Cajun Chicken Pasta
Get ready to fall in love with this zesty Cajun Chicken Pasta! Tossed with perfectly seasoned chicken, al dente pasta, and a rich, creamy sauce, each forkful is a flavor explosion that will leave you craving more. This dish is not just a meal; it's an experience you won’t want to miss!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (to taste) (2.5 ml)optional
- Fresh parsleyoptional
- 1 handful fresh spinach
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- ½ tsp bouillon powder (chicken broth) (2.5 ml)
- 2 chicken breast fillets
🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 1 tbsp butter (14 g)
- 250 ml heavy cream (8.45 fl oz)
- 50 g Mozzarella cheese, grated (1.76 oz)
- 50 g Parmesan cheese, grated (1.76 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (30 ml)
- 250 g pasta (8.82 oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(9)
- ½ tsp black pepper (2.5 ml)
- 1 tsp Cajun seasoning (5 ml)
- Chili powderoptional
- ½ tsp garlic powder (2.5 ml)
- ½ tsp onion powder (2.5 ml)
- ½ tsp oregano (2.5 ml)
- 1 tsp paprika (sweet or smoked) (5 ml)
- ½ tsp salt (2.5 ml)
- ½ tsp thyme (2.5 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and generously season with Cajun seasoning.
- 2
Sear in a pan over medium-high heat for about 2–3 minutes per side until a nice crust forms.
- 3
Remove the chicken from the pan and place it on a baking sheet.
- 4
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) for about 12–15 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F).
- 5
Remove from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes.
- 6
In the same pan, melt 1 tbsp butter.
- 7
Sauté the onions & bell pepper until softened.
- 8
Deglaze with heavy cream and stir in the bouillon powder.
- 9
Add Cajun seasoning & spinach and let it simmer briefly.
- 10
Stir in Parmesan & Mozzarella until the sauce becomes creamy.
- 11
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and mix well.
- 12
Garnish with chili powder & fresh parsley.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Sear the Cajun-rubbed chicken over medium-high heat (about 400°F pan surface) for only 2-3 minutes per side to form a Maillard crust without burning the paprika and sugar in the seasoning, which scorch above 350°F.technique400°F
- ✓Pull the chicken from the oven at 160°F internal since carryover cooking will raise it to the safe 165°F threshold during the rest, preventing overcooked, dry breast meat.timing160°F pull temp
- ✓Rest the chicken for at least 5 minutes before slicing so the muscle fibers relax and reabsorb juices, then cut against the grain into thin strips so each bite stays tender rather than stringy.technique5 minutes
- ✓Deglaze the fond in the pan with heavy cream instead of stock first, since the fat content (36-40%) dissolves the browned Cajun spice particles and prevents the sauce from breaking when the bouillon salt is added.ingredient36-40% fat
- ✓Sauté the onions and bell peppers in the same pan used for the chicken so the residual Cajun-spiced fond deglazes as the vegetables release moisture, building a deeper flavor base than starting with a clean pan.equipment
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Cajun Chicken Pasta
Get ready to fall in love with this zesty Cajun Chicken Pasta! Tossed with perfectly seasoned chicken, al dente pasta, and a rich, creamy sauce, each forkful is a flavor explosion that will leave you craving more. This dish is not just a meal; it's an experience you won’t want to miss!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (to taste) (2.5 ml)optional
- Fresh parsleyoptional
- 1 handful fresh spinach
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- ½ tsp bouillon powder (chicken broth) (2.5 ml)
- 2 chicken breast fillets
🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 1 tbsp butter (14 g)
- 250 ml heavy cream (8.45 fl oz)
- 50 g Mozzarella cheese, grated (1.76 oz)
- 50 g Parmesan cheese, grated (1.76 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (30 ml)
- 250 g pasta (8.82 oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(9)
- ½ tsp black pepper (2.5 ml)
- 1 tsp Cajun seasoning (5 ml)
- Chili powderoptional
- ½ tsp garlic powder (2.5 ml)
- ½ tsp onion powder (2.5 ml)
- ½ tsp oregano (2.5 ml)
- 1 tsp paprika (sweet or smoked) (5 ml)
- ½ tsp salt (2.5 ml)
- ½ tsp thyme (2.5 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and generously season with Cajun seasoning.
- 2
Sear in a pan over medium-high heat for about 2–3 minutes per side until a nice crust forms.
- 3
Remove the chicken from the pan and place it on a baking sheet.
- 4
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) for about 12–15 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F).
- 5
Remove from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes.
- 6
In the same pan, melt 1 tbsp butter.
- 7
Sauté the onions & bell pepper until softened.
- 8
Deglaze with heavy cream and stir in the bouillon powder.
- 9
Add Cajun seasoning & spinach and let it simmer briefly.
- 10
Stir in Parmesan & Mozzarella until the sauce becomes creamy.
- 11
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and mix well.
- 12
Garnish with chili powder & fresh parsley.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Sear the Cajun-rubbed chicken over medium-high heat (about 400°F pan surface) for only 2-3 minutes per side to form a Maillard crust without burning the paprika and sugar in the seasoning, which scorch above 350°F.technique400°F
- ✓Pull the chicken from the oven at 160°F internal since carryover cooking will raise it to the safe 165°F threshold during the rest, preventing overcooked, dry breast meat.timing160°F pull temp
- ✓Rest the chicken for at least 5 minutes before slicing so the muscle fibers relax and reabsorb juices, then cut against the grain into thin strips so each bite stays tender rather than stringy.technique5 minutes
- ✓Deglaze the fond in the pan with heavy cream instead of stock first, since the fat content (36-40%) dissolves the browned Cajun spice particles and prevents the sauce from breaking when the bouillon salt is added.ingredient36-40% fat
- ✓Sauté the onions and bell peppers in the same pan used for the chicken so the residual Cajun-spiced fond deglazes as the vegetables release moisture, building a deeper flavor base than starting with a clean pan.equipment