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An easy weeknight dinner in a flash! This one pot cream cajun chicken pasta tastes just like the Cheesecake Factory’s – only difference is that you make it all in just one pot! Who doesn’t love easy one pot dinners?
Can we take a moment to honor the simplicity and beauty of a one pot dinner recipe? Is that weird? I mean i’m all about the one pot dinners if you haven’t noticed already.
Today’s one pot creamy cajun chicken pasta recipe is as simple as it gets. You’ve got boneless chicken, fresh sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, and bow tie pasta all bundled together in a nice little creamy cajun sauce that will have your entire mouth having a party.
It’s been my goal lately to provide you with dinners that work with both white and dark meat chicken. This ladies and gentlemen is another one of those dinners! Toss in boneless skinless chicken breast pieces or boneless skinless chicken thighs, it’s going to be fantastic either way.
Easy one pot dinners are my favorite things to make lately.
It’s been a wittle bit crazy around here since we moved. Lots of recipe testing for goodies for the new year, running the blog, organizing the house, and shopping online for furniture/accessories starts taking it’s toll on you after a few weeks. Well, maybe not the shopping online part. That I could do all.day.long. And speaking of online shopping, I am loving the day deal that West Elm has got going on. Have you had a chance to check it out? I’m binge shopping on their site daily. Someone send help! Or don’t.
Anyway, moving along.
My one pot cajun chicken pasta is my go to pasta dinner of the century. For obvious reasons — *one pot*. And not so obvious reasons like the way it’s warm, cozy, and comforting when the weather outside has been dreary for the last 4 days straight. I’ve whipped up a batch of this a few times over the course of the year, and last week I thought, I’ve been keeping this little gem from you. I don’t know how it slipped through the cracks for this long. It’s seriously one of our favorite meals and I probably make it more often than I really should. But hey, it’s a one pot meal and it’s a crowd pleaser, how could I not?
Cajun chicken pasta is better known as Louisiana Chicken Pasta at the Cheesecake Factory, which is where I got the inspiration for this recipe.
Instead of breading the chicken and frying it, we’re tossing it in cajun seasonings and sautéing it in the pan before adding in the other ingredients. This not only makes the recipe much, much lighter (way less calories than a plate full at the restaurant), but also quicker to pull together. A 30 minute creamy pasta dinner, um, yes please!
I like to serve my pasta up simple, but a lot of garlic bread would be the perfect accompaniment. Because garlic bread goes with everything right? RIGHT?
One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, diced
- 2 ½ tablespoons cajun seasoning low sodium or salt-free
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups yellow + red bell peppers diced
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 6-8 mushrooms sliced
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 12 ounces dried farfelle pasta
- ¼ cup EACH: parmesan cheese AND basil thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the diced chicken with 1 ½ tablespoons of cajun seasonings and allow to marinate for 5 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute the chicken for 2-4 minutes, stirring as require to ensure it cooks all the way through. Remove the chicken to a large dish.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat, add the bell peppers, onions, and mushroom. Cook the veggies for 1 minute. Add the minced garlic and the remaining 1 tablespoon of cajun seasoning, stir to combine and let cook 30 seconds. Remove the veggies to the same dish as the chicken.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add the broth, cream, and pasta to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and let the pasta cook for 12-14 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Add the chicken and veggies back into the pot. Sprinkle in the parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. Top with basil and serve warm.
Notes
- Additional broth or milk can be used to loosen the pasta to desired consistency. You will need to add some kind of liquid when reheating leftovers.
Like This? Leave a comment & rating below!
My go-to company meal!
I’ve been making this dish for about 10 years now and it’s my go-to for company and also my husband’s favorite. My sons also love it too now that they’re teens and like spicy food. It’s even better as microwaved left overs! Guests always want the recipe.
The only additions I make are adding green bell peppers as well, about 1/2 cup of white wine to the sauce while the pasta is cooking, and I double up on the parmesan and add lots of salt to taste at the end. I make my own cajun seasoning (make sure it includes thyme and oregano) so I can adjust the heat level depending on who I’m serving.
Occasionally I’ll add some sliced smoked sausage as well.
Thank you for this excellent and easy recipe!
I made this tonight for supper….it was fantastic. Would not change a thing to the recipe. Soooooo yummy. This was my 6th recipe from your collection and can’t wait to try another one….hardest part is trying to decide which one. I am quite proud of my growing spice collection…so much fun to try something new.
This looks soooo yummy, I can’t wait to try!
As I figure out adulthood, everything I cook is usually pretty mediocre…. But I followed this step by step and it turned out AWESOME! I actually didn’t have any Parmesan but it would’ve made it even better… Thanks for sharing : )
Glad you enjoyed it, Nicole!
This dish looks so flavorful and comforting! I love one pot meals, so much. Especially, like you say, during this busy time of year.
Seems great. What can I use to substitute heavy cream in this recipe?
The lightest you can go is half and half in this recipe. I wouldn’t suggest using milk.