Cheesecake Factory Copycat Louisiana Chicken Pasta with Parmesan, mushrooms, peppers and onions in a spicy cajun cream sauce.
My husband on the other hand is all about trying new dishes. One day he ordered this Louisiana Chicken Pasta and I actually switched dishes with him. I know. Spicy Cashew Chicken has been my #1 for probably a dozen years.
What’s so great about this Louisiana Chicken Pasta? Well first of all the chicken is super crispy, seasoned with cajun spices and Parmesan Cheese. The sauce is creamy with a cajun bite and the veggies are a nice textural dimension. It’s all about cream, spice, cheese, chicken and pasta done well. 
Looking for more pasta recipes?
- Cheesy Taco Pasta
- Bacon Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper
- Philly Cheesesteak Hamburger Helper
- Easy Thai Green Curry Noodles
- Cheesecake Factory Spicy Chipotle Chicken Pasta (Copycat)
- Bonefish Grill Bang Bang Shrimp (Copycat)
- Halal Cart Chicken and Rice (Copycat)
- KFC Original Recipe Chicken (Copycat)
- P.F. Chang’s Orange Peel Chicken (Copycat)
I use Mountain Rose Herbs and Spices but if you have a cabinet full of spices and you’re looking to make your own cajun spice mix, here is an easy Cajun Spice Recipe Blend!
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Tools Used in the Making of this Louisiana Chicken Pasta:
Cast Iron Skillet: This is my most used pan in my kitchen, heavy, keeps heat well and gives the BEST sear ever.
Chef’s Knife: This knife is one of the three most used tools in my kitchen (tongs and my pig tail flipper are the other two). I love it, I’ve had it for almost 10 years and it is as sharp today as the day I got it. (left column, second from the top). Mind you I love it this much even though I have a ridiculously expense knife set as well.
Cajun Seasoning: Using cajun spices is an easy way to pump up the flavor of the recipe.
Better Than Bouillon: I almost never buy boxes of broth because I keep the beef, chicken and vegetable version of this Better Than Bouillon.
Louisiana Chicken Pasta (Cheesecake Factory Copycat)
Ingredients
CAJUN CREAM SAUCE
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese shredded
CRISPY PARMESAN CHICKEN
- 4 chicken breasts butterflied
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 eggs
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
PASTA
- 1 lb Farfalle pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper sliced
- 1/2 red bell pepper sliced
- 1/2 red onion sliced
- 8 ounces crimini mushrooms sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/4 cup parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Mix the Sauce ingredients together and set aside.
- Set a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta to a minute shy of what is listed on the box.
- Drain but do not rinse.
Mix the flour, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, Kosher salt and black pepper together in one bowl.
- In a second bowl whisk the eggs.
- Dredge each piece of chicken into the breadcrumb mixture, then into the eggs, and finally back into the breadcrumb mixture.*
- Let chicken sit on a tray while you cook the vegetables.
- Melt butter in cast iron skillet over medium heat and add the bell peppers, onion, garlic and mushrooms.
Cook for 3-5 minutes until just starting to brown but not break down.
- Remove the vegetables from the pan.
Add the 1/4 cup oil and cook the chicken until crispy and golden brown, 3-5 minutes on each side.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and drain the oil.
- Add the pasta and vegetables to the pan with the sauce mixture.
Let thicken and stir for 3-5 minutes.
- While the sauce is cooking slice up the chicken.
- Serve the pasta with the sliced chicken on top and extra Parmesan as desired.
Recipe Notes
*The first pass will leave mostly flour on the chicken, that is what we need, just to adhere the eggs, so don?t worry.
I’m about to make this for the first time. I’m super excited. Quick question: why is the chicken butterflied? Can’t it just be cut all the way through? I’m going to follow the recipe as is but just curious from a technique standpoint. Thanks!
I was just trying to go for the true copycat of how The Cheesecake Factory makes it. I hope you enjoy it!
If I don’t have a red onion, can I replace it with a yellow onion? Will it change the flavor?
You can use a yellow onion or even shallots instead. Enjoy!
Made this as is, and it was outstanding ! This will be part of the rotation list from now on. Every recipe that I’ve made from your blog has been delicious so far, well done !
Yay!! Thanks for letting me know, Myriam.
Making this recipe for a ladies luncheon. Can it be made hours ahead of time and heated up right before they arrive?
The crispy chicken topping makes that harder to accomplish. I’d cook the pasta and toss with just a bit of butter or olive oil to coat. Refrigerate in covered container, aside from the sauce. You’ll have to re-crisp fully cooked chicken in the oven, 350 degrees for 10-12 should do it. Heat large skillet and add sauce, you may need to thin with more liquid then toss with pasta until warmed through and top with chicken. Hope that helps! Happy Thanksgiving!
That just might do the trick! Thanks for the advise Sabrina! Can’t wait to try it!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Same to you!
SO good
Made this tonight, I went exact to the recipe. It was FABULOUS
Yay!!
I made this for dinner tonight and it really was delicious! I thought next time I might double the vegetables, but then I would most likely need to increase the sauce. The chicken turned out fantastic, but cooked longer than 5 minutes even butterflied. It only had a hint of spicy, so if you like it spicy, add more red pepper flakes and Cajun seasoning. Will make it again for sure and make sure to have some cheesecake for dessert! 🙂 Thank you for the recipe!
It looks delicious but my question is: Can this be adapted to an Instant Pot. I can saute the chilcken but don’t know how long to set it for (I would put the noodles uncooked and sauce in with the crisped chicken and mushrooms.
I haven’t tested it in an instant pot so I can’t really give a recommendation. If you decide to try, I’d love to know how it turns out. Thanks!
Hi Sabrina,
Love, love, love this recipe..did I mention I love this recipe.. I Would like to double the batch for a Sunday dinner tonight would I double all the ingredients?
Thanks so much!
Denise
Sure 🙂
Enjoy!
If I wanted to reduce the cream by a cup and increase the chicken stock by a cup, that should still be ‘creamy’ in consistency correct? I love it this original way but my hubby isn’t a huge fan of overly creamy sauces…..
You may want to use less chicken stock to make up for the cream as it has a thinner consistency.
How many will this recipe feed?
This yields 6 servings.
I made this pasta for my family only really changing the recipe by adding my own chicken stock with chicken stock (duh) and half a bullion cube and my own cajun spice mix and it was sooo good. The only thing I would change is maybe to use 3/4 lb of pasta because I like my pasta a little more saucy. I honestly can’t remember what the Cheesecake Factory tasted like rn but this tastes exactly like the pasta from chili’s Cajun chicken pasta except the chicken is way better ?? would highly recommend but it is a bit of a time commitment as most good meals are
Hello if I skip the Cajun seasoning and red pepper flakes will it make a big difference in the taste? I want to attempt to make it but I can’t handle spicy.
It will adjust the flavor but it will still be delicious, just not as seasoned.
Make this on the regular at my house. It’s a family favorite!
Tried tonight and this was delicious, will definitely add to my faves. I would add a bit more of the Cajun seasoning next time. ?
Hi,
This recipe is fantastic. The Louisiana Chicken Pasta at The Cheesecake factory is my absolute favorite and I can’t count how many times a month I order from there. This recipe taste just like it or better.
The only question I have is how do you get that deeper brown color for the sauce? Mine turns out quite pale from the heavy whipping cream everytime.
The color really depends on the chicken stock too. If it’s a thinner stock, the color won’t be as deep. As long as the flavor is there, then I wouldn’t worry about the coloring so much.
A new favorite! Thank you!
I made this for my husband tonight. I did not add quite as much parmesan cheese as the recipe called for but it was still very tasty, well balanced and pairs wonderfully with white wine.
It was a great pasta, however the sauce was not accurate to Cheesecake Factory. More of a Cajun Alfredo recipe. Great sauce, just didn’t fill the craving I had for the original sauce.
I agree. It was good, but did not taste similar to the Cheesecake Factory version. Sauce was way creamier than how it is at the restaurant.
My family can’t get enough of this recipe. Its awesome.