I am completely head-over-heels in love with this one pan Cajun Chicken Pasta dish!
It’s creamy, it’s spicy, and it’s bursting full of flavors that will warm you to the bone.
Oh and did I mention it’s a ONE PAN dish??
I was craving Chili’s Cajun Chicken Pasta, so I decided to make my own version. I used rigatoni for my noodles, because that creamy sauce gets stuck inside of those giant noodles and it’s just magical when you take a big bite.
Since this is a ONE PAN meal, you’ll want to make sure you start with a nice big pan. Teflon Brand recently sent me a 5 quart Farberware Jumbo Cooker that is coated with Teflon. It’s the perfect size for creating simple meals for your family.
Start by cutting up 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts into 1 inch pieces.
Sprinkle them generously with some Cajun Seasoning.
Then heat up a tablespoon of oil in your large pan, swirling it around to coat the bottom.
Toss in the chicken (you’ll probably have to do this in two batches since it’s a lot of chicken and you don’t want to crowd the pan). Cook on one side for 2-3 minutes then flip, and cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side.
Once the chicken is cooked remove it with a slotted spoon to a clean plate.
Now it’s time for the veggies. Chop up an onion and red bell pepper into small pieces.
Then grab a few cloves of garlic and give them a good mincing.
Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan and get it back up to a high heat. Toss in the onion, red bell pepper and garlic. Let the veggies cook at a high heat and try not to push them around too much. You’re trying to caramelize, and blacken the veggies a bit.
Sprinkle with a little more Cajun Seasoning and salt if desired.
After the veggies have cooked for about 4-5 minutes add some chopped mushrooms and cook for another 2 minutes.
Then remove the veggies to the same plate as the chicken. Take a taste and be amazed.
Back to the pan…
Add some white cooking wine, a little water and a reduced sodium homestyle chicken stock concentrate by Knorr. (or you can just omit the water and stock concentrate for just chicken broth). Let the mixture bubble, then use a spatula to scrap any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
Add some heavy cream and a little cream cheese to the mixture. Season with a little salt and pepper and a dash more Cajun Spices according to your taste preference.
Stir until the mixture starts to thicken, and becomes nice and creamy.
Add the chicken and vegetable mixture back to the pan (including any drippings from the chicken and veggies that found it’s way to the bottom of the plate). Add your cooked pasta and toss to coat, cooking for an additional 2 minutes to reheat the chicken and veggies.
Top with some diced tomatoes and sliced green onions. Then sprinkle on some fresh Parmesan cheese.
You can serve this with some garlic bread and a salad.
Or just eat it by itself.
And then eat the leftovers for breakfast because you’re an adult, and adults can do these things.
recipe inspired by: Pioneer Woman
Cajun Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 6 cups Rigatoni, or Penne Pasta, cooked
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
- Cajun Seasoning
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup mushrooms, diced
- 1/2 cup White Cooking Wine
- 1 Knorr Homestyle Reduced Sodium Chicken Stock Concentrate
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 oz cream cheese
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 1 Roma tomato, diced
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
- Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Prepare pasta according to package instructions.
- In a large pan heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with enough Cajun seasoning to coat lightly. Place half the chicken in the pan (making sure not to crowd the chicken), let the chicken brown on one side for 2-3 minutes then flip over and finish browning on the other side for 2-3 minutes. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon to a clean plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.
- Turn heat up to high and add the remaining tbsp of oil. Toss in the onion, red bell pepper and garlic. Sprinkle with a little more Cajun seasoning and salt and pepper. Try not to stir the mixture too much, let it caramelize and blacken slightly. After about 4-5 minutes add the mushrooms and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove the veggies to the plate with the chicken.
- Back in the pan add 1/2 cup white cooking wine, chicken stock concentrate and water (or substitute the concentrate and water for 1 1/2 cups chicken broth). Bring to a boil and scrap any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Let the mixture cook for a bit and reduce in size by half.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the heavy cream and cream cheese. Stir with a whisk until mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add the chicken and veggies back to the pan and stir to coat, cooking until mixture thickens (about 2-3 minutes). Add in the cooked pasta and toss to coat.
- Serve topped with the diced tomatoes and sliced green onions and a little Parmesan cheese on top.
Nutrition
Are you ready to cook up some dinner now?
Would you like to try out this wonderful 5 qt. Jumbo Cooker coated with Teflon?
Good news! One lucky I Wash…You Dry reader is going to win one of their very own!
{Giveaway Now Closed}
This conveniently large pan has a retail value of $29.99. It is coated with a Teflon non-stick coating to make it extra easy to prepare flawless meals for your family. It’s has great features like helper handles on the sides for ease in picking it up, and a clear glass top lid so you can keep an eye on your food. This pan is also oven safe up to 350 degrees and dishwasher safe! You wont need any other pans!
I’m trying out a new way to do giveaways using this Rafflecopter…
Congratulations to the winner: Oanh Ho #273 {I will be contacting you soon}
disclaimer: TeflonBrand provided me with this Jumbo Cooker and is providing the one for the winner as well. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.
chicken fajitas
Mac and cheese – homemade of course
We love pasta, normally made by using up whatever leftovers we have!
Chicken noodle soup for me.
Ops typed my own name wrong. It’s Oanh. Sorry
cheesy pasta
Spaghetti
My favorite “go to” meal is probably burritos! Breakfast, lunch, or dinner … so easy to throw together & so many different varieties!
Super easy chicken broccoli casserole. 1-2 cans cream of chicken soup, 1/2 cup mayo, some curry powder and fresh lemon juice. Add Cooked chicken. Pour this over cooked broccoli in a casserole dish = top with shredded cheddar and bread crumbs. Bake til bubbly – Yum!
Breakfast for dinner. A favorite is Dutch Apple Pancake.
Chicken Stir Fry !:)
Orzo with truffle oil! Sounds fancy, but simple two great ingredients, specially after a long day working in the restaurant!
Grilled Cheese
Quesadillas!
Chicken quesadillas!
My favorite go-to dinner is rice pilaf! 🙂 And let me just say, far before I realized the giveaway was the jumbo cooker, I was already drooling over that pan. It’s awesome! The size! The teflon! The SIZE!! 🙂 Great giveaway.
pasta!
I love one pan meals and this pasta!!
I cook up some pasta. Then I add a combination of storebought pesto, chopped tomato, salt, and pepper.
It would have to be stir fry
Going to have to try this one, thanks!
Tacos!
My favorite go-to dinner is spaghetti and meatballs
My go time dinner is usually some breakfast for dinner. (French toast, pancakes, or crepes.)
We always go to “chicken voila” garlic chicken. It’s in the frozen food isle. My kids love it and they just pick around the veggies that they don’t like, and they even eat some of them too! It’s a very similar idea to this recipe, I can’t wait to try this!
Quesadillas or eggs are our favorite go to dinners.
Some sort of pasta, for sure!
Perhaps macaroni or cheese or meat loaf. Both are always comfort food for me.
Love Chicken Piccata!
My hubby loves hamburger helper, quick and easy!
Tacos or mexican pasta is our go-to meal!
Looks so good. Too bad dad won’t eat it. It has everything in it he doesn’t like.
Grilled cheese sandwiches that I put various items in – turkey, portobello mushrooms, various types of cheeses to make them different!
I make a “cheater” blackened chicken pasta with rotissierre chicken and alfredo sauce from a jar.
My favorite go-to dinner is pasta anything. If it has pasta, it has to be good, right?
tacos thanks 🙂
I love any one pan dinners.It makes clean up so easy and fast! 🙂
Love the one pan dishes like chili mac 🙂 easy , fast, and Yummy! 🙂
beef stroganoff
This dish sounds amazing – all of the flavors I love!!
It would be quesadillas.