This cajun pasta is so easy to make, and it’s the perfect weeknight or weekend dinner that your whole family will love! I am a sucker for my Cajun seasoning. It’s so much better than store-bought cajun spices, because the flavors are fresher and more robust. And the reason why I wanted to make my own cajun seasoning in the first place was this Creamy Cajun Chicken Sausage Pasta! This is one of my favorite creamy chicken pasta recipes, and the inspiration for this dish came from something similar that I had at one of our local pubs a while back. The result was this deliciously creamy cajun chicken and sausage pasta with onions, green pepper and penne pasta. I often make this with chicken, but sometimes I like to add smoky andouille sausage to amp up the flavor. This creamy cajun pasta is a regular favorite for us. And it’s so easy to make and customize too. Ready in 30 minutes, and I often make extra for leftovers too. Since my cajun seasoning is a powerhouse of flavor with smoky, spicy, herby, peppery notes, this creamy cajun chicken pasta really benefits from those flavors. If you do use store-bought cajun seasoning, you may likely need to add more seasoning to get a similar flavor profile.
Why you’ll love this creamy cajun pasta recipe
Use any kind of chicken you have at home. I used chicken breast, because it cooks faster, but chicken thighs work well too. Or use sausages to make creamy cajun sausage pasta instead! You can also use beef or pork instead, to make cajun beef pasta or cajun pork pasta. Or use shrimp to make creamy cajun shrimp pasta. I only use green peppers here, but you can add other peppers too. You can add veggies as well. Zucchini, broccoli, corn are all great options. Want to make a healthier version of this cajun chicken pasta? Then use YOGURT instead of milk or cream.
How to make dairy free cajun pasta
Substitute the milk/cream with coconut milk or almond milk. And instead of parmesan cheese, you can add a little nutritional yeast instead.
How to make gluten free cajun pasta
Substitute regular penne pasta with your favorite gluten free penne pasta.
How to make vegetarian or vegan creamy cajun pasta
Mushrooms! I love making cajun mushroom pasta when making this dish vegetarian. Mushroom is always an excellent meat substitute that even hardcore meat eaters can’t resist (like this flavor-packed oyster mushroom curry). Use a plant based milk instead of cream (coconut or almond milk). Use vegan cheese or nutritional yeast instead of parmesan cheese.
How to make creamy cajun chicken sausage pasta (cajun pasta)
First set a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Then cut and prep the vegetables, onions, andouille sausage and chicken. Cajun-style blackened chicken is cooked first. It only takes about 5 minutes to cook the chicken on high heat, because you want to cook the chicken quickly and get a nice char on it. If you’re using sausage as well, this can be cooked next. Set aside. When the pot of water comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Next, prepare the pasta sauce with onions, green peppers, cajun seasoning, tomato, and milk/cream. I add the chicken (and sausages) halfway through so that all the flavors mingle and simmer together and you end with a deliciously creamy pasta sauce. I sometimes make the pasta sauce with a mixture of yogurt and water, instead of cream and milk. This adds a nice tangy flavor too. Lastly, once the pasta is cooked and drained, add the hot pasta to the hot pasta sauce and toss to combine. Then it’s ready to be served. I don’t mix any parmesan cheese into the pasta sauce because there’s so much flavor in the sauce as it is. BUT, I do like to shave some fresh parmesan over the pasta. Adds a lovely saltiness to the creamy cajun chicken pasta (cajun sausage pasta).
You can keep the pasta and cajun chicken mix separate if you like, or mix all together and store in the fridge for another day. The leftovers are delicious the next day as well. So what you get here is an incredibly delicious, creamy, spicy, smoky, peppery and utterly satisfying creamy cajun chicken pasta dish, that’s perfect with a glass of wine! The perfect week night or weekend dinner any time of the year, that’s ready in 30 minutes! You know cajun spice is all about flavor and that peppery heat. So when you make a dish that’s meant to be cajun, you want it to blow you away with all those flavors. That’s what this creamy cajun pasta is – blackened chicken and andouille sausage, complete with a creamy tomato and cajun pasta sauce that’ll leave you unabashedly licking the bowl/plate at the end… A spicy, creamy chicken pasta recipe like this goes perfectly with wine. Especially after a particularly long and tiring day, the combination of spicy comfort food with a glass of wine is just the ticket… for me at least! And to finish off this cozy, comforting dish, here’s a super easy and delicious chocolate dessert idea – molten chocolate lava cake! Or how about a refreshing coconut panna cotta with a tangy fruit topping? Or just good ol’ classic panna cotta or creme caramel? So go ahead and make this creamy chicken and sausage cajun pasta, for an easy, flavorful weeknight or weekend dinner that your whole family will love! It’s one of our favorite main dish recipes, because it’s just so versatile, flavorful, and comforting. If you liked this creamy cajun chicken pasta (cajun sausage pasta) recipe, don’t forget to subscribe for new (and free) recipes by entering your email address in the subscription box below, so you don’t miss out on a thing. You can find me on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, YOU TUBE and GOOGLE-PLUS too.
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