Cajun Chicken Pasta

Whenever you decide to go Cajun, you can always count on a meal packed full of delicious flavor. This hearty, filling Cajun pasta dish is no exception. The secret lies in the seasoning—heavily seasoned Cajun chicken, that is. It provides the perfect amount of bold, statement-making flavor to go along with a creamy white sauce and sautéed bell peppers, mushrooms, and green onions.Not to mention, this simple skillet rendition of Cajun chicken pasta goes from the stovetop to the supper table in just 20 minutes, meaning you can cap off any busy weeknight with a quick-fix crowd-pleaser in less than half an hour. That's what we call a weeknight warrior. Reviewers rave that this chicken and pasta dish instantly becomes a dinnertime "regular." And we can't say we're surprised. Serve up this savory Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe with some crusty Garlic Bread, and get ready for your family to scrape that skillet clean. There's a reason it's one of our favorite Cajun pasta recipes. 

Cajun Chicken Pasta
Sautéed bell peppers, mushrooms, and green onion mix with Cajun-seasoned chicken and an easy white sauce for a skillet pasta meal that is sure to please at your dinner table. Recipe:. Photo: Ralph Anderson
Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
35 mins
Yield:
4 servings

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces uncooked linguine

  • 2 pounds chicken breast strips

  • 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided

  • 1/4 cup butter

  • 1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced*

  • 1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced*

  • 1 (8-oz.) package fresh mushrooms

  • 2 green onions (white and light green parts only), sliced*

  • 1 1/2 cups half-and-half

  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon dried basil

  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

  • Garnish: chopped green onions

Directions

  1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.

  2. Sprinkle chicken evenly with Cajun seasoning and 1 tsp. salt. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken, and sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until done. Remove chicken.

  3. Add bell peppers, mushrooms, and green onions to skillet, and sauté 9 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and liquid evaporates.

  4. Return chicken to skillet; stir in half-and-half, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring often, over medium-low heat 3 to 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Add linguine; toss to coat. Garnish, if desired, and serve immediately.

Chef's Notes

*1/2 (16-oz.) bag frozen sliced green, red, and yellow bell peppers and onion may be substituted. For testing purposes only, we used Birds Eye Pepper Stir-Fry.

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