Fast and Easy Cajun Chicken Pasta Dinner

This Cajun Chicken Pasta Dinner comes together really fast, so it’s perfect for a busy weeknight. Sauteed peppers and onion add some veggies to the mix for a dinner that has a little bit of spicy kick and is yummy for the tummy.

Last night, my oven died.  (Bows head for a moment of silence .)  That means that the recipes I had planned for the week need to change.  I miss my oven.  Dr. Craig says that the thingamajiggy that ignites the gas needs to be replaced.  Sigh. 

At least the stove works, so I could finally make one of the Pioneer Woman’s recent recipes she posted.  I liked the idea of using a Cajun mix of seasoning, so I bookmarked this one. Pasta is one of my favorite fast food dinners, after a busy day at the office.  Bell peppers are a vegetable that I always have in the fridge. I can hardly wait until summer, when I can grow my own again. I’m slowly learning to turn up the spice heat a little more, because my husband loves spicy food.  This is truly a 29 minute meal. Ready?

Start a pot of water to boiling. Grab a box of fettuccine.  Don’t forget to salt the water! Cook the pasta to al dente.  In the meantime:

You need chicken, red bell pepper, green bell pepper (I had red & yellow), red onion (I’m sure any kind of onion is just fine), minced garlic, and Roma tomatoes (canned can work, too).  I made my own Cajun seasoning like the one I used to make my version of Red Beans & Rice.  I use 1 Tablespoon each of sweet paprika,  garlic powder, Lawry’s Seasoning Mix and oregano and one teaspoon cayenne.  You can find lots of Cajun seasoning mix, but I like to control my own sodium.

In some olive oil and unsalted butter, sear the meat; remove the chicken to a plate. Add the vegetables, garlic and Cajun seasoning and cook for a minute or two. Add half the seasoning, using the rule of logic– you can always add more heat, but you can’t take it out!  Remove the vegetables and pile them on top of the chicken.

Deglaze the pan with some white wine or vermouth.  Loosen up the bits of brown flavor and let it reduce for a few minute.  Add some heavy cream (or half & half) and let it thicken a little bit more. Don’t fret (like I did) if the sauce doesn’t thicken a lot. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust with salt & pepper. 

Pour the chicken, vegetables and all the yummy juices back into the pan. Add the cooked and drained pasta pasta and combine all that flavorful goodness.

This dish reminds us of a Blackened Chicken Fettuccine that my husband orders at our favorite local restaurant.  This version doesn’t have as many fat grams, though!  It’s also a lot cheaper to make for six people, than one restaurant serving for $18.95. My boys loved it a lot. They had heaping seconds.  I even think that mushrooms would be great in this dish.

How hot was it?  I’m a bit of a wimp about hot and spicy food.  The cayenne pepper said “hello”, in my opinion, but I wasn’t breathing fire.  I actually liked it.  My husband said it could have been hotter. All he had to do was to add the remaining spice and everybody was happy.

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Fast and Easy Cajun Chicken Pasta Dinner

This Cajun Chicken Pasta Dinner comes together really fast, so it's perfect for a busy weeknight. Sauteed peppers and onion add some veggies to the mix for a dinner that has a little bit of spicy kick and is yummy for the tummy.

Servings: 6

Author: Debby – www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Ingredients

CAJUN SPICE MIX (if you want to make your own):

• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon Lawyry’s Spice Mix
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

For the chicken:

• 3 whole chicken breasts boneless, skinless, cut into cubes
• 3 teaspoons Cajun spice mix If you don't have any on hand I've included a homemade blend above
• 1 pound fettuccine

For the vegetables:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 whole green bell pepper I used yellow, seeded and sliced
• 1 whole red bell pepper seeded and sliced
• 1/2 whole large red onion sliced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• OPTIONAL: Fresh sliced mushrooms would be a great addition.
• 4 whole Roma tomatoes diced

For the sauce:

• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cups white wine
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Salt to taste
• Fresh parsley chopped, to taste

Instructions

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!

Cook the chicken:

• Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces**. Toss around to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer; do not stir.
• Allow chicken to brown on one side, about 1 minute. Flip to the other side and cook an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean plate.
• NOTE: **We like spicy and flavorful food, but I can't handle too much heat. I used half of my own spice mix. It's wisest to use caution. You can always add more heat, but you can't take it away. I also didn't add a lot of black pepper, due to preferences of our family.
• Repeat with remaining chicken. Remove chicken, leaving pan on high heat.

Cook the vegetables:

• Add remaining olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed.
• Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible.

  Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan.
• With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly.
• Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy!
• Finally, add chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.
• Top with chopped fresh parsley and serve.

Notes

Recipe source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Tried this recipe?Mention @afeastfortheeyes or tag #afeastfortheeyesblog!

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