30 Minute Creamy Creole Chicken And Linguini
Spicy and delicious, this 30 minute creamy creole chicken and linguini is the perfect dinner on busy nights. It is a unique fusion of Creole cuisine and Italian cuisine. These two culinary delights come together to create a delicious and impactful dish that is rich in flavor and a complete meal. Isn’t it wonderful to find no fuss meals with some of your favorite ingredients?
This main course recipe is bursting with flavor. The spicy seasoning blend perfectly encompasses the chicken pieces and forms a beautiful crust when cooked. Adding heavy cream makes the sauce thick and velvety which coats the linguini noodles just right. Use as much or as little spice as you like to turn up the heat. If you make your own seasoning you can control the amount of cayenne.
Ingredients for 30 Minute Creamy Creole Chicken And Linguini
The following ingredients are needed to make this recipe. You can make your own creole seasoning like me or buy some at the grocery store.
- 16 oz package of linguini
- 2 chicken breasts, cubed
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- Half of each green and orange bell pepper, diced
- 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
How To Make Creole Seasoning
The Spices – From the left (orange)…. cayenne powder, onion and herb salt, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, oregano, Center- basil and thyme. These spices mixed together make creole seasoning. You can double or triple this recipe and store it in your spice collection to use whenever you like.
- 1 tsp onion salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp basil
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/4 tsp cayenne powder (more or less depending on your taste)
Prepare The Ingredients For 30 Minute Creamy Creole Chicken And Linguini
Linguini
Set a large pot to boil on the stove. I use an 8-quart stock pot to prepare most of my pasta. Using a bigger pot means less mess or boiling over. Make sure to salt the water (a couple of teaspoons of salt), this flavors the pasta without having to salt it later. Prepare according to the package directions making sure it is al dente (on the firmer side). Be sure to reserve at least one cup of starchy pasta water for later.
Linguini is the perfect shape pasta for this dish. It pairs beautifully with the chicken pieces and gets coated in all that silky sauce. Other pasta would work too, but this one ranks number one on my list.
Chicken
Dice up two boneless chicken breasts into bite-size pieces and put them in a bowl. Then take the creole seasoning and generously season the chicken. You can use as little or as much as you like. Mix it around well to be sure to coat every piece. Set aside. Chicken breasts will give you the best results because they will hold their shape when cooking.
In a large skillet (12-inch cast iron) over medium-high heat melt the butter and olive oil until hot. Place chicken pieces into the pan and don’t stir letting them get golden brown. Let them cook on one side undisturbed for 2-4 minutes (depending on the size). A heavy bottom pan such as cast iron cooks meat and other dishes evenly and allows for a great sear.
They should have formed a nice crust on that side so now flip them over and do the same on the other side. Move them to a plate and set them aside. Leave the pan on medium heat for the veggies and sauce.
The Vegetables
This is a straightforward addition but adds so much flavor. Use just half a green pepper and half an orange pepper. Dice them up as small as you like (I do mine pretty tiny). In the same cast iron pan -(because of all that flavor) add another pat of butter and dump in the peppers. Never underestimate the power of green bell pepper. A diced jalapeno would be delicious too. Stir around and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add The Tomatoes
On top of the sauteed bell peppers, add the Roma tomatoes. Stir around for only a minute or two just to soften them up a little. You can add more of the creole seasoning if you like.
When all the tomatoes are warmed through, move all the vegetables to the plate with the cooked chicken breasts.
Make The Sauce For The Creamy Creole Chicken And Linguini
In the same cast iron skillet that is now bursting with massive flavor from the chicken, seasoning, and vegetables we are going to make our sauce. Start by deglazing the pan with a bit of chicken stock, vegetable stock, or white wine. I make my own vegetable stock and usually have some on hand.
Scrape it around releasing all those cooked-on bits from the skillet. That is pure flavor right there. Add the rest of the two cups of stock. Let this cook down for about 5 minutes on a simmer. Next, add the cup of heavy cream. Stir the two liquids together and let this simmer for around 2 minutes.
And that’s it! That is your sauce. Now add back in the chicken and vegetables and cook for another five minutes to meld all the flavors together. By now your linguini should be ready and the pasta water reserved.
Bringing The Creamy Creole Chicken And Linguini Together
It’s time to bring it all together. When the linguini is cooked al dente, add it to the pan. Stir it all together (tongs work great). The reserved pasta water is perfect for thinning out the sauce either now or later. I always set some aside to add back in later.
Wrapping Up
30 minute creamy chicken and linguini is a dish I guarantee you will love. Even if spice is not your thing (just omit or reduce the cayenne pepper) this recipe is all about flavor. Combining the flavors of Louisiana Creole with Italian pasta and Roma tomatoes is a marriage made in food heaven. Next time, try adding in andouille sausage for a spicier kick.
I would love to hear from you! This is truly one of my favorite dinners. I’ve been lucky enough to travel to both Italy and New Orleans several times, and this meal is a perfect fusion of both places. These regions make some of the most delicious food in the world. I dare you to give it a try.
As always, thank you for stopping by.
Cheers,
Sarah
30 Minute Creamy Creole Chicken And Linguini Recipe
30 Minute Creamy Creole Chicken And Linguini
A unique fusion of Creole and Italian cuisines. These two culinary delights come together to create a delicious and impactful dish that is rich in flavor and fast to put together.
Ingredients
- 16 oz package of linguini
- 2 chicken breasts, cubed
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- Half of each green and orange bell pepper diced
- 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
1. In a large pot of salted water, cook the linguini according to the package directions for al dente. Reserve I cup of the starchy water.
2. Dice up 2 chicken breasts and place them in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of creole seasoning. Stir to coat.
3. Heat up butter and oil in a large cast iron skillet and add the chicken. Do not stir (this forms a nice crust). Cook for 2-4 minutes. Flip and do the same for the other side. Move to a plate.
4. Dice up the bell pepper and tomatoes. In the same pan add a little more butter if needed and saute the bell peppers for 2 minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes and stir around for around 1 minute. Move the vegetable to the plate with the chicken.
6. Pour in a 1/2 cup of the stock and scrape up any bits of flavor. Add the remaining stock and simmer to reduce for 5 minutes.
7. Next add in the heavy cream and simmer for 2 minutes. Add back in the chicken and vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes.
8. Finally add in the linguini and combine.
Notes
The reserved pasta water is used to thin out the sauce as it sits. You may need it, you may not. It's always good to have some for any sauce you are making.
Other pasta shapes would work fine, but I think linguini is the perfect shape and size.
Reheats well on the stove top or microwave.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
5Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 415Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 729mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 20g
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This looks delicious and something the whole family will enjoy!
I love any kind of chicken dishes
Just simply wonderful.