Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Elevated Weeknight Dinners

Tackling dinner each night is no easy feat. Striking the balance between quick, simple prep and restaurant-worthy flavor can feel like a tall order – but it doesn’t have to be. Luckily, our community has you covered with some delicious solutions to delight the family while keeping things manageable in the kitchen. Here, five locals share their favorite easy and elevated weeknight dinner dishes to excite the taste buds and make dinnertime special.

Photography by Rich Smith

“I love making this recipe on weeknights because it’s fast and full of flavor. It’s a one-pot meal everyone enjoys – the kids love it because it’s pasta, and we love that it’s delicious and easy to clean up. It’s an easy win for the whole family. –Todd Smith

Creamy chicken pasta in a white bowl, garnished with parsley, alongside bread and colorful vegetables on a wooden board.

This creamy cajun chicken pasta brings a burst of flavor with a kick of Cajun delight to the dinner table!

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Course Main Course

Cuisine Cajun

Servings 8

Ingredients

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Canola or avocado oil for searing
6 Tbsp. 90g unsalted butter
1 bell pepper finely chopped
2 medium shallots or a small onion, finely chopped
6-8 garlic cloves finely chopped
5 tsp. 14g Cajun seasoning
1 lb. 450g pasta of choice such
as rigatoni or penne
3 cups 750ml chicken stock,
preferably homemade
2 cups 500ml heavy cream
5 tsp. 24g lemon juice
1/2 cup 50g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated + extra, for garnish
Fresh parsley for garnish

For the Cajun seasoning

3 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. oregano dried
1 tsp. basil dried
½ tsp. thyme dried
½ tsp. black pepper freshly cracked
½ tsp. white pepper
½ tsp. cayenne pepp

Instructions

Pound the chicken until it is the same thickness all over and season with salt and pepper.
Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat with enough oil to coat the bottom.
Sear chicken in batches (2-3 minutes each side) until browned and mostly cooked through (it doesn’t have to be fully cooked), and set aside. Reduce heat to medium and melt butter.
Add the bell pepper and shallot, and sauté until mostly softened. If there is any fond on the bottom of the pan from searing the chicken, make sure to scrape that off the bottom as you go.
Add garlic and Cajun seasoning.
Cook for 30-60 seconds, until fragrant.
Add pasta and chicken stock.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Add heavy cream. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer for 5-8 minutes until pasta is al dente.
Dice chicken and add to the Dutch oven with lemon juice. Stir well.
Add salt and black pepper to taste.
Add Parmesan.
Stir until melted and sauce is creamy.
Serve hot, garnished with more Parmesan, parsley, and Cajun seasoning, if desired.

Keyword cajun, chicken, pasta

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipe

Elevated Weeknight Dinners