Blackened Cajun Chicken & Creamy Tomato Penne

Y’all. Food.

I can’t get enough of cooking. I try so many new recipes that I forget to go back to my favorite ones and eat them again. I should work on that.

So these next couple weeks in transition of moving to North Carolina, Myla and I are staying with my parents. They’re big meat eaters and, as you know, Jeff and I aren’t. It’s been a lot of fun to experiment with different dishes and flavors and still be able to come up with delicious recipes! #foodie

This recipe is definitely simpler yet packed full of flavor and will leave your stomach full. It’s a heavier dish (so make sure you get your Block from Plexus!)

Blackened Cajun Chicken & Creamy Tomato Penne

6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 16-oz box of Barilla penne pasta
• 1 12-oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 8 oz mozzarella cheese
• 1 c. milk (whole works best but we only had nonfat and it still turned out great!)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 large chicken breasts
• cajun seasoning
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

1. If you’re picky like me, cut off all the fat/veins on your chicken breasts. If you aren’t, skip this step. 🙂
2. Put 2 tbsp of olive oil in large pan, swirl it around, then coat the chicken breasts on either side by rolling them in the pan. Coat both sides of the chicken with cajun seasoning (to your taste). Cover and put on medium-high heat. You want to sear the chicken on either side but you also want the inside to cook. I left my chicken sitting on one side for a good 5-7 minutes before flipping.
3. While the chicken is cooking, boil water for the pasta. Make pasta according to box but leave it slightly undercooked.
4. In another pan, add the 2 tbsp of butter and melt on medium heat. Add the 2 tbsp of flour and stir with a whisk. Add the milk and bring to a boil, stirring with the whisk for 30 seconds once the milk starts boiling.
5. Add 8 oz of mozzarella cheese, salt & pepper to taste, 1 tsp of oregano, and 1/2 tsp garlic powder to the sauce and stir until all the cheese is completely melted. Add the tomatoes and the cooked pasta, stir until mixed well, then cover and let sit on low heat for 5 minutes or until pasta has soaked up a majority of the sauce.
6. Check your chicken! The outsides may be seared but the insides take a little longer. I poked a hole in all my breasts and then flipped them (hole side down) and let them sit awhile longer on lower heat so the meat didn’t dry out.
7. Once the chicken is done, slice the breasts on a cutting board.
8. Plate the pasta, top with chicken, and add any vegetable side to go along with this dish! Something green would work great. 😉