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.
- 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.
Notes
- Ready in just 25 minutes.
- Perfect for a weeknight meal.
- Adjust chili flakes to your spice preference.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Cajun
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- 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