Creamy Italian Sausage Cajun Chicken (Printable Version)
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 -
350 g short pasta such as penne or fusilli
→ Chicken
02 -
2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
03 -
2 tablespoons olive oil
04 -
2 tablespoons cajun seasoning
→ Sausage
05 -
250 g Italian sausage, sliced or crumbled
→ Sauce
06 -
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 -
3 cloves garlic, freshly minced
08 -
2 pepperoncini peppers, diced
09 -
2 tablespoons pepperoncini (or banana pepper) juice
10 -
200 ml heavy cream
11 -
50 g parmesan cheese, freshly grated
12 -
125 ml chicken stock
→ Finishing
13 -
Salt and black pepper, to taste
# Step-by-Step Directions:
01 -
Rub chicken breasts with olive oil, then coat both sides evenly with cajun seasoning.
02 -
Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add olive oil and sear chicken for 3 minutes without disturbing, flip once, then reduce heat to low. Pour in chicken stock, cover, and simmer for 6 minutes or until chicken reaches 74°C internal temperature. Remove, cover loosely with foil, and set aside.
03 -
Drain excess liquid from the pan, then add Italian sausage. Cook over medium heat until golden and fully cooked through. Remove sausage, reserving 1 tablespoon rendered fat in the pan.
04 -
Add butter to the reserved fat in the skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in minced garlic and diced pepperoncini. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 -
Whisk in heavy cream, remaining cajun seasoning, and pepperoncini juice. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.
06 -
While the sauce simmers, cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions. Reserve 60 ml of pasta water before draining.
07 -
Add grated parmesan cheese to the cream sauce and stir until melted. Return sausage and drained pasta to the skillet, tossing to coat evenly. Add reserved pasta water if necessary for desired sauce consistency.
08 -
Top pasta with sliced cajun chicken. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
# Helpful Notes:
01 -
For an extra touch, garnish with additional grated parmesan and fresh parsley.