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Cajun Chicken Pasta

A creamy and spicy Cajun chicken pasta that comes together in just 35 minutes for the ultimate weeknight dinner.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 1141

Ingredients
  

  • 2 chicken breasts halved 2 chicken breasts halved
  • 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
  • 1 bell pepper cut into ¼-inch strips 1 bell pepper cut into ¼-inch strips
  • 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 5 garlic cloves minced 5 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ cup low sodium chicken broth ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 ½ cups heavy cream 1 ½ cups heavy cream
  • 4 ounces finely shredded Parmesan cheese 4 ounces finely shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 16 ounces linguini pasta 16 ounces linguini pasta
  • diced tomato (optional) diced tomato (optional)
  • sliced green onions (optional) sliced green onions (optional)
  • additional Parmesan cheese (optional) additional Parmesan cheese (optional)

Method
 

  1. Season chicken breasts with Cajun seasoning, rubbing the seasoning on both sides.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet.
  3. Cook chicken (in batches if needed), about 3 to 5 minutes per side until cooked through (until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F). Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
  4. Bring a large, generously salted, pot of water to a boil. Cook according to package directions to al dente while preparing the sauce.
  5. Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of butter, onions and bell pepper. Cook until the onions have softened, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
  6. Stir in tomato paste until incorporated, cook until fragrant and paste becomes a deep, rusty red color, 2 to 3 minutes.
  7. Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  8. Add chicken broth, stirring until fully incorporated, and scraping any bits from the skillet. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes to reduce slightly.
  9. Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese and continue stirring until the cheese has completely melted and sauce begins to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes.
  10. Toss cooked pasta with sauce, adding pasta water as needed for a creamy consistency, ¼ to ½ cup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  11. Slice cooked chicken and serve with pasta or stir into pasta if desired.
  12. Garnish with diced tomato, green onion and additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes

Always grate your Parmesan cheese directly from a fresh block rather than buying pre-packaged shredded versions to prevent a grainy sauce.
Reserve at least half a cup of starchy pasta water to perfectly bind the rich cream sauce to the linguini noodles.