Bold creamy cajun chicken pasta (Print View)

Tender chicken and sautéed peppers combine in a creamy, garlicky sauce over pasta for a comforting meal.

# Ingredient List:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb), sliced into strips
02 - 1 ½ tablespoons Cajun seasoning
03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Pasta

04 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine pasta

→ Vegetables

05 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
06 - 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
07 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauce

09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 - 1 cup heavy cream
11 - ¼ cup chicken broth
12 - ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
13 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

14 - Fresh parsley, chopped
15 - Extra Parmesan cheese

# Directions:

01 - Boil pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving ¼ cup of pasta water, and set pasta aside.
02 - Toss chicken strips with Cajun seasoning until evenly coated.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 5–7 minutes until browned and fully cooked. Remove and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add bell peppers, onion, and garlic; sauté for 4–5 minutes until softened.
05 - Pour in heavy cream and chicken broth, scraping up browned bits. Simmer 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.
06 - Reduce heat to low and stir in Parmesan until melted and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
07 - Add pasta, chicken, and reserved pasta water to the skillet. Toss to combine and heat evenly.
08 - Plate immediately and garnish with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The spicy, smoky chicken hits you first, then the cream sauce smooths everything out like a reset button.
  • It comes together in under 45 minutes but tastes like something you would order at a restaurant and then try to reverse engineer for days.
  • The leftovers actually reheat beautifully, which I discovered the hard way after making double for a dinner party.
02 -
  • The sauce thickens fast off the heat, so have your pasta water ready before you turn off the stove.
  • If the heat from the Cajun seasoning feels aggressive, a touch more cream or an extra pinch of salt can rebalance everything.
  • Cajun seasoning blends vary wildly in salt content. Taste before you add more salt at the end.
03 -
  • Pat the chicken dry before seasoning, otherwise the spice forms a paste instead of a crust.
  • Let the sauce simmer for at least 2 minutes after adding the cream, it needs time to thicken properly.
  • Use freshly grated Parmesan, the pre grated stuff melts into a weird texture.
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