pan over medium heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil and add chicken. Cook for 3 minutes per side. Add 1 tbsp butter to the pan plus 1 spoonful of garlic then toss the chicken in the butter and garlic. Place the chicken and pan juices into the bowl with the veggies, tent with foil and set aside. After chicken has rested about 5-10 minutes, then slice it up and return to the foil-tented bowl.
Make the Sauce
- Melt 3 tbsp butter in the same large skillet. Add remaining garlic and saute until fragrant. Add diced tomatoes and saute for another 2-3 minutes or until tomatoes soften, lightly smashing with a fork. Add heavy cream and chicken stock. Add in the cajun seasoning, salt and pepper and parmesan cheese and bring to a simmer until it thickens slightly. As the sauce cooks boil water and cook the pasta to al dente.
Toss & Bake
- To the simmering sauce add the cooked pasta, chicken, and veggies. Add in half of the shredded cheese and toss well. Place the mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish, top with remaining cheese and sprinkle the top with cajun seasoning or paprika. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly and the top is lightly browned.
Reheating & Serving Tips
- To reheat pasta, add a splash of chicken stock, cream and a dollop of butter to each bowl and microwave for about 2 minutes stirring half way through. I like to serve my Louisiana pasta with breadsticks or Texas toast and a salad.