In my twenties, going out to dinner with the girls was a lot of fun. I had a cocktail with a blackened chicken Caesar salad. I remember the first time I had a Chicken Caesar Salad like it was yesterday. You know, that cold, crisp romaine lettuce topped with the warm grilled chicken and drizzled with that wonderful, creamy Caesar dressing. Oh, and the cheese is so good!

Now the chicken comes two ways: grilled or grilled and blackened. I always choose blackened; I love the hot spice alongside the cool, creamy Caesar dressing.

What a great idea! Take the flavors of the creamy Caesar dressing and make that into a sauce, then add pasta, blackened chicken, a breadcrumb topping, and bake. I’ll call this dish my Blackened Chicken Caesar Pasta Bake!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yields: 6 to 8 servings
Equipment: indoor grill pan, large mixing bowl, 1 (12-inch) sauté pan, 1 (6-quart) saucepan, 1 (1-quart) saucepan, colander, 1 (9 x 13 x 3) baking dish, chef’s knife, Microplane, cutting board

Ingredients for the Blackened Seasoning:
3 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Ingredients for the Blackened Chicken:
6 chicken cutlets
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons blackened seasoning
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Ingredients for the Topping:
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) of butter, unsalted
1 1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
2 tablespoons of Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Ingredients for the Caesar Sauce:
3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
4 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 tablespoon anchovy paste
3 heaping tablespoons of all-purpose flour
2 cups of half-and-half, heated (substitute whole milk)
1 cup chicken stock, unsalted and at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
3 to 4 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
1 pound of penne pasta

Instructions for the Blackened Seasoning:
Put all the spices above, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl. Mix to combine. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

Instructions:
1). 11 x 13 baking dish, buttered
2). Preheat oven to 375°F.
3). Preheat the grill pan on medium-high heat (both front and back burners)

In a large mixing bowl, add the chicken cutlet, olive oil, and blackened seasoning. Using clean hands, mix until all the chicken is evenly coated with oil and spices.

Place the chicken cutlets onto the grill. Cook for 4 minutes on the first side, flip, and cook for 3 minutes on the other. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Let cool, then slice on the bias.

Next, in a large sauté pan on medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the Panko breadcrumbs and stir until completely coated with the melted butter. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until very light golden brown. Remove from the heat. Add the Italian flat-leaf parsley and Parmigiano-Reggiano; stir to combine. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, add the pasta. Cook pasta until slightly undercooked, 1-2 minutes. Remember, the pasta will continue to cook while baking. Drain the pasta. Let the pasta stay in the colander while you make the sauce.

*Scald the half-and-half. In a 1-quart saucepan, heat on medium heat. Heat the half-and-half to just under boiling. Small bubbles will appear around the inside rim of the pot.

In a large saucepan, add the butter over medium heat. Once the butter melts, add the anchovy paste, minced garlic, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper, and cook for 2 minutes. Next, add the flour and whisk until smooth. Slowly whisk in the chicken stock, then the heated half-and-half and Worcestershire sauce, continually whisking until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove the sauce from the heat, add the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and stir to combine.

In a large mixing bowl, add the penne pasta. Using a rubber spatula, transfer the sauce to the bowl and toss with the Penne until it’s coated. Next, gently fold in the sliced blackened grilled chicken and Italian flat-leaf parsley until combined.

Transfer the mixture to a buttered 11 x 13 baking dish. Using a spatula, smooth the mixture evenly. Top with breadcrumb topping. Spray the non-stick spray on the “dull side” of the foil. This will prevent the topping from sticking to the foil. Cover and bake for 35-40 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the top is golden brown.

Let it rest for at least 20 minutes before cutting. This will give the dish time to set.

I like to serve this dish with a Romaine salad dressed with a drizzle of *E.V.O.O., fresh lemon juice, a sprinkle of kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

There you have it, the best of both worlds in one dish, my Blackened Chicken Caesar Pasta Bake!

Notes:
1)*E.V.O.O. is the acronym for Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

2) *Scalded Milk: Milk heated to just under the boiling point.

3) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value matter to you, I recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and values can vary, depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/