Recipe: Sheila's Favorite Blackened Chicken Pasta for Dakota.

Sheila's Favorite Blackened Chicken Pasta:

A wonderful Cajun-Creole pasta tossed with tomatoes, red onions, bell peppers and garlic. Topped with spicy blackened chicken breast.

Blackened Chicken Strips on Pasta with Cajun Sauce
Source: Good-For-You Pasta Cookbook

1/4 cup paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried fines herbes
4 chicken breast halves without skin -- boneless
1 clove garlic -- minced
2 tablespoons onion -- minced
1 1/2 cups chicken broth -- defatted
1 tomato -- peeled,seeded,minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh herbs -- chopped
(like: oregano,basil,tarragon,marjoram)
salt -- to taste
8 ounces pasta -- penne

To make Cajun spice, mix paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and fines herbes. Set aside. Put the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of wax paper and pound to flatten. Moisten breasts with water and rub with Cajun spice (reserve 1/4 teaspoon for the sauce). Spray a very hot cast-iron pan with vegetable spray and then quickly fry breasts for 4 to 6 minutes, or until done. Remove breasts and slice into thin strips. Set aside. Saute garlic and onion in a small pan that has been sprayed with vegetable spray, until onion is soft. Add broth, tomato, wine, fresh herbs and 1/4 teaspoon of the Cajun spice. Simmer for 8 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Meanwhile cook pasta, drain, and place on a platter. Lay chicken on pasta and then drizzle with sauce.

Spicy Blackened Chicken

2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 or three garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Combine the first 9 ingredients and pour into a large ziplock bag. Place the chicken in the bag and marinate, refrigerated, for 2 or 3 hours. Remove chicken and discard the marinade. Grill chicken on very hot grill for 12 to 14 minutes or until done.