Creamy, flavorful Cajun Chicken Pasta. Very easy to make and customizable to whatever you have in your kitchen! Time-saving tip: Prep all the veggies and ingredients while the pasta cooks.
½cupreserved pasta water(from cooking the pasta) or chicken stock
1cuptomato-based pasta sauce(such as marinara, or your favorite flavor)
1cupheavy cream(aka whipping cream or double cream)
½cupcherry tomatoeshalved
½cupshredded cheddar cheeseor Parmesan (optional)
2tablespoonsfresh parsley leavesfinely minced (for garnish), or use basil
Instructions
Cook the pasta to al dente in salted water, following the cooking time on the pasta package. Save ½ cup of pasta water from cooking the pasta, then drain the rest of the pasta.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan. Add the diced onion and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften.
Add the diced chicken breast to the pan, and season with Cajun seasoning. (see note below for spice tips.) Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the chicken is mostly cooked.
Add the sliced sausage and peppers, and cook for another minute.
Add the cooked pasta and pasta water, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until most of the water evaporated. Add the tomato sauce and heat for 1 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream and cherry tomatoes. Stir in shredded cheese, if using, Adjust with more seasoning or salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve warm, garnishing with fresh parsley.
Notes
Cajun seasoning: If you're not sure how spicy you want your pasta, you can start with 1-2 teaspoons seasoning and stir in more at the end.Cherry tomatoes: These are completely optional and not necessarily a traditional ingredient, but I like the burst of freshness from the tomatoes.Add more veggies: You can double the bell peppers, add some julienned carrots, or stir in a few handfuls of baby spinach at the end. Pasta water: If you forget to reserve the pasta water and drain all the water by accident, that's OK! If you have some chicken broth (or ½ cup water and ½ bouillon cube or ½ teaspoon no chicken seasoning base, that would work in its place. If you don't have stock or bouillon on hand, just use water and add a pinch of salt for seasoning.