Cajun Chicken Alfredo

Why is it when it's hot out I just can't seem to motivate myself to cook? This was another night when I waited too late to start dinner, had no clear plan and no time to run to the grocery store. And unexpectedly I also had an extra mouth to feed. A quick look in my pantry made pasta the obvious choice. (I seem to have a pasta addiction and I can't seem to stop myself from buying any different pasta shape I come across.) I picked fettuccine and after a quick scan of the fridge, I decided on a sort of Cajun-ish Chicken Alfredo. I blackened the chicken in a spice mix I mixed up from a recipe I found over at Robbie's Recipes. To give the sauce a little zing and a bit of color, I added some Sun-dried Tomato Pesto that I've had around here forever. I know Alfredo is never the *healthy* choice, but I used a bit less than 1 cup of heavy cream and a can of evaporated milk for 10+ servings, which cut the fat content considerably without affecting the taste.

Dinner made it onto the table on time and there was plenty for everyone. The biggest surprise of all was that *both* girls *loved* it. Even ds and his girlfriend enjoyed it, though the laughed about the fact that they'd ordered the Cajun Chicken Pasta the night before at Red Lobster but both agreed that mine was better. (Have mentioned lately how much I really like ds's girlfriend? LOL!)


Cajun-ish Chicken Alfredo

1 box fettucine
4 boneless chicken breasts
Cajun blackening seasoning from Robbie's Recipes, or use your favorite
olive oil
Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup heavy cream
Parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper
scallions, for garnish

Prepare pasta following package directions.

Pound chicken breasts thinly and coat in the blackening seasoning mix. In a skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil and saute chicken breasts until done all the way through. Set aside.

Saute garlic. After garlic starts to caramelize, add sun-dried tomato pesto. Slice chicken into stips and add to the pan. Add wine to deglaze the pan. Simmer to reduce a few minutes. Add the evaporated milk and simmer until sauce is reduced. Add cream and reduce to desired consistency. Add Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with scallions.