Cajun Chicken Pasta

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into cubes

3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning mix, more to taste
1 pound Fettuccine or Farfala
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 whole green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 whole red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1/2 whole large red onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 whole Roma tomatoes, diced
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
Cayenne pepper to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
salt to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain.  Sprinkle 1 1/2 tsp Cajun spice over chicken pieces.  Toss around to coat.  Heat 1 tbsp oil and 1 tsp butter in a heavy skillet over high heat.  Add half the chicken in a single layer, do not stir.  Allow chicken to brown on one side, about 1 minute.  Flip to the other side and cook an additional minute.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean plate.  Repeat with remaining chicken, remove with slotted spoon and leave pan on high heat.  Add remaining olive oil and butter.  When heated, add peppers, onions and garlic.  Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, add salt if needed.  Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently, basically stir frying the veggies.  Add tomatoes and cook for an additional minute.  Remove all vegetables from the pan.  With the pan on high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth.  Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze.  Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly.  Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes until cream starts to thicken the mixture.  Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper and salt to taste.  Sauce should be spicy! Finally, add chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate.  Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until mixture is bubbly and hot.  Add drained pasta and toss to combine.

I have made this dish a couple of times and it is high on the popularity list at my house. We like spicy food and the great thing about this dish is you can make it as spicy as you like.  If your family is more on the whimpy side then you can decrease the amount of Cajun spice but if they have cast iron bellies then just keep shakin' the spice!  I took left overs of this dish for lunch today and shared it with the girls at the table.  Everyone seemed to like it and wanted the recipe so here ya go girls, enjoy!