Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta #PastaFits

11:55 PM

I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Mom Central for the National Pasta Association. I received pasta samples and a stipend to facilitate the creation of pasta recipes as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Over the last few months I have shared with you the great information and delicious recipes that are available for consumers on the Pasta Fits website. I've shared both a Mexican-spiced ground turkey with mezze pasta recipe as well as a healthy stuffed shells recipe, both from the pasta fits website, and showed how these recipes can fit into a busy schedule to provide balanced nutrition. In this post, I want to share a holiday inspired pasta dish that I created based on inspiration from PastaFits.org.

About PastaFits.org

The National Pasta Association has started the Pasta Fits site as a culinary and nutrition based resource. PastaFits.org provides recipes, nutritional information, current promotions, general cooking tips and pasta facts that you may not be aware of. For instance, "As of March 2012, the average price an American pays for pasta is $1.45 per pound! This makes it one of the most affordable meals." Not only is pasta a great budget friendly meal option, but it contains complex carbohydrates, which is the optimum fuel to power your muscles and brain.

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipe

Beginning on December 1st, the boys and I will be heading out to Louisiana for a few weeks. Since we will be there during the holiday season, cajun inspired dishes are all that come to mind when I think of the holidays. That is why I wanted to create a holiday dish that was inspired by the Cajun culture we will be experiencing.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Bucatini pasta

For Shrimp:

1 lb. medium shrimp peeled and deveined
2 tbsp. Cajun seasoning
1 tbsp. Paprika
1/2 tsp. Basil
1/2 tsp. Oregano
Pepper to taste

For Sauce:

2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. garlic minced
3 tbsp. un-bleached flour
1 c. fat-free chicken stock
1/2 cup half-and-half
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. Crystal hot sauce (you can add more if you want more heat)

Step 1: Toss shrimp in seasonings and coat well on both sides.

Step 2: In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook shrimp until done, do not overcook. Set aside on a plate and cover to keep warm.

Step 3: Put pasta on to cook.

Step 4: While pasta is cooking, mix tbsp butter and 2 tbsp. un-bleached flour in the skillet with the drippings from the shrimp, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or so, forming a roux. Stir regularly to keep from burning.

Step 5: Slowly whisk in the rest of the sauce ingredients and cook for another 10 minutes or until thickened over medium heat.

Step 6: When pasta is done, toss it with the sauce and add in the shrimp. Serve!

Would you like more pasta recipe ideas? Be sure to visit PastaFits.org, or follow Pasta Fits on Facebook or Twitter for the latest news and promotions.

Kathleen

Kathleen is a homeschooling mom of four boys with a serious case of the Wanderlust bug. Her love of travel extends to her children, and has resulted in the family visiting 48 states to date, and traveling nearly a third of the year. She is the owner of LifeWith4Boys.com where you will find information on Family Travel, recipes, reviews, lifestyle and more.