Print the recipe card! bayou chicken pasta
Oh, you’re going to love this one! This is my food storage version of Emeril’s “Bayou Chicken Pasta” (original recipe found here). It’s fabulous!! The flavors in it are wonderful. Think of it as linguine alfredo with a “kick”!
Serves 6-8
Prep time: 15 min
Ingredients
16 oz. linguine
1/4 cup salt
2 TBS garlic olive oil (*see note)
2 (12.5 oz) cans chicken, drained
2 TBS Emeril’s Essence Creole Seasoning (*see note)
1 tsp salt
1 cup freeze dried onion flakes
4 tsp. dried chives
1/2 cup water
1 (7 oz.) can green chiles (*recipe uses 2 TBS, add more if your family likes it spicy)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 cans evaporated milk
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 TBS dried parsley
Instructions
Begin boiling a large pot of water, adding the 1/4 cup of salt. Cook linguine 10 minutes or until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water to add to the sauce (near the end).
While the pasta is cooking prepare the sauce. Season the chicken with 1 TBS Essence seasoning and 1/2 tsp of salt. Over medium heat, heat 1 TBS of garlic olive oil. Once the pan is hot add the chicken to sear until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add another TBS of garlic olive oil to heat and then add the rehydrated onions, chives and green chiles to carmelize. Add the milk, remaining 1 TBS of Essence seasoning and the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt to the pan and bring to a boil using low to medium heat, stirring continuously. Cook the sauce until it’s reduced by half. Add the chicken, drained linguine, tomatoes and reserved cooking water to the pan and cook, tossing to incorperate. Add parmesan cheese and parsley and toss to blend. Serve immediately.
Rehydrate onions and chives using 1/2 cup water. In a separate bowl season the chicken.
Using olive oil, brown the chicken and set aside.
Add remaining 1 TBS of olive oil to the pan and carmelize the rehydrated onion, chives and green chiles.
Add milk, seasoning and salt and bring to a boil (stirring) until sauce is reduced by half.
Add chicken into the sauce.
Add the linguine, tomatoes and reserved cooking water back into the pan and toss to incorperate.
Finally, add the parmesan and parsley. Toss to blend and serve!
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Notes:
- For any vegetarians out there, I’m sure this meal could be made without the meat and still be great! The sauce by itself is awesome. Try making the sauce without the meat.
- Regular olive oil can be substituted for garlic olive oil. If using regular olive oil you should increase the garlic powder from 1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp.
- The onion measurement might seem high here, let me explain. The reason I used more is because the onions after they are rehydrated are carmelized in the pan and the recipe calls for one cup chopped. My own family doesn’t think it’s too far on the onion side, with the seasonings and the chicken and everything else added, but you’ll have to judge it for yourself. Also, I used freeze dried onion flakes, which when I’ve compared are bigger pieces of onion than just plain dried onion. Plain dried onion (in my opinion) would be more potent since you’d have more actual smaller sized onion to a measurement.
- As a 3 month meal, the chicken can be stored frozen and I use fresh onions and garlic. See the original recipe link for amounts.
- For my family using the store bought Essence seasoning was too spicy. If you’re family is okay with spice, then go for it. For my group I made Emeril’s recipe for Essence Seasoning mix from scratch using only 1 tsp. black pepper and 1 tsp. cayenne pepper instead. Here’s his original recipe for the Essence seasoning mix:
Emeril’s Essence Seasoning Mix
2 1/2 TBS paprika
2 TBS salt
2 TBS garlic powder
1 TBS. black pepper
1 TBS onion powder
1 TBS cayenne
1 TBS dried oregano
1 TBS dried thyme
Directions: Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
In my book this recipe is used as a:
*Long Term Recipe
*3 month meal
This taste amazing without the meat! Firm tofu with it taste amazing. I made the sauce before hand and marinated the firm tofu chunks in it and it turned out great.
Thanks for the comment! I’ll have to try it out!