Monday, June 22, 2009

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta


This is one of the most popular recipes on Recipezaar.com and I can see why. This was really quick and easy to make. I cut up the chicken into chunks and sauteed it in olive oil and butter. I used half milk and half whipping cream to cut down on the calories. I also added about a tablespoon of flour to help thicken it up. This was really good and I will be making this again.






Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
4 ounces linguine, cooked al dente (I used whole wheat linguine)
2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons butter
1-2 cup heavy whipping cream (I used half 1% milk and half whipping cream)
2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder (I used fresh minced garlic)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl and toss to coat. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté chicken in butter or margarine until chicken is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat add green onion, heavy cream, tomatoes, basil, salt, garlic powder, black pepper and heat through. Pour over hot linguine and toss with Parmesan cheese.

http://www.recipezaar.com/Creamy-Cajun-Chicken-Pasta-39087

49 comments:

Mythical Monkey said...

I'm going to try the idiot uncle version of this tonight, which is to say, with some pre-cooked Purdue chicken. I'll let you know how it turns out ...

Mythical Monkey said...

Tried the Uncle Idiot version of "Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta," using the Purdue Short Cuts roasted chicken. Took about ten minutes to cook and boy, was it good!

steph said...

I'm glad you liked it!

Krista S. said...

So excited to try this, but I have a stupid question. What exactly is cajun seasoning? Does it say "Cajun Seasoning" at the grocery? THanks!!

PS. found you via pinterest :)

Steph@PlainChicken.com said...

Hey Krista! It will say Creole/Cajun seasoning at the grocery store. Tony Chachere is a popular brand.

Hope you like the pasta!

Princess of Pessimism said...

Krista, cajun seasoning is a spicy seasoning mix, and yes it does say "Cajun Seasoning" on it. Try "Tonys" or I like "Slap yo Momma" (: Btw this is a great recipe, I've made it many times

Steph@PlainChicken.com said...

You can also make your own - I posted a homemade cajun seasoning on Monday - go to the home page to check it out.

Blessedbabs said...

This sounds superb...think I may make it with shrimp for dinner tomorrow night ;) I also found you via pintrest!

misplaced.hoosier said...

I could just be completely looking right over it..but it says to add green onion, and I don't see that listed in ingredients or how much. Am I just spacing over it? (That is entirely possible..lol)

Lacey said...

i've made something similar to this but used a can of cream of mushroom or chicken soup instead of heavy cream, if you don't have heavy cream on hand. it tastes great just add milk to get the consistency you want.

Steph@PlainChicken.com said...

misplaced.hoosier - I left it out of the ingredients! One green onion chopped is good.

Carsey Critter said...

does the "1 -2 cup heavy cream" actually mean 1/2 or is it 1 to 2 cups?
Thanks :)

Steph@PlainChicken.com said...

Carsey - it is 1 to 2 cups of cream - just add cream until the sauce is the consistency you like

Sara, RN said...

This pasta was really good! My sauce wasn't nearly as thick looking as yours but by the next day it was perfect! Any tips on how to make it thicker? I didn't use half of the cream it called for. This was really good though! Definitely making this again in the future :)

la vie est absurde said...

I've made this three times and the sauce has yet to come out thick....

Steph@PlainChicken.com said...

You can add some flour if your sauce doesn't thicken on it's own. Start with 1 tbsp

Sara, RN said...

I realized after I commented that you can add flour. Trying that next time!

Sara, RN said...

So I looked for sun dried tomatoes today when I went to the grocery. Couldn't find them/didn't know where to look. Help!

Troop 8631 said...

Sara, I found them on the same aisle as tomato paste. They were on a top shelf in a small jar. Only 2 brands, so it's not a huge selection, easy to overlook.

Lauren said...

Do you recommend anything in place of the sundried tomatoes? I want to make this tonight and I have everything but the tomatoes!

Steph@PlainChicken.com said...

Lauren - you can leave them out and it will taste fine. I've made it with and without the sundried tomatoes and it is good both ways

megan1662 said...

What does "1-2 cup" mean? Does that mean you put in between 1 and 2 cups? I'm a new cooker so I'm sorry if this is a silly question...just want to make sure I do this right.

megan1662 said...

Nevermind...just saw your answer above! Thanks!

Ann said...

Found you on Pinterest! I would say you could even substitute Greek yogurt in place of the whipping cream if you are really wanting to cut some fat/calories. One thing about sun-dried tomatoes is that once you open them and then refrigerate, the oil solidifies and it's like picking tomatoes out of butter, yuck, but giving them a good rinse makes them fine. I think I will make this!

Steph@PlainChicken.com said...

Ann - evaporated milk is a great substitute for heavy cream. I'm not sure how the Greek yogurt would work - I'll have to try it sometime.

Jessica @ Home and Faith said...

This is SO good! It is my new favorite meal!! Thanks so much for the recipe!

laura said...

Wow! This was SO good and SO simple.

I'm already looking forward to making it again!

Kelly said...

This was yummy! I used shrimp and 1% milk & heavy cream. Added 2 tbsp of flour to thicken it. Delicious!,

lauren122 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
lauren122 said...

I think i'm going to make this tonight! It sounds quick and easy. Also, as I read the recipe and saw "cajun seasoning", I thought to myself that I can use the creole seasoning we have. Then I saw in another comment that they're basically the same. While I thought I was being creative (ha!), i'm glad that they're basically the same. Then I know I won't mess it up. :)

bayougourmet said...

I made this tonight for supper but I had to do some substitutions and they proved to be great.

Instead of breast I used chicken tenders and left them whole
I used thin pasta instead of linguine
Since I am cajun I used the 2 teaspoons of cajun seasoning as called for
I also used 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of real butter
I didn't have heavy cream, green onions or sun dried tomatoes, so I substituted 1 can of cream of onion soup & 1 small can of Old El Paso Jalepeno Relish.....from this point on I followed the recipe ingredients and directions to a tee. Let me report it was quite spicy.....It was delish says the hubby. So there you go, substitutes can be made with the right thought process.....Bon Appetitte!

corin.irene said...

How many does it serve?

mt4me said...

This dish was AMAZING! I made it for my family a few nights ago, and it was a hit! It's like a restaurant meal, at home! I added more sun-dried tomatoes, and also added some shrimp. The seasoning was a little to spicy for my young kids, but was perfect for my husband and myself. This is going to make our meal rotation, for sure! I am totally enjoying your blog, and trying your recipes!

mt4me said...

This dish was AMAZING! I made it for my family a few nights ago, and it was a hit! It's like a restaurant meal, at home! I added more sun-dried tomatoes, and also added some shrimp. The seasoning was a little to spicy for my young kids, but was perfect for my husband and myself. This is going to make our meal rotation, for sure! I am totally enjoying your blog, and trying your recipes!

SkinnyShanny said...

This is one of my all time favorite "cheat" meals!! I add extra spice because I like it hot!

Becky said...

using Kraft parm cheese helped to thicken it up. It was very good, but a bit salty for my taste. Will try again with something salt free for the seasoning. Glad I found you.

Susan said...

We absolutely love this recipe! I have been making it once a week for the past month since my husband loves it so much!


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RumRunner87 said...

Thanks for the recipe! Mine looked totally different - I used whole wheat fussili pasta (already had it at home, one less ingredient to buy). Used less cajun seasoning - I have a low spice tolerance. Overall, excellent recipe suggestion. LOVED it!

Lillian (My Recipe Journey) said...

YUM!!! And I love your changes! I'll be making it that way also! Oh, and I'll probably blog about it too! I'll send my readers here! Thanks!

Charyse said...

This is now our favorite dish!

Paola Poncio said...

Hey i don't know if this is a silly question or not but if i don't have the heavy cream can I use milk in place or should i use a can of cream of mushroom?

Stephanie Parker said...

Paola - you can use milk. You might need to add a little flour to help thicken the sauce a bit

Katie said...

I found you via pinterest. This is one of my favorite recipes on food.com (formerly recipezaar)! I don't have cajun seasoning, so I substituted italian seasoning, and it turned out really good that way.

Lindsay Gurney said...

Very delicious and creamy. Altered the recipe just a bit. I featured this over on my blog at: http://rememberingtosway.blogspot.com/2012/12/creamy-cajun-chicken-pasta.html

Lindsay Shultz-Gurney

Abigail Buchta said...

Found this via Pinterest - Very delicious and so easy! I used half & half instead of heavy cream (still split with milk) since that's what I had. Will be back to make it again!

Marianne said...

I actually found you through the Zip List. I have made several of your recipes, as we are 3 women with many different taste styles I find your recipes to fit in perfectly! (ages 85 *Mom*; 63 and 55, sisters in retirement. Going to have to make this dish, I'll add more "Tony's" to mine!!!!!

stef said...

this looks good but what the heck is "cajun seasoning"

Man Satchel said...


2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

is the one ive always used to make cajun spice

Stephanie Parker said...

Man Satchel - thank you! I will try this next time.

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