Cajun Chicken Pasta

I'm always looking for fast, easy, cheap, and yummy dinners.  I think this may be a new go-to for us.  My mother-in-law made it for us last time we were in Utah for a visit, only she used shrimp instead of chicken.  It was delicious and came together so quickly!  I thought I'd share it here just in time for Mardi Gras (which is February 12th this year).  Jeff spent a few years of his childhood in Lousiana, so at our house we use that as an excuse to celebrate Mardi Gras and eat yummy Cajun food.  So, if you need an excuse to make this, use Mardi Gras and you can thank me later.  

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Printable Version

Ingredients:

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For the blackened chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder

For the sauce:
1- 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2-3 teaspoons cajun/creole seasoning (some brands are spicier than others, so season gradually and taste as you go)
1- 15 ounce jar alfredo sauce (or make your own. This is my favorite--just use half of a batch.)
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 pound linguini, or other pasta, cooked and drained

Directions:

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Preheat oven to 350. Heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over high heat for 5 minutes until it is smoking hot.
Mix together the paprika, salt, cayenne, cumin, thyme, white pepper, and onion powder. Oil the chicken breasts with cooking spray on both sides, then coat the chicken breasts evenly with the spice mixture.

Place the chicken in the hot pan, and cook for 1 minute. Turn, and cook 1 minute on other side.  Transfer skillet to oven and bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 5-10 minutes depending on the thickness.  When the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165, remove chicken breasts from skillet and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.  While chicken is resting, cook your pasta and prepare sauce.  

In a medium saucepan, combine crushed tomatoes, alfredo sauce, and cajun/creole seasoning. Heat over med-low, until hot and bubbly.  Slice chicken and serve with sauce over hot pasta.  .  

Notes:

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The chicken is a bit spicy, if you want to reduce the spiciness, cut back on the cayenne pepper.
This is also really yummy using shrimp instead of chicken.  
If you have leftover chicken and sauce--use them on a pizza! :)

Recipe Source: My mother-in-law Karen, and allrecipes