Cajun Chicken Pasta Peppers (Printer-friendly)
Creamy pasta combined with Cajun-spiced chicken and vibrant bell peppers for a hearty meal.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.1 lb), sliced into strips
02 - 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
→ Pasta
04 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine
→ Vegetables
05 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
06 - 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
07 - 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
08 - 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
09 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
→ Sauce
10 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
11 - 3/4 cup heavy cream
12 - 3 tablespoons chicken broth
13 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
14 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
16 - Chopped fresh parsley
17 - Extra grated Parmesan
# How to Make It:
01 - Toss the chicken strips with 1.5 tablespoons Cajun seasoning and a pinch of salt, ensuring even coating on all sides.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the seasoned chicken strips for 5–6 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add butter. Sauté sliced onion and all bell peppers for 4–5 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and remaining Cajun seasoning; cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
04 - Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving about 1/3 cup pasta water for later use.
05 - Pour chicken broth into the skillet, stirring to deglaze and incorporate browned bits. Add heavy cream, smoked paprika, and grated Parmesan. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
06 - Add cooked pasta and chicken to the skillet. Toss to coat everything in the sauce, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if needed for consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan cheese.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It delivers that restaurant-quality cream sauce without needing any fancy techniques or hard-to-find ingredients
- The whole dish comes together in under 45 minutes but tastes like it simmered all afternoon
02 -
- The sauce will continue to thicken as it sits so if it looks too thin just give it another minute on the heat
- Reserved pasta water is your secret weapon for adjusting consistency without making the sauce too heavy
03 -
- Dont overcrowd the pan when cooking the chicken or itll steam instead of getting that gorgeous golden sear
- The pasta water trick works because the starch helps emulsify the cream and cheese into restaurant-quality silkiness