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One-Pot Louisiana Chicken Pasta is my take on the Cheesecake Factory favorite. So rich and decadent that you’ll never believe it’s lightened up!
Have I told you lately how much I love my Instagram community? Every now and then I’ll check in with them on my stories to see what recipes they want me to test out.
The other day, I asked what restaurant dishes they were missing lately. The overwhelming majority said the Louisiana Chicken Pasta from Cheesecake Factory.
I’d never even heard of it, but you have to know by now that I’m kind of obsessed with copycat recipes: Panda Express Chow Mein, El Pollo Loco Chicken, Jack in the Box Tacos.
I should have known that y’all wouldn’t steer me wrong! This pasta dish is INCREDIBLE. I’m usually not the biggest fan of bell peppers, but they are delicious in that mushroom cream sauce. Such a different combination of flavors that I would have never thought to throw together.
The original recipe includes a lot of steps. You have to bread and fry the chicken, make the cream sauce, boil the pasta, then put everything together.
I tried to simplify that just a touch by making this a one-pot meal. You bread and pan “fry” the chicken, then place that aside to rest while you make the pasta in the same large skillet.
Hopefully, that makes it a little easier for you to cook this up on a weeknight. If you want even more simplified ways to make this, keep on reading! I’ll address that in a bit.
Nutritional Breakdown
You probably don’t want to hear this, but the nutrition facts of the Cheesecake Factory original recipe are insane.
A regular-sized portion has 2,330 calories, 149g of fat, 69 g of saturated fat, and 164g of carbs. That comes out to a whopping 75 SP!! Even the lunch portion is 49 SP.
I think I was able to lighten it up just enough to slash through those stats but still maintain the rich flavors. My lightened-up version has 452 calories, 17g fat, 4g saturated fat, and 34g carbs. Sooo much better!
Recipe Modifications
If you want to make this vegetarian, just skip the breaded chicken and make the one-pot pasta. That will decrease the points by 2 per serving on green and 1 per serving on Blue or Purple.
You could also opt to simplify the meal by skipping the breading. Just saute chicken or shrimp in your pan until cooked through, set aside, and continue with the pasta cooking directions. Mix in the cooked meat when the sauce has almost thickened. Points will depend on what plan you’re on and what kind of meat you use.
I will say, though, that nothing beats this combination of breaded chicken and creamy sauce. It’s totally worth the extra steps and slightly extra points.
Jeff said this is one of the best things I’ve ever made, if that tells ya anything!
I’d love to hear from you if you make this recipe! It makes my day when you share your pics on Instagram and tag me (@litecravings). Don’t forget to use #litecravingsrecipes to make sure I see it. If I don’t get a chance to scroll through my tags quickly enough, I won’t see your post. I always make a point to look through the hashtags, though, so I’ll see it there.
Print Recipe
4.95 from 20 votes
One-Pot Louisiana Chicken Pasta is my take on the Cheesecake Factory favorite. So rich and decadent that you'll never believe it's lightened up!
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Calories: 452kcal
Author: Geri
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (or cut full chicken breasts in half lengthwise)
- 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp Cajun seasoning*
- salt to taste (optional)
- 2 tsp olive oil
FOR THE PASTA
- 8 ounces bow tie or other short shape pasta
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1 small yellow bell pepper, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 small red pepper, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 small red onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups fat free chicken broth
- 1 cup unsweetened, original almond milk
- 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning*
- 1/3 cup half and half (full fat)
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- black pepper to taste
- cayenne or red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
FOR THE CHICKEN
On a cutting board, pat chicken very dry with paper towels. Sprinkle cornstarch evenly over chicken and massage in. The cornstarch should completely absorb into the chicken, making it very dry.
In a shallow bowl, whisk egg with 1 tbsp water. In another shallow dish, mix together breadcrumbs, panko, parmesan cheese, and Cajun seasoning. Add salt only if your Cajun seasoning isn't salt-heavy.
Dip chicken in egg, let egg drip off, then coat chicken in breadcrumb mixture. Press the breadcrumbs into the chicken, then lightly shake off any excess. Place on lined baking sheet.
Preheat a very large skillet (that also has a tight-fitting lid) to medium heat. Spray with cooking oil, then add in 1 tsp olive oil. Swirl pan to coat with oil.
Place 1/2 of the breaded chicken in skillet and cook for about 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. Flip the chicken and continue to cook until done (when a meat thermometer reaches 165F). Set chicken aside on a cooling rack, then repeat oil and chicken-cooking process with the last 1/2 of the chicken.
FOR THE PASTA
Raise heat to medium-high and spray with cooking oil again. Add in mushrooms and saute until slightly brown and soft, about 4 minutes. Move mushrooms to the sides of the pan, then add in onion, peppers, and garlic. Add a pinch of salt to the veggies and cook until slightly softened, about 5-7 minutes.
When veggies are slightly soft, add pasta, chicken broth, almond milk, and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil, cover with lid, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 12 minutes, or until pasta is slightly soft.
Remove lid. Raise heat to medium-high. Stir in half and half, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened to your liking, about 4-6 minutes.
Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you like extra heat, add in some dashes of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
Taste the pasta and adjust salt and pepper to your liking. Slice the chicken and serve it over the pasta.
Notes
*Cajun seasoning can be very different, depending on the brand. Some are hotter than others; some have more salt than others (or no salt at all). Check the ingredients in your blend to see if you should add heat or salt. If you’re worried about the heat level, start with less seasoning than I indicated in the recipe and increase as you go. Same with the salt. Taste as you go and adjust as needed.
Click hereto determine your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe (if you are logged in to your WW app, it should calculate for you automatically).
WW Green SmartPoints: 10 for 4 ounces of chicken and 1 cup pasta
WW Blue SmartPoints: 8 for 4 ounces of chicken and 1 cup pasta
WW Plurple SmartPoints: 4 for 4 ounces of chicken and 1 cup pasta if you use whole wheat pasta; otherwise, SP are the same as Blue.
Nutrition
Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g
