Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it well, and cook the pasta al dente according to the directions on the package. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Coat the shrimp and chicken in about 1 tablespoon of Cajun spice each.

Heat half the olive oil in a large pan. Add the shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes over medium heat, flipping it halfway. Remove the shrimp from the pan using kitchen tongs and set it aside.

Heat the other tablespoon of olive oil in the same pan. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.

Add the butter and garlic and cook for a minute until fragrant. Add the diced red pepper and cook another 2 minutes. Add the flour and whisk together with the butter, garlic and peppers to form a roux. Cook the roux for a couple minutes, then slowly whisk in the chicken stock, essentially creating a gravy consistency. Taste the sauce first, then if it needs more Cajun seasoning, add the remaining tablespoon of Cajun seasoning to your taste. Lower the heat and stir in the heavy cream and sour cream. Add some of the reserved pasta water if it seems too thick. Allow it to bubble for 1-2 minutes until it thickens, then turn off the heat and stir in the grated parmesan.

Add the cooked shrimp and chicken back to the pan along with most of the fresh parsley and stir to combine. Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan and toss well to coat the pasta with sauce. Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl and sprinkle on the remaining fresh parsley to serve.  Enjoy!