This deliciously rich pasta recipe makes a great dinner—all you need is a simple, light salad on the side. Slideshow: More Chicken Recipes
How to Make It
In a large pot of boiling salted water cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the garlic powder, onion powder, chile powder, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper and the cayenne pepper (if using). Sprinkle the seasoning evenly over both sides of the chicken, coating well.
In a medium nonstick frying pan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the chicken, shaking the pan a little as you add each piece to prevent the chicken from sticking. Cook the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until both sides are crispy and brown and cooked through. (Be very careful not to burn the spices while cooking the chicken or the sauce will be bitter.)
Add the cream and the reserved pasta water to the pan and warm it gently. Don’t boil the sauce. When the cream is hot remove the chicken from the pan, and add the spaghetti and 1/4 cup of parsley to the pan and toss well to coat it with the sauce. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Serve the spaghetti topped with the chicken and garnished with parsley.