Cajun Chicken Pasta

This Cajun Chicken Pasta is creamy, cheesy, loaded with flavor and on the table in 30 minutes! An easy weeknight dinner your whole family will love!

Despite my husband always complaining that he doesn’t like pasta dishes, it never stops me from making more pasta. Personally pasta is my comfort food, it’s what satisfies me and makes me happy. It’s what warms my heart and makes me sing with happiness.

But this dish is not just about the pasta, it’s loaded with chicken and sausage, half and half and lots of Parmesan cheese, not to mention lots of cajun seasoning.

When you make this, the first thing that’s going to happen is the smell is going to hit you and then you’ll be super anxious to finish this dish so that you can get to eating.

HOW TO MAKE CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA

This cajun chicken pasta really is easy to make. The best way is to cook the pasta al dente ahead of time according to package instructions. This way when you make the sauce, all you have to do is stir in the pasta and serve.

To make the sauce you’ll need to cook the chicken first, but I like to add all the seasoning to the chicken, so that as the chicken cooks, all the flavors build in to it. Cut the chicken into equal bite size pieces, this will ensure the chicken cooks faster.

Use a smoked sausage that you prefer and slice it up into 1/4 inch slices. I used a beer and smoked gouda sausage which was so flavorful and it really added to the entire dish. If you don’t want to use a smoked sausage use any other cooked sausage you prefer.

I used half and half for the sauce which is a 10% cream, much lighter than a heavy cream, however if you wish to make this even lighter, feel free to use milk such as 2% or 3%.

Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese because pre-shredded cheese usually has added ingredients which help prevent the shredded cheese from naturally sticking together.

CAN THIS CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA BE MADE IN ADVANCE?

You can absolutely make this in advance and as a matter of fact, the longer this sits, the better it will taste because the flavors will develop even better. However, do keep in mind that this pasta won’t be as creamy anymore as when you first make it because the penne will absorb all the sauce.

If planning to make this ahead, another option would be to just make the sauce, and when ready to serve, cook the pasta and heat the sauce together with the pasta. This way it will taste fresh and it will still be super creamy and delicious.

CRAVING MORE CAJUN RECIPES? TRY THESE:

• Crispy Cajun Shrimp Fettuccine
• Creamy Cajun Pastalaya
• Cajun Shrimp with Tomato Alfredo Pasta
• Cajun Meatballs in Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce
• Cajun Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa

Cajun Chicken Pasta

This Cajun Chicken Pasta is creamy, cheesy, loaded with flavor and on the table in 30 minutes! An easy weeknight dinner your whole family will love!

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Cajun

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 770kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

• 8 oz penne (2 cups) uncooked
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb chicken breast (2 chicken breasts) boneless and skinless, cut into small pieces
• 2 tbsp cajun seasoning
• 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
• 2 links smoked sausage cut into slices
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup parsley chopped
• 2 cups half and half
• 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded

US Customary - Metric

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Instructions

• Cook the pasta according to package instructions until it's al dente (cooked until it's still firm when bitten). Drain and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add the chicken to the skillet, then sprinkle with the cajun seasoning and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink and is cooked through, should take about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the sausage and cook for a couple more minutes until the sausage starts to brown.
• Add the garlic, parsley to the skillet and stir. Cook for 30 seconds until the garlic becomes aromatic.
• Add the half and half and cook until it comes to a boil. Stir in the parmesan cheese.
• Add the penne and stir everything together. 
• Garnish with more parmesan cheese and parsley if preferred and serve while warm.

Video

Notes

1. Half and Half: Half and half has 12 percent fat content. Heavy cream can also be used. It is also called heavy whipping cream because it's whipping cream with a milk fat content between 36 and 40 percent. 
2. Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Make sure to refrigerate within two hours of cooking. Keep in mind that the pasta will soak up all the sauce. 
3. Make ahead: Make the sauce ahead, then refrigerate. When ready to serve cook the pasta, then add the pasta to the sauce and cook until heated through.
4. Nutrition: Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 770kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 157mg | Sodium: 869mg | Potassium: 896mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 53% | Vitamin C: 9.9% | Calcium: 45.8% | Iron: 15.2%

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