Creamy Cajun Pasta is a favorite weeknight dinner when we crave for something comforting and flavorful at the same time.
My Cajun Pasta recipe includes chicken bits in a cajun alfredo sauce.
You will want more than a plateful of this creamy cajun chicken pasta recipe!
Ingredients for Cajun Pasta Recipe
This Cajun Pasta is based on a creamy Alfredo pasta sauce, enriched with chicken pieces and spiked with homemade cajun seasoning.
For the pasta choose a pasta variation that you like.
You can use penne or even tagliatelle if you prefer.
I like to use smaller pasta types such as simple long macaroni.
For the chicken use boneless A grade quality chicken cut into smaller equally bite-sized pieces.
For the cajun cream sauce, you will make a simple alfredo sauce with cream and a strong cheese.
You can use light cream or fresh cream for this, whichever you prefer.
The cheese can be parmesan or I like to use a strong cheddar or raclette cheese crumbled or grated in my cajun alfredo sauce
For the cajun spice blend, you can just make a homemade cajun seasoning quickly or you can use a store bought ready made Cajun seasoning.
You will also need Onion, cocktail tomatoes (they have more juicy flavor uncooked), chicken broth, fresh parsley, and garlic (optional) in this cajun pasta recipe.
The chicken broth can be exchanged with the water from the cooked pasta.
How to make Cajun Pasta?
To make the Cajun Pasta, cook the pasta as you usually do or according to package instructions.
I don't think you should stick to any particular rules when making this cajun pasta except for the common pasta instructions and cajun sauce instructions further below.
That means you get the freedom to switch ingredients such as the cheese and adjust the sauce or the amount of cajun seasoning to your liking.
We shouldn't impose too many cooking rules when we are hungry for comfort food right?
Start out by keeping all the ingredients ready.
Slice your onion and cut your washed cocktail tomatoes in half.
The garlic is optional, so if you choose to add the garlic, chop your garlic fine and chop your fresh clean parsley as well.
Also, cut your chicken breast into equal bite-sized pieces.
Keep the remaining ingredients at the side next to where you are cooking because you will need them one by one and you don't want to waste time looking for an ingredient and overcook the cajun cream sauce ingredients.
To make the cajun sauce add oil to a pan and heat up and keep on medium flame.
Fry your onion quickly soft, don't overcook the onion so just keep an eye on everything.
If you are adding the garlic, continue to add that to your hot pan and stir-fry for a minute before adding the cajun seasoning.
We want to just stir fry the seasoning for a few seconds so that the aroma of the spices get released.
After that, we directly add in the chicken pieces and stir-fry the whole content for a minute.
Cook the chicken on low heat.
If you cook it too hot the chicken will get tough afterward.
Then add the cream and the roughly cut cheese and mix the whole content, keep on low heat.
After a minute of cooking the cream add the chicken broth or the pasta water to the cajun alfredo and mix again well.
Now just cook the sauce for another 5 minute or so or until the chicken is done but not overcooked.
Keep it on low heat so that the cajun sauce simmers slowly.
Then you are just left with adding the cooked strained pasta and tomato to the sauce.
Mix your creamy cajun pasta well.
Serve the creamy cajun chicken pasta with some fresh parsley hot.
I like my cajun pasta in a bowl and not a plate, that adds to my comfort level. 🙂
Useful Tools to make this Cajun Pasta Recipe with Chicken:
- Shallow Cooking Pan such as small Asian wok-style pans. I love using those kinds of pans! That's my all rounder pan as it saves the place in my kitchen and cooks any food evenly.
- 8-inch cooking knife. A proper knife goes a long way in the kitchen, a real lifesaver.
- Meal Prep glass containers, so that you can have this cajun pasta for lunch at work.
What goes with Cajun Pasta?
Serve this gorgeous cajun pasta with a little green salad on the side. A light salad with dressing suits best with the cajun chicken pasta or a salad like the Shrimp Louie Salad.
Related to the Cajun Pasta Recipe:
Dear Reader, are you going to make this cajun pasta tonight?
Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas with us further below in the comment section!
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Creamy Cajun Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 4.6 ounces Pasta of your choice
- 1 Onion
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic chopped, optional
- 6.4 ounces Grape Tomatoes
- 5.7 ounces Boneless Chicken
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 ½ Tablespoon Cajun Seasoning
- 1 cup Cream
- 1.4 ounces Cheese *see notes
- 1 cup Chicken broth
- Parsley fresh, to garnish
Instructions
- Cook your pasta according to package instructions. While the pasta is cooking prepare your cajun pasta sauce.
- Keep all your ingredients ready first. Slice your onion, chop your garlic (if you choose to add the garlic), cut your cocktail tomatoes into a half, cut your clean boneless chicken into equal bite-sized pieces and keep all aside. Make sure to keep the other ingredients somewhere near you so that you can use them one by one while cooking without wasting time or overcooking anything.
- Grab a pan and heat up. Add the oil and fry your onions soft, then add the chopped garlic and stir-fry for a minute on medium flame.
- Then continue to add the Cajun seasoning and stir fry the seasoning on high heat for a few seconds so that the aroma of the spices and herbs get released.
- Take down the flame to low and add the chicken. Stir cook the chicken on all sides and add in the cream and cheese, as well as the chicken broth or pasta water (whichever you prefer, see notes). Mix the content of the pan well and let it simmer on low heat.
- We don't want to overcook the chicken or it will get chewy and tough, so the chicken will be poaching in the sauce slowly while the content of the pan is simmering. This will take about 5 minutes. Check and test if the chicken is done, it should be juicy but cooked on the inside. Eventually, if your sauce needs salt, this is the time to taste test.
- At least take the sauce from the heat and mix the cooked pasta into the sauce with the tomatoes. Garnish with the fresh parsley and serve hot.
Notes
2. you may want to use light cream or fresh cream, whichever you prefer
3. choose whichever pasta you like the most for this cajun pasta
4. try to get A grade quality boneless chicken breast for this cajun pasta recipe
5. choose to use chicken broth (which has more flavor) or pasta water (the remaining water from the pasta that you just cooked)
I love this combo!! This is my kinda comfort food!
The cajun seasoning blend with the creamy alfredo sauce is just perfection - so so good together!
Mmm, that spiced creamy sauce has me wishing suppertime would hurry up.