Bold creamy Cajun chicken pasta (Print version)

A rich creamy pasta with spicy Cajun chicken, sautéed peppers, and garlic-infused sauce for a flavorful meal.

# What you'll need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 16 oz), 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 salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving ¼ cup of pasta water, and set 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 to 7 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add sliced bell peppers, red onion, and garlic; sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until softened.
05 - Pour in heavy cream and chicken broth, stirring to scrape up browned bits. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until sauce slightly thickens.
06 - Lower heat and stir in Parmesan cheese until melted and sauce is creamy. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
07 - Add cooked pasta, chicken, and reserved pasta water to the skillet. Toss thoroughly to coat and warm through.
08 - Plate immediately, garnished with chopped fresh parsley and additional Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce is unbelievably creamy without feeling heavy, and it coats every inch of pasta like it was made for each other.
  • Cajun spices give you that warm, complex heat that feels special without actually being difficult to pull off.
  • You can have this on the table in under 45 minutes, which means weeknight dinners stop feeling like a compromise.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving pasta water—those starchy droplets loosen the sauce if it becomes too thick, and they make it coat the pasta better than anything else can.
  • Grate your own Parmesan instead of using the pre-shredded kind, or your sauce will be grainy and disappointing, and you'll wonder why it doesn't taste as good as you hoped.
03 -
  • Mise en place everything before you start cooking—this dish moves fast once the chicken hits the pan, and you don't want to be chopping garlic in a panic.
  • If you accidentally overcook the pasta by a minute or two, it's not ruined; the sauce and pasta water will soften it further, so don't stress about hitting the exact second.
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