Cajun Pasta Recipe (with Chicken)
This cajun chicken pasta is the perfect quick and easy entree. Penne pasta is cooked with juicy chicken and a cajun alfredo sauce, making for the perfect comfort meal. This dish comes together quickly and makes for the ideal 30-minute family meal.
Ingredients
pasta-
- 8 oz penne pasta
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced or quartered
- 1 lb chicken breasts, boneless skinless (2 chicken breasts)
- 1 Tbsp oil (canola or olive)
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 garlic cloves, mined
cajun seasoning-
- 2 tsp ground paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cayenne powder
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Boil the pasta in salted water according to the package instructions. Penne typically takes 10-12 minutes to cook to al dente.
- In a small bowl, combine all of the seasonings and set aside.
- Beat the chicken breasts to an even thickness with a meat mallet.
- Season both sides of the chicken with cajun seasoning. Reserve half of the seasoning for the pasta.
- Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat and add the oil. Once the skillet is hot, add the chicken and sear for 2 minutes per side or until each side is golden brown. Turn the heat to low, cover the skillet with a lid, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm.
- In the same skillet, saute the mushrooms with 1 Tbsp of butter and lightly season with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes.
- Add the minced garlic, 1 Tbsp of butter, and tomatoes, and saute for 2 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to low and add the heavy whipping cream, parmesan cheese, and remaining Cajun seasoning.
- Bring the mixture to a light simmer and let it cook and thicken.
- Cube up the chicken and add to the milk mixture.
- Stir the pasta into the cream sauce.
- Top the pasta with parmesan cheese and garnish it with fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Notes
- Add extra veggies. Add red peppers, broccoli, or onions to this dish to bulk it up and make it extra delicious!
- Don’t boil the sauce. When bringing the cream to a simmer, it is essential not to have it on a rolling boil.
- Storage. Keep leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. To warm up leftovers, add the pasta to a warm pan, add a little bit of water, and cover with a lid. The sauce will thicken in the fridge; as it reheats, it should become creamy again. The noodles also absorb the sauce as they sit in the fridge, and if they are too dry, you can add a splash of heavy cream to help give them that creamy consistency again.
- Freeze. We don’t recommend freezing this recipe as the sauce can begin to separate.