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Spicy food lover? This Cajun Pasta is all you need. With homemade cajun seasoning and spicy chicken, this cajun pasta recipe makes a great lunch or dinner that is simple and satisfying.
What is Cajun pasta?
Originally from Louisiana, United States, cajun pasta is a popular dish that combines all the flavors of Cajun cuisine into a meal. Cajun pasta stands out for its spicy taste, a taste that goes well with chicken, sausage or shrimps. The ingredients are usually cooked in a creamy tomato sauce that has the hearts of all pasta lovers.
The cajun pasta sauce is often seasoned with a blend of spices, such as paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic, onion, and thyme. This is what packs the dish with all the good flavors and a spicy taste.
How does cajun pasta taste like?
If you like spicy food, this dish is for you. Seasoned with paprika, cayenne pepper and dried herbs, cajun pasta is characterized by a tangy and smoky flavor. This is achieved by seasoning the chicken even before cooking and the sauce while simmering.
For a more satisfying culinary experience, cajun pasta recipes usually features red peppers, onion and a source of protein like chicken, sausage or shrimps. Besides enriching the nutritional profile of the dish, adding vegetables and protein softens the spiciness and creates a delectable contrast of textures.
Ingredients and substitutes
And if you are still wondering how does cajun pasta taste like…Try this recipe. It’s incredibly satisfying and so simple to put together. Starting from the ingredients!
Here’s all you need to make cajun chicken pasta from scratch:
- Pasta: The pasta used in Cajun pasta recipes can vary, but common choices include penne, fettuccine, or linguine. Penne are my favorite. If you have dietary restrictions, opt for gluten-free pasta.
- Chicken: Use boneless and skinless chicken breast, cut into strips or dices. As it is seasoned before cooking, for the best taste I recommend picking raw chicken. However, for more convenience you can also use precooked chicken or rotisserie chicken.
- Vegetables: This recipe calls for red pepper, onions and sun-dried tomatoes; other optional vegetables can be fresh tomatoes or mushrooms.
- Cream cheese: The cream cheese gives creaminess to the sauce while balancing its tanginess. You can opt for full-fat or low fat cream cheese. If preferred, replace with heavy creamy or dairy-free alternatives.
- Homemade cajun seasoning: Making cajun seasoning from scratch is as simple as combining together smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, cayenne pepper and salt.
- Olive oil: I like extra virgin olive oil, but you can substitute with regular olive oil or any other oil such as avocado oil, sunflower seed oil or walnut oil.
How to make cajun pasta from scratch
Step 1: Prepare the cajun seasoning. In a small bowl, combine paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, cayenne pepper and salt. Mix well and set aside for later.
Step 2: Cook the pasta. Cook the penne in salted boiling water according to the package direction, until al dente. Once cooked, drain and set aside. Make sure you drizzle with olive oil so that penne don’t stick together.
Step 3: Season the chicken. In a large bowl, add chicken strips and half of the prepared Cajun seasoning; mix until each piece of chicken is coated. Seasoning the chicken before cooking ensures that the meat absorbs all the good flavors.
Step 4: Cook the chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the seasoned chicken and cook until the strips are browned and cooked through. Once cooked, remove from the skillet and set aside.
Step 5: Sauté the vegetables. In the same skillet used to cook the chicken, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the sliced bell peppers, onion, chopped sun-dried tomatoes and sauté over medium heat until the vegetables are tender. This should take about 5 minutes.
Step 6: Simmer to doneness. Once the vegetables are ready, add the cooked chicken back to the skillet and sprinkle the remaining Cajun seasoning over the mixture. Stir in the cream cheese and tomato sauce, then add the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for about 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly. If it gets too thick, you may want to thin with a couple tablespoons of pasta water.
Step 7: Put all together. Finally, add the cooked penne to the skillet and toss everything together. Adjust with salt and pepper to your likings. Cook for about a minute more, allowing the pasta to absorb the flavors. But make sure you do not overcook, or the pasta may get soft. Serve warm and enjoy!
Storage information
If you have leftovers or want to meal prep, here is how to store cajun chicken pasta to best preserve freshness and taste.
- Let cool: Allow the Cajun pasta with chicken to cool down to room temperature before storing it.
- Place in an airtight container: After cooling, transfer in an airtight food container; if necessary you can also divide leftovers into portions, in smaller containers.
- Refrigerate: Place the containers in the fridge and keep stored for a maximum of 3 days. After 3 days, the pasta looses its freshness and is not safe to eat anymore.
- Reheat: When you’re ready to serve, remove the chicken penne from the refrigerator and reheat in a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil or in the microwave. As the flavors tend to weaken over time, you may need to adjust with more salt and seasonings.
More healthy pasta recipes
- Tuscan chicken pasta
- Protein Mac and Cheese
- Parmesan spinach pasta with chicken
- Protein pasta salad
- Low calorie Alfredo fettuccine
- Protein pesto pasta
- Easy pasta salad
Cajun Pasta
Ingredients
Cajun Seasoning
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp salt, or to taste
Chicken Pasta
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 400 grams (14 oz) chicken breast, boneless and skinless, cut into strips
- 300 grams (10 oz) penne pasta, or rigatoni, linguine, spaghetti
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- ½ onion, thinly sliced
- 2 to 3 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, optional
- 240 ml (1 cup) chicken broth, replace with vegetable broth or pasta water
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) cream cheese, at room temperature, softened
- 60 ml (¼ cup) tomato sauce
Instructions
Prepare Cajun Seasoning
- In a small bowl, combine all the seasonings – paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt. Mix well and set aside for later.
Prepare Chicken Pasta
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package direction until al dente. Once cooked, drain and set aside. Make sure you drizzle with olive oil so that pasta doesn’t stick together.
- In a large bowl, add chicken strips and half of the Cajun seasoning, mix until each piece of chicken is coated.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the seasoned chicken and cook until the strips are browned and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes per side. Once cooked, remove from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet used to cook the chicken, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and heat over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add sliced bell peppers, onion, chopped sun-dried tomatoes and sauté over medium heat until the vegetables are tender. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Once the vegetables are ready, add the cooked chicken back to the skillet and sprinkle the remaining Cajun seasoning over the mixture. Stir in the cream cheese and tomato sauce, then add the chicken broth.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken slightly. If it gets too thick, thin with a couple tablespoons of pasta water.
- Finally, add the cooked penne to the skillet and toss everything together. Adjust with salt and pepper to your likings. Cook for about a minute more, allowing the pasta to absorb the flavors. Serve warm and enjoy!
