The Cozy Cookbook is here! This Cajun Chicken Pasta has a delicious cream sauce with juicy chicken, tomatoes, and cheese! You will love this easy and delicious combination of Cajun flavors!
Cajun Chicken Pasta
This Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe is the best way to add some excitement to your dinner rotation! This flavorful cream sauce has the best combination of seasonings with diced tomatoes, juicy chicken, my favorite flavor enhancers, and penne pasta. This flavor profile has everything you need to keep things exciting!
Feel free to use any kind of pasta that you have on hand, and you can mix things up with different cheese combinations too! You’re going to love this recipe. Don’t miss my PRO tips below!
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Slice the chicken in half lengthwise to create 2 thinner slices. Season each side and dredge it in flour. Sear in olive oil. Set aside and let it rest for 10 minutes, then cut into strips.
Add the white wine and reduce by half. Melt the butter and add the garlic.
Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Combine the half and half, chicken broth, honey, hot sauce, and seasonings. Add it to the roux in small splashes, stirring continuously. Add the diced tomatoes. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer while you boil the pasta to al dente. Stir in the cheese.
Add the penne and stir to combine. Add the chicken and allow it to heat through. Optional: Add a little reserved pasta water if desired to control the consistency. Garnish with cilantro and serve!
Pro Tips
- Cajun Seasoning: I use McCormick Cajun Seasoning, consider using reduced or no sodium seasoning if preferred.
- Hot Sauce: I use Frank’s Hot Sauce for this recipe.
- Heat Level: For less heat, use just 1 tsp. of hot sauce and omit the cayenne/red pepper flakes. You can also use regular diced tomatoes instead of Rotel with green chilies.
- Wine: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Grigio are great wine choices for this recipe. Chicken broth can be used if you don’t cook with wine.
- Tomato Paste: I use tomato paste tubes to measure smaller amounts, you can store the tubes in the fridge for zero waste!
- Cheese: Cheddar Jack, Monterey Jack, Cheddar, and Mozzarella are all great options for this, I like to use a combination of cheeses. Shred it from a block, packaged shredded cheese doesn’t melt quite as well. If using mozzarella, use low moisture/whole milk. I use Dragone brand.
- Pasta: Any kind of pasta can be used for this recipe, tubed pasta with ridges will cling onto the sauce the best.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This does reheat fairly well.
- Reheating this pasta in a makeshift double boiler on the stove top is the best way to restore it to its original form.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 3-Quart Stainless Steel Sauté Pan– This is the skillet pictured in this recipe.
- Cheese Grater– Always shred your cheese from a block for soups and sauces, it melts and tastes much better than packaged shredded cheese.
- Kitchen Tongs– Makes it easy to handle the chicken when searing.
- Pasta Strainer– I have this one and love it.
- Large Measuring Cup with a Spout
- Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
- Pinch Bowls– for measuring out seasonings ahead of time.
Try These Next
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- Shrimp Fra Diavolo
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- Pepper Steak
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- Taco Pasta
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- Chicken Enchilada Soup
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- White Chicken Chili
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- Shrimp Pasta
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Cajun Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Pasta/Sauce
- ½ cup dry white wine, see notes
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 ¼ cups half and half, half cream half milk
- ¾ cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 10 oz. Rotel tomatoes with green chilies, drained
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded. See notes for other cheese options.
- ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- ½ lb. penne
Seasonings
- 1 ½ teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon EACH: onion powder, dried basil, oregano, mustard powder
- 1 pinch EACH: red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper
For Serving
- Fresh Cilantro
Instructions
- Prep Work: Combine the half and half, chicken broth, honey, hot sauce, and seasonings in a medium measuring cup with a spout and set aside. Measure remaining ingredients before beginning.
- Place a measuring cup in the colander you’ll use to drain the pasta, this will remind you to save some of the pasta water when that step arrives.
- Cook the Chicken: Cut the chicken in half lengthwise to create 2-3 thinner slices. Pat dry and season each side with Cajun seasoning, then sprinkle with flour and rub it into the surface of each side.
- Heat olive oil over medium-high heat and add the chicken. Sear on each side for about 4-5 minutes, until a golden crust has developed. Set aside and let it rest for 10 minutes, then cut into strips.
- Begin heating a pot of salted pasta water while you prepare the sauce as outlined below.
- Add the wine to the same skillet that you used to cook the chicken and set the heat to medium. Let it reduce by half, about 3 minutes. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pan while it simmers, this will add flavor to the sauce.
- Add the butter and garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine.
- Add the combined half and half mixture in small splashes, stirring continuously. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Add the drained tomatoes and simmer gently, (uncovered), while you cook the pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain once cooked and reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- Gradually sprinkle in the cheese over low heat, stirring continuously.
- Add the drained pasta and stir to combine. Add the chicken and let it warm through for 2 minutes.
- If desired, add a little pasta water. (This adds a creamy finish and helps the pasta cling onto the sauce.)
- Sprinkle with roughly chopped cilantro and serve!
Notes
- Cajun Seasoning: I use McCormick Cajun Seasoning, consider using reduced or no sodium seasoning if preferred.
- Hot Sauce: I use Frank's Hot Sauce for this recipe.
- Heat Level: For less heat, use just 1 tsp. of hot sauce and omit the cayenne/red pepper flakes. You can also use regular diced tomatoes instead of Rotel with green chilies.
- Wine: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Grigio are great wine choices for this recipe. Chicken broth can be used if you don’t cook with wine.
- Tomato Paste: I use tomato paste tubes to measure smaller amounts, you can store the tubes in the fridge for zero waste!
- Cheese: Cheddar Jack, Monterey Jack, Cheddar, and Mozzarella are all great options for this, I like to use a combination of cheeses. Shred it from a block, packaged shredded cheese doesn’t melt quite as well. If using mozzarella, use low moisture/whole milk. I use Dragone brand.
- Pasta: Any kind of pasta can be used for this recipe, tubed pasta with ridges will cling onto the sauce the best.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This does reheat fairly well.
- Reheating this pasta in a makeshift double boiler on the stove top is the best way to restore it to its original form.
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving. There are 4 servings in this recipe.
So very delicious! I didn’t have white wine on hand today so I used extra chicken ‘better than bouillon’/mixed with water. I also did large shrimp instead of chicken, again, just using what I had on hand. SO much yum!!!! My rendition made me think 90’s Outback Steakhouse toowoomba pasta magnified to a whole new level of complete magnificent perfection. Rock on cozy cook!
Wow I have to check this out with shrimp, I’m so happy you liked it! I really wish I could try that Outback version, I miss the Outback! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!💕
Delicious……added to the Cozy Cook list of favorites to make frequently! Didn’t change a thing. 🙂
I am SOO happy to hear that Vicki!!!! You made my day, thank you!
This was amazing! My boyfriend and I loved it!! I did not make any changes to the recipe. I will make this again! Thank you, it is exactly what I was looking and hoping for!
I’m so happy your boyfriend loved it so much Liz, nice work! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and leave a review!💗