Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Again, I apologize for the delay. I’ve spent the past week cooped up in the cinema school’s editing labs, tirelessly piecing together a couple of short films. (Ok, I lied—I get pretty tired of it after being there for 6+ hours at a time.) And while it feels amazing to finally break free from the labs and walk home at the end of the night, the little journey unfortunately leads me right past a Wendy’s.

This puts me in a bit of a pickle. Sure, the burgers are sloppily put together and the fries are kind of pathetic, but it’s ready right then and there. On the other hand, I could go home and make something delicious but probably time-intensive.

Or, I could have the best of both worlds.

That’s why I make my Cajun Chicken Pasta. It’s super easy to prepare and takes next to no time. Not to mention, it’s pretty damn tasty. The creamy sauce compliments the ever-so-slight kick of the chicken, which is just enough to give it some character without overwhelming the taste buds.

Really, it blows fast food out of the water without taking that much more time. Best of both worlds indeed.

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
½ lb linguine pasta (half a package)
1 chicken breast
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/3 cup heavy cream
½ cup milk
¼ cup grated parmesan
½ tsp salt
Chopped parsley and additional parmesan for garnish

Boil the pasta in salted water according to the box’s instructions.

Cut the chicken in half horizontally, then slice these halves into strips. Toss them in the Cajun seasoning and set aside.

In a large saucepan, bring the butter to medium heat. Once completely melted, add the chicken and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the olive oil and garlic. Stir for about 30 seconds, then mix in the pepper. Allow it to simmer for several minutes. 

Pour in the cream and milk, stirring constantly. Bring the pan back to medium heat and mix in the parmesan until thoroughly incorporated. Continue to cook until the milk no longer sits at the bottom of the pan and has thickened into a creamy sauce. Dish up the pasta and garnish with chopped parsley and additional parmesan. Makes 2 generous servings.

BLT Pasta Salad

It’s far from picnic season, but that isn’t going to stop me from craving those kinds of foods. In fact, I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s nothing like a cool and creamy pasta salad on a warm summer day. Of course, just because I can’t enjoy the sunshine doesn’t mean I won’t make the most awesome pasta salad possible. And I did.

I humbly submit for your approval BLT Pasta Salad. It combines subtle herbs with peppery arugula and fresh tomatoes, all held together by a creamy base. Most importantly, it’s finished with a modest portion of ever-delicious bacon. With those ingredients, it’s hard to go wrong—even if it’s not quite time for a picnic.

BLT Pasta Salad
3 cups corkscrew pasta
½ cup milk
10 slices thick-cut bacon
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp thyme
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp sour cream
3/4 cup grape tomatoes
½ arugula, packed
2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp grated parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the pasta in salted water according to the package’s instructions. Drain and rinse, then pour into a large bowl. Mix in the milk and set aside.

Cook the bacon on medium heat until crispy. Remove from pan and crumble. In a separate pan, bring 1 tsp of the bacon drippings to low heat. Add the garlic and thyme, allowing it to cook for no more than a minute. Pour the garlic and drippings into the bowl of pasta and mix. Stir in the mayonnaise and sour cream until thoroughly incorporated.

Halve the grape tomatoes and add them, along with the arugula, to the pasta. Gently toss to coat the vegetables. Mix in all but 1 tsp of the bacon. Stir in the parsley, parmesan, salt and pepper. Garnish with the remaining bacon and additional parsley. Makes 6 servings.

Spinach Artichoke Nachos

Superbowl Sunday is just around the corner, so I figured I’d throw in my two cents. Given my affinity for cooking and my lack of the sports gene, it’s no surprise that my favorite part of the Superbowl is the food. Sure, the commercials are entertaining, and one might argue that the game is too, but there’s nothing quite like throwing caution to the wind and indulging in a ridiculously unhealthy but ecstasy-inducing feast.

That’s why I came up with a recipe for Spinach Artichoke Nachos. It’s spinach and artichoke dip at its finest, really. The rich combination of cream cheese, parmesan and mozzarella makes for a delicious base for to the fresh spinach, tangy artichoke and buttery garlic. Not to mention, you get to cut out the middleman—no dipping necessary.

The recipe makes a generous amount of nachos that, if doubled, is perfectly party-sized—even for a ravenous group of football lovers. Or just food lovers. Wait, who’s playing again?

Spinach Artichoke Nachos
3 cups fresh spinach
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup grated parmesan
¾ cup canned artichoke, chopped
3 tbsp cream cheese
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
3 cups tortilla chips
¾ cup shredded mozzarella, divided

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a large pan, bring the olive oil and butter to medium heat. Once fully melted, add the spinach and cook until completely wilted. Add the garlic and stir for another minute. Remove the spinach from the pan and chop.

Return the spinach to the pan and mix in the parmesan. Once the cheese is melted, add the artichoke. Slowly stir in the cream cheese until it is fully incorporated. Season with the salt and pepper, and take off the heat.

Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and spread out the tortilla chips. Sprinkle ½ cup of the mozzarella over the chips, then cover with the spinach artichoke dip. Scatter the remaining ¼ cup mozzarella over the chips, and bake at 325 for 7-10 minutes.

Creamy Garlic Pasta

There are few things I love as much as cheese. One of these few things, however, is garlic.

I’m the kind of person that nearly doubles the amount of garlic a recipe calls for because I feel like I can never get enough of it, and you can bet I always pair garlic bread with my pasta. This time, however, I decided to cut out the middleman and go straight for garlic pasta.

It’s rich and creamy, while the fresh parsley gives it a nice bit of color and flavor. But more importantly, it gives me my garlic fix. And when I can combine my two loves, garlic and cheese? Now that’s a beautiful thing.

Creamy Garlic Pasta
2 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
¼  tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
3 cups chicken stock
½ lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
¾ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

In a pot, bring the olive oil to medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir, allowing it to cook for 1-2 minutes. Mix in the butter until melted. Add the salt, pepper and chicken stock. Raise the heat to high and let it come to a boil. 

Once it is at a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook for as long as the box’s directions indicate. Reduce the stove to medium heat and mix in the parmesan until completely melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream and parsley. Serve immediately.