Description
Spicy, creamy Cajun chicken pasta with cream cheese – a one-skillet comfort dish bursting with bold Louisiana flavor in under an hour.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein & Dairy
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup half-and-half or whole milk
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced thin
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley (optional garnish)
Pasta & Seasoning
- 8 oz penne or fettuccine pasta
- 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- ½ tsp smoked paprika (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
Liquids
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water (as needed)
Instructions
- Boil the Pasta: Cook pasta in salted water until just shy of al dente. Drain and reserve ¼ cup pasta water.
- Season the Chicken: Toss chicken with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Sear the Chicken: In a skillet with 1 tbsp olive oil, sear chicken 4–5 mins per side. Remove and cover.
- Sauté Veggies: Add butter, peppers, and onion. Sauté 4–5 mins until soft.
- Add Garlic & Spices: Stir in garlic, remaining Cajun seasoning, and smoked paprika. Cook 1 min.
- Deglaze: Add broth and scrape up browned bits. Simmer 2 mins.
- Make It Creamy: Stir in cream cheese until melted, then add milk. Simmer gently.
- Add Parmesan: Mix in parmesan. Adjust seasoning.
- Combine: Add pasta and chicken back in. Toss to coat.
- Garnish: Sprinkle parsley and serve hot.
Notes
- For dairy-free: use plant-based alternatives.
- For gluten-free: use gluten-free pasta.
- Adjust spice with more/less Cajun seasoning or hot sauce.
- Store in fridge up to 4 days or freeze for 2 months. Reheat gently.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Cajun, American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 generous bowl
- Calories: 630 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 890mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 130mg