Cajun Chicken Pasta
Spicy, one-pan cajun chicken and penne tossed in a rich cream sauce with peppers and onions. Ready in under 30 minutes with bold, smoky heat.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 620
- Protein
- 42g
Ingredients
- 1.25 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 12 oz penne pasta
- 1 large bell pepper (red or green), diced
- ½ medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 tsp cajun seasoning
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- 1
Boil salted water in a large pot. Add penne and cook until al dente, ~10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
- 2
Meanwhile, cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Season generously with cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- 3
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add chicken and sear without stirring for 3 minutes.
- 4
Stir chicken once and cook until no pink remains, ~3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- 5
Add bell pepper and onion to the same skillet. Sauté until softened, ~4 minutes.
- 6
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, ~30 seconds.
- 7
Pour in cream. Scrape up any browned bits from the skillet. Simmer for 1 minute.
- 8
Return chicken to skillet with penne. Toss to coat, adding pasta water a splash at a time until sauce coats noodles.
- 9
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Tools you’ll need
- large pot
- large skillet (12-inch recommended)
- wooden spoon or heatproof spatula
- colander
- measuring cups and spoons
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
