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    Cheesecake Factory Louisiana Chicken Pasta

    Craving that irresistible Louisiana Chicken Pasta from the Cheesecake Factory but want a cozy night in without spending a bomb? You’re in luck!

    My copycat recipe brings the fan-favorite dish right into your own kitchen. Featuring crispy, Cajun-seasoned chicken and a creamy, spicy parmesan sauce, this dish promises every single oomph of my restaurant favorite. If you are looking for a pasta recipe that screams comfort food, this is it!!

    This copycat Cheesecake Factory Louisiana Chicken Pasta features crispy chicken cutlets atop a creamy, flavorful pasta. It's so good!

    Everyone has their restaurant favorites right? It’s fun trying to recreate those quality flavors right in your home kitchen.

    I have some great Copycat Recipes here on GypsyPlate. From Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana to Panda Express’s Beijing Beef, Benihana’s Hibachi Chicken to P.F Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps, I sure am proud to deliver the right flavors, sometimes even better than the restaurants.

    Louisiana Chicken Pasta

    Today when hunting for some yummy pasta recipe ideas, I decided to give this famous Cheesecake Factory dish a try. This Louisiana Chicken Pasta is one of their most popular pastas on their menu. After trying it, I can understand the hype.

    Two fried chicken cutlets atop a bed of creamy pasta in a skillet.

    Here the chicken cutlets are seasoned just right with Cajun spices, and have a great crunch, courtesy of breadcrumbs and Parmesan. The sauce is creamy and cheesy with Cajun flavors, and loaded with veggies like bell peppers and mushroom.

    When combined with pasta, it’s a versatile meal that’s easy yet sophisticated. Give it a try, and watch it become one of your favorite Creamy Pasta Recipes.

    A bowl of this creamy Cajun pasta with a sliced chicken cutlet on top.

    Ingredient Needed

    For Chicken Cutlet:

    • Chicken Breast – Butterflied. You can also buy already pre-cut chicken cutlets.
    • Cajun or Creole Seasoning – Feel free to adjust the amount for your heat preference. I highly recommend using our Homemade Creole Seasoning blend for this recipe, as store brands have very high sodium content and can make your dish very salty.
    • Breadcrumbs and Parmesan – These create the crispy texture and add a salty, cheesy note.
    • Eggs – Act as the “glue” in the coating process.
    • Oil for Frying – Vegetable or canola oil is great for frying.

    For Cajun Cream Sauce:

    • Butter – Great in this recipe. But you can use olive oil.
    • Bell Peppers – I use red and yellow bell peppers.
    • Crimini Mushrooms – Also known as baby bella.
    • Onion – I am using red today.
    • Garlic – I always like plenty of garlic.
    • Chicken Stock or Broth- Adds depth to the sauce. I use Better than Bouillon.
    • Heavy Cream – Makes the sauce creamy and luxurious.
    • Red Chili Flakes – For little heat, so use according to your spice tolerance.

    For Pasta:

    • Bowtie (Farfalle) Pasta: Great for holding onto the sauce, but you can use any larger cut of short pasta like penne or rotini for this recipe.
    • Parsley – For garnish.

    Louisiana Chicken Pasta Recipe

    1. Cook Pasta: First, I bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add the pasta, and cook it al dente. Then I drain it and set it aside.

    2. Prepare Chicken: In a large, wide bowl, I mix flour, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, Cajun or Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper. In another bowl, I whisk the eggs.

    3. Fry Chicken: I heat ¼ cup oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. I dredge each piece of butterflied chicken first in the breadcrumb mixture, then in the eggs, and then back into the breadcrumb mixture. I fry until crispy and golden brown, about 4-5 minutes on each side, and then drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

    Fried chicken cutlets draining on paper towels.

    4. Make Sauce: In a large skillet or Dutch oven, I melt butter over medium-high heat, then sauté bell peppers, onion, and mushrooms for 3-4 minutes. Then I add garlic, salt, and pepper, and sauté for another minute.

    I add Cajun or Creole seasoning, chicken stock, and heavy cream. To finish off the flavors, I add grated Parmesan and red chili flakes. I let it simmer for 4-5 minutes, then taste and adjust the seasoning.

    The creamy sauce for this recipe in a skillet.

    5. Combine and Serve: Time to add cooked pasta to the sauce and mix well.

    Pasta mixed into the sauce.

    Finally, I slice the fried chicken into strips. I love to serve pasta with chicken on top, garnished with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan.

    Pasta after adding the chicken on top.

    Alpana’s Tips

    • Uniform Thickness: After I butterfly the chicken breasts, I pound them a bit to get a uniform thickness. This ensures even cooking.
    • Salted Water: I generously salt my pasta water for added flavor.
    • Batch Cooking: When frying the chicken, I make sure not to overcrowd the pan. It lowers the oil temperature and makes the chicken less crispy. I cook in batches if needed.
    • Low and Slow: I cook my sauce at a lower heat after adding the cream to prevent it from splitting or curdling.
    A bowl of this creamy Cajun pasta with a sliced chicken cutlet on top.

    Possible Variations

    • Protein Swap: Sometimes I like to switch things up and use shrimp, seared scallops, or sausage instead of chicken for a different flavor profile. Pork cutlets are also a great alternative.
    • Veggie Variations: I like to get creative with the veggies. Instead of bell peppers, I might use sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, peas or asparagus.
    • Cheese Choices: For a different cheesy note, I sometimes use Asiago or Pecorino Romano instead of Parmesan.
    • Lighten Up: When I want a lighter version, I use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and grill the chicken instead of frying.
    • Herb Garnish: I often swap parsley for basil or chives to change up the finishing touch.
    A bowl of this creamy Cajun pasta with a sliced chicken cutlet on top.

    There you go, the joy of making a restaurant favorite right in the comfort of your home! Now, every time you crave that Louisiana Chicken Pasta, you don’t have to make a reservation or spend much.

    Have fun…

    Louisiana Chicken Pasta, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

    Serving of Louisiana chicken pasta on the Gypsy Plate.

    More Creamy Pasta Recipes We Love:
    Gigi Hadid Pasta
    Creamy Salmon Pasta
    Shrimp Primavera
    Creamy Sausage Pasta
    Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
    Rasta Pasta
    Pastalaya

    Featured image for Louisiana Chicken Pasta recipe.

    Cheesecake Factory Louisiana Chicken Pasta (Copycat)

    Yield: 4 servings
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes

    My copycat Cheesecake Factory Louisiana Chicken Pasta features crispy chicken cutlets atop a creamy, flavorful pasta. It's so good!

    Ingredients

    Chicken Cutlet

    • 2 chicken breasts, butterflied
    • ¼ cup flour
    • ¾ cup breadcrumbs (see note)
    • ¼ cup grated parmesan
    • 2 tsp Cajun or Creole seasoning (see note)
    • 1 tsp salt
    • ½ tsp pepper
    • 2 eggs, beaten
    • ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil, for frying

    Cajun Cream Sauce

    • 2 Tbsp butter
    • 1 red bell pepper, diced small
    • 1 yellow bell pepper, diced small
    • ½ small red onion, diced
    • 8oz crimini mushrooms, sliced
    • 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
    • salt to taste
    • pepper to taste
    • 2 Tbsp Cajun or Creole seasoning
    • ½ cup chicken stock
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • ½ tsp red chili flakes

    Louisiana Chicken Pasta

    • 8oz bowtie pasta (farfalle), or any pasta of choice
    • ¼ cup parsley, chopped for garnish

    Instructions

    1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add in pasta and cook al dente. Drain and set it aside.
    2. Mix flour, bread crumbs, grated parmesan, 2 tsp Cajun or Creole seasoning, salt, pepper in a large, wide bowl. In another bowl, whisk eggs.
    3. Heat ¼ cup oil in a skillet over medium high heat. While oil is heating, pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Dredge each piece of butterflied chicken into the breadcrumb mixture, then into the eggs, and finally back into the breadcrumb mixture. Pess this coating a little on the chicken.
    4. Fry the chicken until crispy and golden brown, about 4-5 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and drain it on a paper towel lined plate.
    5. If using the same skillet, discard all oil, or start with new large skillet or wider dutch oven, and melt butter over medium high heat. Sauté bell peppers, onion and mushrooms for 3-4 minutes. Add in garlic along with salt and pepper and sauté for a minute.
    6. Add 2 Tbsp Creole or Cajun seasoning and cook for a minute.
    7. Add chicken stock and cream, and cook for a minute. Add in grated parmesan cheese and red chili flakes. Simmer for 4-5 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
    8. Add cooked pasta and mix well with sauce.
    9. Slice the chicken into strips. Serve the pasta with the sliced chicken on top, garnish with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan.

    Notes

    1. We use regular, plain breadcrumbs. Panko would also work well.
    2. If you use store bought Creole or Cajun seasoning, shop carefully for a brand with lower sodium content. Some of the brands are very heavy on the salt.
    3. We always keep around a jar of our homemade Creole Seasoning. If you love those NOLA flavors, we highly recommend making a big batch for future use, it only takes a few minutes. For this recipe we like to use Creole seasoning instead of Cajun, as it has a tad bit more ingredients for a deeper flavor profile.
    4. The amount of Creole seasoning used in this recipe is based off of our homemade seasoning. If using store bought, use low sodium chicken broth, and taste and adjust for salt towards the end of cooking.
    5. Leftovers: Louisiana Chicken Pasta is great as leftovers. Simply store pasta with its cream sauce in an airtight container. They'll keep well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Place the cooled chicken cutlets in a separate airtight container. These will also last 3-4 days in the fridge.

      We don't recommend freezing the pasta, as the sauce contains cream, which doesn't freeze well.

      When ready to eat, reheat the pasta and sauce together in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until hot. Or reheat the sauce and pasta together in a saucepan over medium-low heat, adding a little water or broth to adjust the sauce's consistency.

      For the chicken, the microwave will work but may not retain the chicken's crispiness. Reheat the chicken in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat to regain some of its crispiness. Or, if you have an air fryer, that works great too.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

    Picture of Alpana, blogger and recipe developer at GypsyPlate

    Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.

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