The restaurant version is notorious for its calorie count — north of 2,000 calories per plate. At home, you use reasonable portions and can lighten it up with half-and-half instead of heavy cream if you want. You also get to eat it the moment the sauce is at its silkiest, before it has a chance to thicken and congeal on a plate.

• Use a good Cajun seasoning. Tony Chachere’s or Slap Ya Mama are the go-to brands. Avoid blends with a lot of salt — you want spice and flavor, not just saltiness.
• Do not overcook the cream sauce. Once it coats the back of a spoon, it is done. It continues to thicken as it cools, so pulling it off the heat slightly early gives you the perfect consistency on the plate.
• Add shrimp for the full experience. The Cheesecake Factory version can be ordered with shrimp added. Saute 8-10 large shrimp with the chicken for an upgrade.
• Substitute penne. Bow-tie pasta is traditional but penne holds the creamy sauce just as well and is easier to eat.

Louisiana Chicken Pasta is the bold-spiced anchor — here’s the full dinner:

• Copycat Cheesecake Factory Crusted Chicken Romano — the other CF crispy-coated chicken pasta: Romano + Parmesan crust over spaghetti in a creamy tomato sauce; bolder cheese flavor, Italian-American rather than Cajun
• Copycat Cheesecake Factory Bang Bang Chicken — the spicy-sweet appetizer to serve before this Cajun pasta; both are heat-forward and shareable
• Copycat Cheesecake Factory Four Cheese Pasta — the creamy four-cheese pasta that’s the richer contrast to the Cajun spice in the Louisiana dish; the two cover both ends of the TCF pasta menu
• Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread — the molasses-honey brown bread that arrives before the pasta at the restaurant; make it a proper opening act

See all Cheesecake Factory copycat recipes →