Ten ingredients and forty minutes, in one pot and one skillet.
There is no cream in this dish. The pasta is tossed in melted butter with garlic and a little pasta water, and the spiced chicken is piled on top of it.
Why This Recipe Works
- A heavy coat of Cajun seasoning forms the dark crust in a hot, oiled pan.
- Cutting the chicken into large bite-size pieces gives more crusted surface per piece.
- Taking the chicken out before the butter goes in keeps the spice crust crisp.
- Pasta water and melted butter shaken together make a light gloss rather than a sauce.
- Red pepper flakes bloom in the butter, which spreads their heat through the pasta.
How to Make It
Farfalle cooked al dente, pasta water reserved
Cook the farfalle until al dente and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
Chicken coated in Cajun seasoning and seared to 165°F
Coat the chicken with the Cajun seasoning and salt. Sear in a hot oiled skillet until a dark spice crust forms and the chicken reaches 165°F, then transfer to a plate.
Butter, garlic and flakes, then a splash of pasta water
Lower the heat. Melt the butter in the skillet, add the garlic and red pepper flakes for 30 seconds, then add 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
Pasta tossed glossy, parsley in, consistency adjusted
Toss in the farfalle until glossy. Add the parsley and adjust with a little more pasta water if needed.
Chicken piled on; no cream and no vegetables added
Pile the Cajun-crusted chicken over the lightly buttered pasta. Do not add cream or vegetables.
Ingredient Notes
- Cajun seasoning
- A tablespoon and a half for a pound and a quarter of chicken. It is a coating, not a sprinkle, and it makes the crust.
- Unsalted butter
- Four tablespoons, melted after the chicken comes out. This is the whole sauce.
- Farfalle
- Twelve ounces. The flat wings hold a light gloss better than a tube would.
- Pasta water
- A quarter cup in the pan, with more held back in case the pasta tightens.
Four Things to Get Right
Two risks sit in this recipe: a spice crust that looks done long before the chicken is, and a butter sauce that turns greasy if it is treated like cream. Keep both in mind - THE DARK CAJUN CRUST IS NOT A DONENESS CUE, and THE SAUCE IS GARLIC BUTTER ONLY, NOT A CREAM SAUCE.
Before the chicken goes in
The skillet is hot and lightly oiled, with 1 tbsp NEUTRAL OIL
1 1/4 lb of CHICKEN coated in 1 1/2 tbsp CAJUN SEASONING needs immediate contact heat to form a dark crust. A cool pan draws moisture out and the seasoning turns to paste.
Before the chicken comes out
165°F read in the meat, not judged by the crust
This is the safety check. Large bite-size pieces under a dark coating look finished early; the thermometer is the only honest check.
As the butter melts
The heat is LOWERED, and the garlic gets 30 SECONDS
4 tbsp BUTTER, 4 MINCED GARLIC CLOVES and 1/4 tsp RED PEPPER FLAKES over high heat would brown and turn bitter in the time the flakes need to bloom.
As the pasta is tossed
GLOSSY, with 1/4 cup PASTA WATER and a little more if needed
Butter and starchy water shaken together cling to 12 oz of FARFALLE. Adding cream would make this a different dish, which is why the recipe's last line says DO NOT ADD CREAM OR VEGETABLES.
Success Tips
- Let the skillet get properly hot before the coated chicken goes in, or the spice will steam rather than crust.
- Judge the chicken with a thermometer; a dark Cajun crust tells you nothing about the centre.
- Toss the pasta off the heat so the butter stays emulsified and glossy.
Serving Ideas
Four plates of buttered farfalle flecked with parsley and red pepper, each heaped with dark-crusted Cajun chicken pieces.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add cream to the sauce?
No. This version is garlic butter only, and that is deliberate.
How do I know when the chicken is cooked?
Check 165°F in the meat itself. The dark spice crust forms well before the inside is done.
Should I add peppers or sausage?
Not for this recipe. The last step says so outright: no cream, no vegetables.
