Featured Recipe
Camille's Cheesy Cajun Pasta
By Linda D Young
Ingredients:
INGREDIENTS:
2 lb. chicken parts(thighs/breasts or combination) OR shrimp
5 - 6 pieces thick cut bacon
1 lb. short-cut pasta (mini spaghetti great with shrimp, farfalle great with chicken)
1 chicken bouillon cube
4 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 cloves chopped garlic
2 bell peppers, chopped
2 tablespoons plus 1-2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (add more/less to your liking)
kosher salt and black pepper to taste
2 tsp dried basil or 2 tablespoons fresh, chopped
crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
2 cups heavy cream
4 oz. cream cheese (chopped, keep at room temperature)
8oz. grated parmesan cheese (REAL cheese, NOT KRAFT powdered junk)
4-8 oz. shredded cheese (suggest to omit if recipe prepared with shrimp)
2 bunches of green onion, sliced
Directions:
DIRECTIONS:
Precook the chicken or shrimp and the bacon in the oven. (375 ºdegree oven - 45-60 minutes for chicken and 30 minutes for shrimp) when cool, chop and set aside for later in the recipe
Following package directions, Boil pasta with bouillon cube added to the water (reserve 2 cups of the pasta water BEFORE draining)
heat the olive oil and chopped garlic in a large pan. add the chopped bell peppers and cook until cooked down, approx. 4-6 minutes
add the chopped, pre-cooked chicken or shrimp and 2 tablespoons of the Cajun seasoning. Cook for approx. 5 minutes
add cream cheese, reserved pasta water and heavy cream to the pan with veggies and chicken or shrimp. add the parmesan cheese, basil and crushed red pepper flakes
Let simmer and thicken (approx. 5-8 minutes)
add pasta and shredded cheese, cook until all cheese is melted (approx. 2-3 minutes)
top with the chopped green onion and bacon, mixing well. serve immediately!!
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