Gimme Some Oven

Cajun Chicken Pasta

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A few weeks ago on a rainy evening, I randomly bumped into an old roommate at Target. And, yes, pretty sure we were those people who stood there right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of carts catching up on our life stories for an hour. It was so great to see her! But sure enough, when there was still more to share and the store was nearing closing time, the conversation came to — “We should do dinner!”

So this week we did! I invited some of the old crew to also come along, and we all spent an evening together at my place sharing a wonderful meal together, some of our favorite nostalgic wines from back in the day, and hours upon hours of conversation about the joys and answered prayers from the past year, some tearful honest moments about the lows, hilarious dating stories for better and worse, cheers over a new engagement, and endless hilarity and laughs. I love these friends!

This post, of course, is about the meal I served — Cajun Chicken Pasta. Well actually, I served them Cajun Shrimp Pasta, but (as often happens in blog world) I didn’t get time to snap photos before they arrived. And later this week, I was seafood-ed out. So I remade this with the classic chicken, which reminds me of an old dish I used to have at Chili’s as a kid!

Once again, the sauce somehow mysteriously didn’t show up in the photo. But I promise it’s there, and it’s super Cajun-y tasty! And while it does call for cream, it doesn’t include much cream. So I would go so far as to say that it’s a little lighter than many creamy Cajun sauces. Regardless, definitely a fabulous recipe that my friends all raved about, and I happily enjoyed even for the second time in a week. I think you’ll enjoy it too!

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Cajun Chicken Pasta

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  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x

Description

Classic Cajun Chicken Pasta, made with a heavenly Cajun cream sauce.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning, divided
  • 3 small bell peppers, cored and thinly sliced (I used a red, orange and yellow bell pepper)
  • 3 roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 Tbsp. flour
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream (or you can reduce to 1/4 cup)
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 12 oz. dried pasta of your choice (I used penne), cooked in generously-salted water until al dente according to package instructions
  • sliced or grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
  • thinly sliced green onions, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced chicken breasts and sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon of the Cajun seasoning. Give them a quick stir to combine. Then saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and is no longer pink. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside in a large bowl.
  2. Add an additional 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then add the bell peppers, tomatoes and onion. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add garlic. Continue sauteing for an additional 3-5 minutes until the edges of the veggies begin to brown just slightly. Transfer the veggies with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the chicken and set aside.
  3. (I recommend adding the pasta to the boiling water at this point.)
  4. Add the tablespoon of butter to the skillet, and once it is nearly melted, sprinkle the flour over it. Stir together to make a roux, and then cook for an additional minute, stirring occasionally. Add the white wine, and stir immediately to combine it with the roux, being sure to also scrape the brown bits on the bottom of the pan to grab that extra flavor. Let the wine reduce for 2 minutes, then add the chicken stock. Reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer for 5 minutes to reduce. Add the cream, pinch of cayenne, and remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning, and stir until combined. Season with additional salt and pepper if need be.
  5. Add your cooked pasta, chicken and veggies to the sauce and stir until evenly combined. Serve the pasta garnished with Parmesan and sliced green onions.

Notes

This is also fantastic when made with a pound of (shelled and deveined) shrimp! Just substitute it for chicken, and sauté it with the Cajun seasoning of medium-high heat until cooked and no longer translucent. We loved it!

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21 comments on “Cajun Chicken Pasta”

  1. I love love LOVE Cajun pasta! This looks absolutely delicious!

  2. I love how energizing a great visit with good friends can be. So therapeutic!

    This pasta looks great. Lately I’ve been coming up empty when it comes to ideas for pasta, so I’m especially loving the looks of this.

  3. I love your version of this pasta! Need to try with shrimp ASAP!

  4. Cajun food rules my life! Love this and all the colors!

  5. How scrumptious, I love all these flavors!

  6. Love the flavours in this and how bright and colourful it is!

  7. Love running into people! Well, people I like anyway. :) And amazing colors in this! Such a pretty meal.

  8. I love catching up with old friends!

    This pasta looks so good! The sauce sounds amazing!

  9. Beautiful pasta, perfect for a dinner with old friends!

  10. aww that sounds so fun!! i miss all my college buddies – what a great idea to invite them all over for some of this delicious looking and sounding pasta!

  11. Love the colors of this dish! And that cream sauce is absolutely to die for!

  12. I love cajun pasta! I also love when I run into old friends at Target!

  13. Love all the flavors and colors! Beautiful dish!

  14. I love Cajun spices! This pasta sounds like a winner for any dinner party – or even just for a weeknight at home =)

  15. OMG. This was AWESOME!!! Thank you so much for the recipe that replicates my fave dish from some of my fave restaurants!! A keeper!!

  16. can i leave the wine out? or should i replace it with equal amounts of chicken broth?

  17. I am making this tonight! I did your baked chicken recipe with cajun seasoning in advance and am adding zucchini since it’s so plentiful right now. I can’t wait :)