Louisiana Chicken Pasta, made from scratch, tastes just like the one at The Cheesecake Factory. Crispy Parmesan-crusted chicken is served over bowtie pasta, bell peppers, and mushrooms, tossed in a rich, flavorful Cajun cream sauce.
I Make It At Home, With More Veggies
Cheesecake Factory Louisiana Chicken is one of my favorite dishes there, and I found a way to make it at home. My version has more veggies than the original (2 whole bell peppers and 8 ounces of mushrooms), and definitely costs less, with the same crispy panko Parmesan breaded chicken and pasta in a creamy sauce made with Cajun seasoning. To avoid a dish that’s too salty, I make my own Cajun spice blend that’s the perfect amount for just this recipe. I think the heat level is just right, but you can adjust it for your family’s tastes if you need to.
What Is Louisiana Chicken Pasta?
A dish from the menu at The Cheesecake Factory, they describe it as “Parmesan crusted chicken served over pasta with mushrooms, peppers, and onions in a spicy New Orleans Sauce.” It’s unique because the crispy breaded chicken is served over the pasta, rather than seared chicken that is mixed with the sauce like in my creamy Cajun chicken pasta recipe.
Ingredient Notes
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Chicken breasts: Slice them in half horizontally for thin cutlets that cook through before the coating burns.
- Cajun seasoning: The homemade blend in the recipe card is salt-free and makes enough to season both the chicken and the sauce. You can use store-bought Cajun seasoning, but because most of them are made with salt included, skip the extra salt on the chicken and mushrooms.
- Kosher salt: The recipe is tested with Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Other brands are saltier by volume, so use less.
- Panko and Parmesan: Mix these together for the crispy coating. Freshly grated Parmesan works best. This is the same breading method used in my Chicken Milanese recipe.
- Oil for frying: I prefer to fry in avocado oil, but any neutral oil with a high smoke point works.
- Mushrooms, bell peppers, shallot or a small yellow onion: Use different colors of peppers for interest, and dice them into pieces about the same size as the sliced mushrooms.
- Tomato paste, low-sodium chicken stock, heavy cream: For the sauce. If you’re in the UK, look for double cream.
Homemade Cajun Seasoning
This blend is simple to mix at home with sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper. The homemade version has no salt, so you can control how salty the final dish is, and it makes exactly 3 tablespoons. One is used to season the chicken, and two tablespoons go into the sauce.
How to Make Louisiana Chicken Pasta
This is a visual walkthrough of the recipe. Full instructions are in the recipe card below. The recipe takes about 55 minutes in total, with the breading step being the slowest part.
Mix the Seasoning
Combine the spices in a small bowl.
Cook the Pasta
Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box, in salted boiling water until it’s al dente. While it cooks, prepare the chicken.
Fry the Chicken
Season the cutlets on both sides, then coat them in flour, egg, and a mixture of panko and Parmesan. Fry the cutlets in batches until they’re golden brown, and the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C) with a thermometer. Set the fried chicken on a wire rack to rest while you make the sauce.
Cook the Vegetables
Pour out the frying oil and wipe the skillet clean. Add olive oil and cook the mushrooms until they soften. Add the bell peppers and shallot, and continue cooking until the peppers are crisp-tender. Transfer the veggies to a plate to free up the pan for making the sauce.
Make the Sauce
Melt butter in the pan, and sauté the garlic for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Then stir in the tomato paste and Cajun seasoning. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the chicken stock and cream. Heat gently without boiling, until hot. Stir in the parmesan and cook gently until the cheese is melted and the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Toss and Serve
Add the pasta and vegetables into the sauce and toss to coat. Taste at this point, and adjust the salt or cayenne if needed. Plate the pasta, topping each serving with 1 sliced cutlet.
Tips for the Best Louisiana Chicken Pasta
- Fry in batches without crowding, and cool the cutlets on a wire rack so the bottoms stay crisp.
- Keep the heat low once the cream is added, and don’t let the sauce boil, or it could curdle.
- Toss to combine. If the skillet is too full to toss easily, combine everything in the drained pasta pot.
- Taste for salt at the end, after you’ve added the parmesan.
What to Serve With It
Add a side of garlic bread, or a simple tossed green salad.
For an experience more like dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, serve Louisiana chicken pasta with my brown bread and a homemade Caesar salad.
And if you enjoy Cajun flavors, try my dirty rice and blackened chicken recipes next time.
Storage and Reheating
Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days, keeping the chicken stored separately from the pasta. Reheat the pasta in the microwave with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. The chicken cutlets reheat best in the air fryer at 350°F (180°C), starting with 5 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
In my opinion, it’s not too spicy, but if you’re worried about heat, leave the cayenne out of the spice blend. Taste the sauce and stir some in only if you think it needs it.
Yes. Store the cutlets and pasta separately, reheat the chicken in the air fryer until crispy, and microwave the pasta with a splash of water.
Instead of frying in oil, you can air fry the chicken. See my air fryer chicken breast recipe for more details on how to do that.
Yes, you can.
Yes, any type of pasta will work with this sauce. Follow the instructions on the box to cook it al dente.
More Cheesecake Factory Copycats
Other Restaurant Copycats
- Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
- Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Orange Chicken (Panda Express Copycat)
- Applebee’s Fiesta Lime Chicken
- Chili’s Santa Fe Chicken Salad
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Louisiana Chicken Pasta (Cheesecake Factory Copycat)
Equipment
- Large pot
- Large deep skillet at least 12 inches (30 cm)
- 3 Shallow dishes
Ingredients
Cajun Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pasta
- 12 ounces (340 g) bowtie pasta
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt for the pasta water
Chicken
- 3 medium (680 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced in half horizontally to make 6 cutlets
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning homemade or store-bought
- ¾ cup (90 g) all purpose flour
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 2 cups (100 g) panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup (43 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup (120 ml) avocado oil for frying
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil or avocado oil
- 8 ounces (225 g) cremini mushrooms sliced
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt plus more to taste
- 2 medium bell peppers preferably different colors, seeded and diced
- 1 shallot or 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning homemade or store-bought
- 1 tablespoon (16 g) tomato paste
- 1 cup (240 ml) low sodium chicken stock
- ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy cream or double cream in the UK
- ½ cup (43 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- If making the homemade seasoning, stir together the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and cayenne in a small bowl. Set aside 1 tablespoon of your homemade or store-bought Cajun seasoning for the chicken and 2 tablespoons for the sauce.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the 2 teaspoons of salt. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente, preparing the chicken while it cooks.
- Reserve ½ cup (120 ml) of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- Season both sides of the chicken cutlets with the ½ teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning.
- Place the flour in one shallow dish and the beaten eggs in a second. Mix the panko and Parmesan in a third dish.
- Coat each cutlet in flour, shaking off the excess, then dip it into the beaten eggs.
- Press each cutlet into the panko mixture, coating both sides thoroughly.
- Heat the avocado oil in the skillet over medium heat. Fry the cutlets in batches without crowding, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden brown and the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Transfer the cooked cutlets to a wire rack set over a baking sheet with paper towels underneath the rack.
- Carefully pour off the frying oil into a heatproof container. Wipe out any burnt crumbs with a paper towel held in tongs.
- Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
- Add the bell peppers and shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 more minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning and the tomato paste. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in the chicken stock and cream. Heat gently until hot, without boiling.
- Stir in the Parmesan and cook gently until melted and the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes.
- Add the pasta and vegetables and toss to coat. If needed, add the reserved pasta water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to loosen the sauce. Taste and adjust the salt.
- Slice the chicken cutlets into strips. Divide the pasta among 6 plates and top each serving with one sliced cutlet. Garnish with parsley and extra Parmesan, if desired.
Notes:
- Cajun seasoning: The homemade blend makes exactly 3 tablespoons. Use 1 tablespoon for the chicken and 2 tablespoons for the sauce. If using a purchased blend that contains salt, omit the salt on the chicken and mushrooms, then taste the sauce before adding more.
- For less heat, omit the cayenne from the seasoning, and add some at the end if needed.
- Kosher salt: This recipe was tested with Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Other brands and fine salt can be saltier by volume, so use less and adjust to taste.
- Skillet size: If your skillet is too full to toss the pasta comfortably, combine the pasta, vegetables, and sauce in the drained pasta pot.
- Creamy sauce: Keep the heat low after adding the cream and Parmesan, and avoid boiling the sauce.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Store the chicken separately from the pasta to help prevent the coating from becoming soggy.
- Reheating: Warm the pasta over low heat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Reheat the chicken in an air fryer at 350°F (180°C), starting with 5 minutes and adding time as needed until heated through.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
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