Big Mamou Cajun Pasta

Big Mamou Cajun Pasta can be made with chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken. This addicting buttery, garlic, and spicy red sauce is a great way to celebrate New Orleans cooking!

I’ve had Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen cookbook probably since 1984. 

It is one of my most used cookbooks particularly in Spring around the time of Mardi Gras.

I love cooking these savory, spicy dishes that remind me of the days I spent in New Orleans-eating my brains out, getting my palm read and seeing family.

It is time to get back.

But good memories last a lifetime and so probably do those pounds I gained all those years ago!

This Cajun pasta recipe is one I’ve bookmarked to make for a long time and it was just last night that I finally accomplished it.

With loads of leftover roasted chicken in the fridge from the dinner I made for Zoe and her friends, it was necessary to find a way to use it.

This  was meant for this Cajun chicken pasta.

How do this Cajun pasta dish get the name Big Mamou?

Big Mamou is its proper name and I was curious where that came from.

Mamou actually means mammoth and depending on how high you pile it on your plate may explain that definition.

However I learned that Mamou is actually a little town in Louisiana deep in Cajun country.

So maybe it’s the mammoth flavors that come from cayenne pepper, loads of garlic and tons of butter, that give this dish its name.

After cooking this recipe I decided that Julia Child and Paul Prudhomme should have been very good friends given their love of butter.

Nope. This dish is not a healthy dish as written. But I suppose it could be made more healthy-ish, if one felt so inclined.

This was not my inclination last night so this recipe for Big Mamou stands, almost as the big man wrote it.

Maybe this Cajun recipe is a take on the classic Italian Arrabiata dish or Fra Diavolo.

Wherever it came from, I must assure you that this thick red sauce would also be heavenly without chicken.

The choice is up to you.

As for how much butter is used…

This totally depends on how you are cooking the chicken. Using already cooked chicken, I didn’t feel the need for using the full amount of butter.

As for what kind of chicken? You may use any combination of boneless, skinless chicken you want.

Keep the weight of the chicken around 2 lbs. You may also just use boneless chicken breasts or thighs and cook them directly in the butter.

The chicken can also be diced or sliced and cooked in the butter.

For cooked chicken I used about 5 c of shredded chicken. Honestly a little less, will just make this chicken dish a bit saucier. And more will make it a bit thicker.

How to Make Big Mamou Cajun Pasta:

Begin by combining the seasoning for the sauce in a small bowl.

Now melt 1 1/2 sticks of the butter, the onions and garlic cloves and saute just a bit. Stir in the minced garlic and the seasoning mix.

Stir in the chicken stock, Worcestershire and the Tabasco. Bring to a fast simmer and cook about 8 minutes stirring often.

Add the tomato sauce and bring mixture to a boil. Add the sugar and 1 c of the green onions and simmer for about 40 minutes until nice and thick.

Now it’s time to cook the chicken. If you are using cooked chicken, merely melt 4 T of butter and add the seasonings. Stir well and add the chicken. Once it is heated through remove from heat.

Once the sauce has thickened, stir the chicken mixture into it. If you are cooking raw chicken use up to 1 1/2 sticks of butter to cook it.

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions and toss with 3 T of butter and set aside. For reheating instructions please see the recipe card.

What to serve with this Cajun recipe with chicken?

I kept it simple and just made garlic bread. Why not?

A wedge salad was also served.

Quick tip-I slice my head of lettuce in big giant rounds, instead of wedges. This way I can pile on the toppings and nothing falls off!

Yes, this dish is a great way to celebrate Fat Tuesday. In fact, it’s great any day.

Worried about the heat? Though this is spicy, to us it is not a burn the tongue kind of heat.

Want to add more peppers? Just chop up some green peppers and add them to the onions when you add the seasoning mix.

Don’t have basil? Use oregano. 

Want some cheese? By all means. It’s hard to runi this rich dish.

Of course we did leave room for the cinnamon roll bread pudding I made for dessert.

Totally scrumptious, I made it from the cinnamon rolls that Zoe didn’t have a chance to eat.

As for tonight’s dinner, I’m guessing it might just be salad!

More to Try:

My Favorite Cajun Recipes

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Yaya

Pecan Pie Bread Pudding

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