Cajun Chicken Pasta

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 35

Servings: servings

Calories: 361cal

Author: Ashley Fehr

This Cajun Chicken Pasta is a quick and easy one-pan meal. Tender penne pasta is tossed in a spicy, creamy sauce and topped with juicy slices of chicken.

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1½ teaspoons salt (divided)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½” slices (about 1 lb)
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
4 cloves garlic (finely minced)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes with juice (14oz or 398ml)
½ cup heavy whipping cream
3 cups dry penne pasta (255g)

Instructions

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
In a small bowl, combine the Cajun seasoning, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and brown sugar.
Season the chicken well and add to the saucepan. Cook about 3 minutes per side, until browned on both sides.
Remove the chicken from the saucepan and keep warm. Add the onion and additional oil if necessary and sauté until softened and starting to brown.
Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and cook for 1 minute.
Add the broth, tomatoes, and cream and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Return the chicken to the saucepan. Add the pasta and bring back up to a simmer. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low so that the liquid is gently simmering. Stir often to prevent the pasta from clumping.
When the pasta is cooked to desired tenderness, it’s ready to serve. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

Notes

Tips:

Leftover chicken works great in this recipe! Simply add the Cajun seasoning to the pasta (omit the brown sugar and salt unless needed) and stir in the cooked chicken before serving.
This pasta recipe is not as spicy as you might think (but it has great flavor!). If you're one who likes lots of spice, you may want to add 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne to the seasonings in the pasta.
The sauce might look thin at first but it does thicken as it sits. If needed, you can combine 1 teaspoon corn starch and 1 teaspoon water and stir in near the end of the cook time.

Substitutions:

You can swap the penne for any short cut of pasta.
You can skip the chicken altogether for a vegetarian version (using vegetable broth), or swap it out for sliced Italian sausage, smoked sausages, or boneless skinless chicken thighs.
I don't recommend using any other cream in this recipe because it does not thicken and reduce the same way.

Nutrition