Creamy Cajun "chicken" Pasta (Vegetarian Chicken)

Submitted by ncmysteryshopper

"I came up with this recipe in attempt to please my husband who is not keen on fake meats. We all loved this dish and I don't believe he realized that the strips were not real chicken breast. The 6 year old licked his plate - literally. So if you happened to grab a bag and are wondering what on earth to do with it.... give this recipe a try. I know you will love it!"

 

• Ready In: 20mins
• Ingredients: 20
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 12 ounces vegetarian chicken strips or 12 ounces Morningstar Farms Meal Starters chicken strips, thawed and cut into thirds
• 8 ounces campanelle pasta (your favorite pasta will work) or 8 ounces linguine, cooked al dente (your favorite pasta will work)
• 4 teaspoons cajun seasoning (see below for recipe)
• 1 -2 tablespoon butter
• 3 thinly sliced green onions
• 1 -2 cup heavy whipping cream (I use one cup heavy cream and one cup milk)
• 4 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• kosher salt, to taste
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1⁄4 cup grated parmesan cheese

• Cajun Seasoning

• 1⁄2 teaspoon oregano
• 1⁄2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon paprika (I use Hungarian Hot Paprika)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cumin
• 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder

directions

1. Add Cajun Seasoning to a medium sized bowl.
2. Spray thawed chik'n pieces with a little bit of Pam and toss in bowl to coat with seasoning.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté chik'n pieces in butter until heated through, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Reduce heat and add green onion, heavy cream, sun dried tomatoes, basil, salt, garlic powder, black pepper and heat through until sauce slightly thickens. If the sauce gets too thick you can just add more milk and stir.
5. Pour over hot pasta and toss,with Parmesan cheese.

Reviews

[Herb-Cat]

Very tasty! We sauted the ch'kn until it was nice and caramelized/crispy (my new trick to get meat eaters to eat fake chicken)

 

[Matilda Jane]

My husband and I thought this was very tasty. We used two 10 oz packets of Gardein chicken fillets cut into bite sized pieces, and added the parmesan to the sauce instead of tossing it in at the end. Would be great for meat-eaters or recent converts to vegetarianism who are still struggling to find good 'meat' alternatives. Thanks!

 

[Megans Jewelry Box]

I've made this a few times and am very pleased! My son is a vegetarian and I try to cook things that appeal to him and are good for you. I use the Quorn chicken pieces. I like their texture better and no competing spices. I've made up a triple batch of the seasonings to always have on hand. Thank you!