My delicious creamy cajun chicken pasta recipe. Perfect for dinner in a hurry and as pasta salad for lunch the next day too!
This creamy cajun chicken pasta recipe was one of those recipes where I started trying to make something else and it just sort of evolved.
I was originally making chicken pasta alfredo. However, when I made it, it just didn’t taste right. It was a bit boring. So I added a couple of spoonfuls of cajun spice mix – much better.
Then next time I made it I decided to add some vegetables (anyone that reads my recipes regularly will know that I like to squeeze extra vegetables into my dinners as much as I can). Since I was using cajun spice mix I decided to take my inspiration for the vegetables from chicken fajitas, so I used peppers and onions.
And a new dish was born… Creamy cajun chicken pasta.
Ready in just 20 minutes – The perfect mid-week dinner
As a stay-at-home mum I don’t have to worry too much about creating dinners that can be ready in a hurry, as I have plenty of time for them to cook (although I do like to minimise the amount of time I actually have to spend in the kitchen so I can spend time with the boys). However, I always find it useful to have a few recipes that can be ready in a hurry. This pasta dish takes just 20 minutes to cook, so it’s perfect for a mid-week meal when you’re short of time (take a look at my one-pot spicy sausage pasta for a similarly quick dish).
Dinner today, lunch tomorrow
This creamy cajun chicken pasta also tastes delicious cold, so you can make extra and save it to have as pasta salad for lunch the next day.
FREE GRAMS TO CUPS CONVERSION CHARTS
Subscribe to the Charlotte's Lively Kitchen mailing list to get your FREE printable grams to cups and cups to grams conversion charts for twelve popular baking ingredients
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
INGREDIENTS
- 4 servings uncooked pasta - I use 300g dried fusilli
- 500 g chicken breast
- 2 peppers - any colour
- 2 onions
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp cajun seasoning - I use 2 tsp to give it flavour without being too spicy for the little ones. If you like it a bit spicier then add a little more seasoning.
- 150 ml low fat creme fraiche
- 50 g parmesan - + extra for sprinkling on top
- Salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta (4 servings) according to the packet instructions.
- Meanwhile, chop the chicken breast (500g) into bite sized pieces.
- Thinly slice the peppers (2 peppers) and onion (2 onions).
- Peel and crush the garlic (2 cloves)
- Heat the olive oil (1tsp) on a medium heat in a large frying pan, once hot add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes until browned.
- Add the peppers, onions, garlic and cajun seasoning (2 tsp) and cook for a further five minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are soft but still have a bit of bite. Stir regularly to make sure it doesn't burn.
- Grate the parmesan (50g + extra for sprinkling after serving)
- Once the pasta has cooked, drain and return to the pan it was cooked in. Add the creme fraiche (150ml), parmesan (50g), chicken and vegetables and stir so that the pasta is all coated with creamy cheesiness. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve.
NOTES
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Any nutritional information provided is the estimated nutritional information per serving. Please refer to my guide to Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen nutritional information if you would like to learn more about how this is calculated.
Free From/Suitable For…
The ingredients I used to make this recipe are all free from the following allergens. However, please check any labels carefully for allergens you need to avoid as brands can vary and product recipes can change over time.
- Egg-Free
- Tree Nut-Free
- Peanut-Free
- Sesame-Free
- Soya-Free
- Sulphur Dioxide & Sulphite-Free
- Fish-Free
- Crustacean-Free
- Mollusc-Free
- Celery-Free
- Lupin-Free
I’m sharing this recipe with #RecipeOfTheWeek with A Mummy Too.
Carol says
This was delicious and really easy and quick to make with storecupboard ingredients.
Julie says
Can I make this in. Advance and reheat
Charlotte Oates says
I’ve not tried it but I don’t think it would work all that well as I think it would end up going quite dry.
jaime miller says
Hi I really want to make this soon, but can I use cheddar cheese instead of parmesan? thanks
Charlotte Oates says
That should work fine. Given that parmesan has a stronger flavour than cheddar you may want to add a bit more to ensure you still get a lovely cheesy flavour.
Laura @ Life with Baby Kicks says
Ooh delicious and easy, pinned to try on the fussy husband!
Charlotte Oates says
Thanks Laura. I hope he likes it.
Adarsh says
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta looks very yummy I will try this 🙂
Charlotte Oates says
Thanks Ardash. I hope you enjoy it