This Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta is made with cream cheese, parmesan cheese, veggies, and makes a pot big enough to feed the whole family! It's incredibly creamy, has a bit of spice (adjustable), and the flavors will have you making this over and over!
How to make Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta:
Creamy Cajun Chicken pasta starts by cooking the chicken. I use chicken breasts for this recipe but you can also use boneless thighs if you prefer dark meat. You'll season the meat, then sauté it in olive oil and set it aside. Easy peasy!
After cooking your chicken, the veggies come next. This is what adds so much flavor to this pasta dinner! Peppers, onions, and garlic...a match made in heaven! When I make this for the kids, I chop the veggies almost microscopically so they don't try to pick them out.
Once the vegetables are soft and translucent, you can add in the cream cheese, heavy cream, parmesan cheese and chicken broth. No one said this was a light dish...but it's so worth the treat! This sauce is just heavenly! You'll want to let the sauce bubble as you whisk it for a few minutes so it can thicken. It won't be overly thick but it also should not be watery. The longer you let the sauce simmer, the thicker it will get.
Lastly, you can stir in the remaining ingredients. This is where you can adjust the spice level. One teaspoon of the cajun seasoning adds just a slight hint of spice and 2 seems to be just the right amount for our family. I'm a huge wimp and I can easily handle this dish but you can start with 1 teaspoon and always add more after tasting the sauce.
I like to serve this Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta with an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a little bit of chopped parsley for a pop of color and a little extra flavor.
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) box of penne pasta
- 4 teaspoons olive oil (divided)
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (cut Into bite size pieces)
- 3 teaspoons cajun seasoning of your choice (divided) (you can also use creole seasoning)
- 1 and ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- 1 small yellow onion (diced)
- 1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock
- 1 heaping tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Set a pot of water to boil and cook your pasta according to the directions on the pasta while you make the sauce.
- Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to a large pan and heat over medium heat.
- Season the cubed chicken with 1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder. Add the chicken to the olive oil and sauté until completely cooked then remove from the pan and set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium/low and add 2 more teaspoons of olive oil to the pan and sauté the peppers, onions, and garlic until they are soft.
- Add in the heavy cream, chicken broth, cream cheese, and parmesan cheese and stir until everything is melted.
- Continue to let the sauce bubble while stirring for about 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
- Once melted, stir in the parsley, 2 more teaspoons of cajun seasoning, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat.
- Serve the pasta and top with the chicken and extra parmesan.
Notes
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