Cajun Chicken Pasta

This week was full of foods that not only tasted amazing but also gave us a glimpse into the personalities and childhoods of our classmates.  The dish I decided to prepare was a Cajun chicken pasta.  It is a dish that I fell in love with during the summer I learned how to cook.  It is the reason I now enjoy eating onions and peppers (which I wouldn't touch beforehand).  It was nice to be able to spend this week sharing food and memories with classmates and professors.  It made me think about the stories I've heard professors tell about the days at Hanover that students would get together with their professors for dinner and bond over these occasions.  I now understand just how close these experiences can make a campus community and I hope in the future such gatherings will happen again.

Cajun Chicken Pasta (shrimp optional)

·         1/2 teaspoon white pepper                                                    1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

·         1 1/2 teaspoons salt                                                 1/2 teaspoon paprika

·         1/4 teaspoon garlic powder                          2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (halved)

·         1/2 lb large shrimp (peeled and deveined)       5 quarts water

·         6 ounces fettuccine                                     6 ounces spinach fettuccine

·         2 tablespoons olive oil                                             2 medium chopped tomatoes

·         1 sliced green bell pepper                            1 sliced red bell pepper

·         1 sliced yellow bell pepper                           1 medium onion, sliced

·         1 1/2 cups chicken stock                             1 tablespoon arrowrood

·         2 tablespoons white wine                             2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

·         1/4 teaspoon onion powder

      Slice the chicken into small pieces, slice the onion and peppers into thin slices, and dice the tomato.  Mix the spices together into a cajun seasoning and spread equally over the chicken and vegetables.  Add 1 tbsp of oil to a large frying pan and heat on high.  Saute the chicken for about 2 minutes per side until it begins to brown and then remove the chicken and place it aside.  Add the remaining oil to the pan and saute the vegetables for 10 minutes until they are dark.  Meanwhile, heat the water for the pasta (adding salt and oil) and once hot cook the pasta until desired tenderness.  Add the chicken back to the pan with the vegetables and add 3/4 cup of chicken stock, cook until nearly nothing remains in the pan.  Add the remaining 3/4 cup making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan and let reduce slightly.  Turn the heat to low and add 1 tbsp of arrowroot mixed with 2 tbsp white white and allow to thicken.  Add the pasta to the chicken and vegetables, covering the pasta with the sauce.  Remove, serve, and enjoy!