Cheesecake Factory Louisiana Chicken Pasta (Copycat)

If you know me at all, you know I’m a creature of habit—especially at restaurants I go to frequently. Nine times out of ten (okay, ten out of ten), I order the same thing and at the Cheesecake Factory it's no different. I order their DaVinci Chicken. It’s my comfort pick, my go-to, my “why mess with a good thing?” meal. And I've made it before at home and it was just as good. 

But honestly? With a menu that big, I really should branch out more.

I’m not even sure if this dish is still on their menu, but it absolutely deserves a permanent spot. I mean, let’s break it down: crispy fried chicken, pasta, and a rich, slightly spicy Cajun-style Parmesan cream sauce. That’s not just a meal—that’s a whole experience. There’s really no losing with that combination.

Now, let’s talk about recreating it at home. The recipe itself had me scratching my head a bit. The steps felt out of order, so I did what made sense in my kitchen. I started by sautéing the mushrooms and onions, then set them aside. Next up was the chicken—fried until golden (well… mostly golden, but we’ll get to that). Once that was done, I moved on to the sauce, adding the mushrooms and onions back in at the end so everything could come together beautifully.

And bell peppers? Hard pass. Not invited to this party.

The dredging process also threw me off. The recipe suggested mixing things in a way that just didn’t feel right, so I stuck with the classic method: flour, egg, then breadcrumbs. Foolproof, right? One trick that did make a difference—after coating the chicken, I let it rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes. That helps the coating really stick when it hits the pan. Totally worth the extra time.

Now, full honesty moment: I still haven’t mastered frying chicken without flirting with disaster. There’s always at least one piece that gets a little too enthusiastic about the heat. But hey, we’re learning. One day I’ll nail that perfect golden crust without a hint of overdone edges.

Until then, I’ll happily keep making (and eating) this creamy, crispy, slightly spicy pasta dish—burnt bits and all.

Cheesecake Factory Louisiana Chicken Pasta (Copycat)

Recipe from Dinner then Dessert

Serves 6

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)

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. [JW Response: This confused me. I never make pasta ahead of time. I try to time it so the pasta is done when the sauce is otherwise I feel like it gets sticky and gummy.]

Mix the flour, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, Kosher salt and black pepper together in one bowl. [JW Response: See comment above. I did a traditional dredge of flour, egg, then breadcrumbs.]

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 ¼ 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.