Cajun Chicken Pasta

I would just like to say that it pays to try new things.

My husband was a little hesitant when I mentioned this lovely dish as what I was making for dinner. He ate one bite and declared it one of his new favorites. Don't judge a meal by it's name...even if the name contains an ingredient that sends shivers down your spine (or in Hubby's case, burning up his taste buds). The word "Cajun" struck fear into his avoid-spicy-things heart. But all was well.

(Just as an aside, the creamy pasta sauce cuts down on the spice of the chicken, so don't be scared. :) That's also a great way to combine food-complementing flavors together. I digress. I just had to explain. :) )

So before I make a mess of this blog post...here comes Cajun Chicken Pasta.

Ingredients:
-Pasta-any kind will do. I used rigatoni. Hollow noodles=sauce all up in there. Yum.
-Chicken breasts-cut into bite sized pieces.
-Cajun seasoning, to taste-I used a Cajun seasoning blend, but feel free to make your own-chili powder, paprika, garlic, etc are good to start.
-Butter-about 3 tablespoons for cooking the chicken, and about 1/4 cup for the sauce.
-3 tablespoons flour
-1.5 cups cream
-1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
-3/4 cup shredded parmesan

Directions:
Boil a pot of water. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Season the chicken pieces with the Cajun seasoning. Don't be shy. Heat up the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook the chicken in the butter, letting it get as brown on the outside as possible without over cooking it. Set the chicken aside.

Melt the butter for the sauce in a sauce pan or skillet over medium low heat. Add the flour and whisk in. Let the roux cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Add the cream and milk. Whisk until everything is well combined. Let the sauce cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until it starts to thicken up a bit. At that point, add the parmesan and stir it in. Let it melt through the sauce, stirring constantly, until everything is creamy and delicious. Dump the noodles and sauce into one big bowl, and coat the pasta with the sauce. Spoon the pasta onto a serving dish, then place the chicken over the top. Garnish with a little bit of shredded parmesan and enjoy. Yummy!