Cajun Chicken Pasta
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A creamy, garlicky, and spicy one-pan pasta dish featuring bronzed Cajun chicken, sautéed bell peppers, and a rich parmesan cream sauce.
- Time
- 40 minutes
- Equipment
- Stovetop
- Good for
- Lunch or dinner
- Cuisine
- American
- Contains
- Gluten and dairy
Diet and allergen details are read from the ingredient names and are not certified.
Ingredients
Steps
Pat the chicken breasts dry and flatten them slightly to ensure even cooking.
Rub the chicken with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and coat fully in Cajun seasoning until bronzed all over.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni until al dente (usually 1 minute less than the package instructions).
Reserve at least 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta and drizzle with a little olive oil to prevent clumping.
In a large pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of neutral oil and 1 tablespoon of butter.
Sear the chicken for 4 minutes per side until golden. Lower the heat, add 2 tablespoons of butter, and baste the chicken until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the diced onion and sauté until softened and golden, about 5 minutes.
Toss in the sliced bell peppers and the extra seasoning boost (garlic powder, paprika, pepper, cayenne, and Italian seasoning). Sauté for 6-7 minutes until the peppers are soft.
Add the minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Lower the heat to medium-low. Stir in the heavy cream and let it gently simmer.
Add the fresh spinach and grated parmesan cheese. Mix for about a minute until the spinach wilts and the cheese melts.
Add the cooked pasta and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss well over low heat for 1–2 minutes to emulsify the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, splash in more pasta water.
Slice the rested chicken, lay it on top of the pasta, and serve with fresh basil and additional parmesan cheese.
Notes
Homemade Cajun Seasoning Blend: 1 tbsp paprika, 1 ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp cayenne. Substitution Tip: For a lighter sauce, you can substitute the heavy cream with 1 cup cold milk whisked with 1 tbsp cornstarch until smooth.
Nutrition
These are estimates per serving, worked out from the ingredients.
- Calories
- 1654
- Protein
- 65 g
- Carbs
- 103 g
- Fat
- 111 g
- Fiber
- 10 g
Where the calories come from
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