Description
Spicy Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta is a flavorful and comforting dish featuring tender cajun-seasoned chicken breasts tossed with rigatoni pasta in a rich tomato cream sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tbsp olive oil (to marinate the chicken, plus more for frying)
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (sliced into 4 thin pieces)
- 1 tbsp cajun seasoning (divided)
- 7 oz rigatoni (or your choice of pasta)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/2 onion (sliced)
- 1/2 red bell pepper (sliced)
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce (or crushed tomatoes)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup pasta water (reserved)
- 1/2 tbsp cajun seasoning (remaining portion)
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
- Chili flakes
- Parsley
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the sliced chicken breasts with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp of cajun seasoning. Massage the mixture thoroughly to coat the chicken evenly. Set aside to allow the flavors to infuse while preparing other ingredients.
- Boil rigatoni according to package instructions until it is about 1 minute shy of al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and drizzle with additional olive oil. Add the marinated chicken pieces and cook for approximately 2-3 minutes per side, until cooked through and nicely seared. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add butter and melt over medium heat. Sauté minced garlic and sliced onion until fragrant and translucent. Add sliced red bell pepper and cook until slightly softened.
- Pour in the tomato sauce and heavy cream, then add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water along with the remaining 1/2 tbsp of cajun seasoning. Stir to combine and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Stir the cooked pasta and half of the cooked chicken (sliced into bite-sized pieces) into the sauce. Cook together for 1-2 minutes until the pasta is tender and fully coated with the sauce.
- Stir in the grated parmesan cheese and season with salt to taste. Mix well to incorporate the flavors.
- Plate the pasta and top each serving with the remaining whole chicken pieces. Garnish with chili flakes and fresh parsley if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy this creamy, spicy Cajun chicken pasta.
Notes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Cajun
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 650
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 35g
- Saturated Fat: 20g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 42g
- Cholesterol: 150mg