Blackened Chicken Pasta is practically the definition of comfort food. It’s full of spicy flavors and lots of parmesan cheese in a creamy sauce. If you like this, make sure to check out my other pasta recipes here!
THE BLACKENED CHICKEN PASTA EXPLAINED:
A pasta of your choice tossed in a parmesan, spicy, cream sauce. Topped with blackened chicken slices and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
FAQ’S:
what kind of cheese should I use?
freshly grated parmesan. do not use the pre-packaged powder grated, shredded, or shaved parmesan. all of which have chemicals that prevent the cheese from melting into a smooth sauce but instead make the sauce clumpy.
which pasta is best?
fettuccine, linguine, pappardelle, penne. I used fettuccine in this recipe!
what is blackened seasoning?
blackened seasoning is typically made up of spices and a small amount of herbs. it falls between creole and cajun. while cajun seasoning is usually more spicy. the spices they all have in common are paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, and onion powder.
grocery list:
- pasta of your choice, some options listed above
- boneless, skinless chicken tenders or breasts
- heavy cream
- parmesan, freshly grated
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- cayenne pepper
- paprika
- salt
- pepper
equipment list:
*link to my amazon storefront to purchase equipment*
- a pasta pot
- frying pan
- microplane zester/grater
- knives
Blackened Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 oz pasta your choice
- 16 oz chicken 4 tenders or 2 breasts
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups parmesan freshly grated
- 2 tsp garlic powder divided
- 2 tsp onion powder divided
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper divided
- 1 tsp paprika divided
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Boil pasta according to directions with a generous pinch of salt and about 1 tbsp olive oil, drain all water from pot except for ¼ cup, set that aside. Let pasta sit in a bowl until ready to use, stir in a tsp of olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking.
- In a small bowl, mix together 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, ½ tsp paprika, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper. Sprinkle both sides of chicken tenders with the blackened seasoning mix and place in a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Let them cook until they reach at least 165 F and add more olive oil as needed to prevent from sticking.
- In a small saucepan on medium-low heat, bring heavy cream to a boil. Add parmesan cheese and stir with a wooden spoon until melted. Pour in the pasta water that was saved from earlier and mix. Let sauce simmer for about 3 minutes while stirring periodically. Remove from heat and add 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, ½ tsp paprika, salt, and pepper.
- The sauce can be served on the side or tossed in the pasta. Same goes with the chicken, it can be cut up and tossed in with the pasta or sliced and placed on top. Top with extra parmesan cheese if desired!