Cajun Chicken Cream Pasta (Print view)

Tender Cajun-spiced chicken and peppers in a creamy sauce tossed with pasta for a comforting meal.

# List of Ingredients:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips (approx. 1 lb)
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

# Step-by-Step Directions:

01 - Boil salted water in a large pot and cook pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving ¼ cup of pasta water, then set aside.
02 - Toss chicken strips with Cajun seasoning to coat evenly.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté for 5–7 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add bell peppers, red onion, and garlic. Sauté for 4–5 minutes until softened.
05 - Pour in heavy cream and chicken broth, stirring well and scraping browned bits from the pan. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.
06 - Reduce heat to low. Stir in Parmesan until melted and sauce is creamy. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
07 - Add cooked pasta, sautéed chicken, and reserved pasta water to the skillet. Toss to coat evenly and heat through.
08 - Plate immediately, garnishing with fresh parsley and extra Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than takeout, but tastes like you've been cooking all day.
  • The cream sauce clings to every strand of pasta, and the chicken stays impossibly tender when you slice it thin.
  • Cajun spices do the heavy lifting—no fussy flavor layering required.
02 -
  • If your sauce breaks or looks grainy, you probably added the cheese on too high heat—lower the temperature and stir gently, and it usually recovers.
  • Reserving that pasta water is the difference between a thick, clingy sauce and one that slides off the noodles—use it sparingly, but use it.
  • Cajun seasoning brands vary wildly in spice level, so taste as you go the first time you make this.
03 -
  • Slice your chicken thin and even so it cooks in the same amount of time—thicker pieces stay raw in the middle while thin edges overcook.
  • Taste the sauce before adding pasta so you're seasoning it properly rather than trying to fix it at the end.
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