What Goes In
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 4 tsp Cajun seasoning, divided
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, divided
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1.5 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/3 tsp garlic powder
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cook the Pasta
Cook penne according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Season the Chicken
In a large zip-top bag, mix 3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Add chicken pieces, seal, and shake until everything’s coated. Set aside.
Cook the Chicken
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add seasoned chicken when butter moves freely. Cook until browned all over and 165F internal. Work in batches if crowded.
Remove to a plate.
Sauté Vegetables
Add remaining tablespoon butter to the same skillet.
Add onion and bell pepper. Cook ~3-5 minutes until softened but still with some bite.
Build the Sauce
Pour in heavy cream. Add paprika, basil, garlic powder, remaining Cajun seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Bring to a boil, then simmer ~3-4 minutes until it coats a spoon.
Finish
Return chicken to skillet with Parmesan and pasta. Stir until cheese melts and sauce coats everything.
Serve hot. Fresh parsley on top cuts the richness if you have it.
The zip-top bag trick gets even coating without the mess. Don’t use pre-cooked chicken strips – they turn to rubber in the cream sauce. Bell peppers need that slight crunch or the whole thing gets mushy.
Cajun Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 4 tsp Cajun seasoning divided
- 1/2 tsp sea salt divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper divided
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 1 red onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper sliced
- 1.5 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/3 tsp garlic powder
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook penne according to package directions, drain and set aside.
- Mix 3 tsp Cajun seasoning, 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper in zip-top bag. Add chicken pieces and coat.
- Melt 2 tbsp butter in large skillet over medium heat. Cook seasoned chicken until browned and 165F internal. Remove to plate.
- Add 1 tbsp butter to skillet. Sauté onion and bell pepper 3-5 minutes until slightly tender.
- Add cream, paprika, basil, garlic powder, remaining Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Boil then simmer 3-4 minutes until thickened.
- Return chicken to skillet with Parmesan and pasta. Stir until cheese melts and sauce coats evenly.
- Serve hot, garnish with parsley if desired
