Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Ingredients:
for the seasoning:
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you want to up the heat) (my kids thought it was too spicy even when I used only 1/4 teaspoon - so use as much as you can handle!)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
for the chicken and pasta:
2 teaspoons oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch strips
2 bell peppers, any color (I prefer red and orange), sliced into thin strips (I only had one - a red one - and it seemed to be plenty)
1 yellow onion, cut into thin half moon slices
12 ounces fettuccine noodles (I decided to use a whole pound package because I hate having half-open pasta bags in my cupboard just hanging out)
for the sauce:
1 Tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 ounces light cream cheese, softened
1 cup milk
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth (I skipped the broth and just upped the milk to 2 cups total since I used more pasta than she called for)
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Mix together all the seasoning spices in a small bowl and toss all but 1 teaspoon of the mixture with the chicken pieces, reserving the 1 teaspoon for later. (Since I had already made up a very similar Cajun spice mix a long time ago, I just used ~1 Tablespoon of that for the chicken and 1 teaspoon for later.)
Bring a large pot of salted (I never salt my water - am I a bad pasta maker?) water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package directions.
While the noodles are boiling, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat until the oil is hot and rippling. Add the seasoned chicken pieces in a single layer and cook until golden on each side and cooked through, 3-5 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside, leaving as much liquid in the pan as possible.
Return the skillet to medium heat and add the peppers and onions. Sprinkle the reserved spice mixture over the top and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are softened. Scrape the veggies on top of the chicken.
Return the skillet to the heat and make the sauce by adding the butter and garlic. Stir constantly for 30 seconds or so until the garlic is fragrant. Add the cream cheese in large pieces and whisk or stir until smooth and thick.
In a large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk, broth and cornstarch until well combined.
Gradually pour this mixture into the skillet, whisking vigorously to avoid lumps. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste (I'd suggest about 1/4 teaspoon each and work up from there as needed).
Add the chicken, peppers and onions and stir to coat with sauce. Remove from the heat.
Once the noodles are finished cooking, drain and return to the pot. Pour the sauce mixture over the top and toss to coat the noodles with sauce. Serve immediately, garnishing with green onions, if desired.
Notes:
I had made a different version of Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta a long time ago and we really enjoyed it then and the handful of other times I have made it since. I liked the flavor and creaminess and the relative ease of the dish, but when I saw Mel post her own version, I knew I had to give it a try. And I knew that I wouldn't ever go back to my old ways once I did. That's sort of the way it goes with her recipes. She's just that good. I really liked the extra creamy-factor from the cream cheese, but I actually thought the pasta was better the second day (reheated, of course) after it had a chance to really meld together in the fridge overnight. Good stuff here. And although the recipe looks long, it really isn't too involved and is actually pretty quick to whip together.
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