One-Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta (Easy 30-Minute Dinner)
One-Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta that is a fast, weeknight dinner. Everything cooks in one pan, and the sauce is creamy, a little spicy, and delicious.
Equipment
- Frying Pan
- Grater
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast
- 2 cups Penne pasta
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 mini peppers (or 1 large bell pepper)
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp cajun seasoning
- salt, black pepper, onion powder
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Chicken: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pat dry the chicken breast, then slice it in thick strips, then finally cut the strips in bite-sized cubes. Season the chicken with the cajun spices, salt, pepper and onion powder and mix thoroughly until evenly coated. Add chicken to the skillet and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown but not yet fully cooked. Mix it periodically.
- Mini peppers: Chop the mini peppers (or bell peppers) into small strips. Add to the seared chicken breast, mix and cook for 2 minutes. Press or mince the garlic cloves and add them to the pan. Mix thoroughly and cook for another minute or so.
- Penne pasta: Move chicken to one half of the pan and pour uncooked pasta in the second half. Top with chicken broth and, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, mixing it halfway through.
- Heavy cream: Add cream to the pan and mix thoroughly. Cook for another 5 minutes or until pasta reaches desired consistency. Chop the parsley and shred the parmesan in the meantime.
- Serve: Add chopped parsley and shredded parmesan on top of the cajun chicken pasta and remove from heat. Serve while hot and enjoy! We served this with a simple arugula salad.
Notes
- If you prefer using chopped onion instead of onion powder, sauté the chopped onion before searing the chicken and cook until it turns translucent.
- Add extra broth if the pasta isn’t fully covered with liquid while cooking.
- You can swap the mini pepper for diced tomatoes (fresh or canned). Add the tomatoes at the same time as the pasta and broth.
- For more quick dinners, check my Chicken Sheet Pan Bake recipe or Bang Bank Chicken Skewers recipe.