Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta

Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta is a quick and easy dinner with all the comfort of flavorful Cajun chicken, creamy Alfredo sauce, and satisfying pasta.

Why this recipe works:

This is one of those rich and decadent pasta dinner recipes that everyone will love.

• This recipe is made with homemade 4-ingredient Alfredo sauce and homemade pasta, if you can believe it! You can easily swap out the homemade pasta with dried store bought pasta to make it quick and easy.
• I also made this with my own homemade Cajun seasoning mix. You can easily use a store bought seasoning mix, but be aware that the salt levels will be different.
• Because the chicken is pounded flat and seasoned before getting browned, it is fork tender and full of flavor.

Here's how to make it:

1. First step is to get the pasta cooking in a pot of boiling salted water. 
2. Pound or roll the chicken breasts until they are about a half inch thick.
3. Coat both sides with the Cajun seasoning.
4. Cook in olive oil in a pan over high heat until each side is browned, then allow to rest on a plate that is loosely tented with foil.
5. Meanwhile, make the Alfredo sauce by infusing garlic in butter in the same pan you cooked the chicken. To that, you will add heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, and a bit more Cajun seasoning. 
6. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Then, slice the cooked chicken and add the slices, along with any juices from the plate, to the pasta. Serve warm and enjoy!

Cooking tips:

• You need to pound or roll the chicken breast to create a thin, even thickness but also to break down the tissue. This makes the cooking process faster but also makes the meat fork tender.
• Anytime you're cooking meat, the best practice is to allow it to come to room temperature before cooking. So, if time allows, let your chicken sit at room temperature for about an hour before making this recipe.
• Rub that spice in. You want to fully coat the meat before you cook it.
• Ensure the oil is hot in the pan before you add the chicken. Any time you're trying to get a good sear on meat, you have to ensure the oil is hot enough to seal the outside of the meat with a nice crispy outer layer without burning it. 
• As with most meats, I highly recommend allowing the meat to rest for a few minutes after cooking. This allows the juices in the chicken to redistribute. Also, any juices that accumulate on the plate can be added back to the final pasta dish.
• I love to add the cajun seasoning to the alfredo sauce. It carries the flavor throughout the dish.
• Whenever you add pasta to a dish where you will continue to cook or even warm the pasta it in a sauce, you want to ensure your pasta is cooked al dente as it will continue to cook once added to the sauce.
• If you think you may want to thin the sauce before serving, scoop out a cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta and stir into the final recipe, one tablespoon at a time, until you achieve the desired thickness.

Related recipes:

Love spicy dinners with a Cajun flare? You will certainly love these favorites:

• Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Foil Packs
• Cajun Shrimp Pasta
• Seafood Gumbo
• Crawfish Étouffée
• Cajun Burger
• Easy Red Beans and Rice

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Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta

 Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta is a quick and easy dinner with all the comfort of flavorful cajun chicken, creamy alfredo sauce, and satisfying pasta.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Scale: 4 servings

Recipe Created By: Krissy Allori

Ingredients

• ▢ 8 ounces pasta
• ▢ 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cajun seasoning (plus 1 additional teaspoon )
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil

Alfredo Sauce

• ▢ 4 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• ▢ 1 ½ cups heavy cream (divided)
• ▢ 2 cups parmesan cheese (grated)

Instructions

• Cook pasta in heavily salted boiling water.
• While pasta is cooking, smash or roll the chicken in between two pieces of plastic wrap until they breasts are about ½ inch thick. Coat both sides of the chicken breasts in 2 tablespoons of the cajun seasoning mix, reserving the remaining teaspoon for later.
• In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. When oil is super hot, add the seasoned chicken breast. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes or until browned. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and loosely tent with foil.
• Add butter and garlic to the pan and reduce heat to low. Allow to cook until the butter is infused with the garlic, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of heavy cream, stir, and allow to come to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add in parmesan cheese, remaining heavy cream, and teaspoon of cajun seasoning. Add cooked pasta and stir.
• Slice chicken and add to pasta, along with any juices that may have accumulated on plate.

Notes

• Pound or roll the chicken breast to create a thin, even thickness but also to break down the tissue. This makes the cooking process faster but also makes the meat fork tender.
• Anytime you're cooking meat, the best practice is to allow it to come to room temperature before cooking. So, if time allows, let your chicken sit at room temperature for about an hour before making your cajun chicken pasta.
• Rub that spice in. You want to fully coat the meat before you cook it.
• Ensure the oil is hot in the pan before you add the chicken. Any time you're trying to get a good sear on meat, you have to ensure the oil is hot enough to seal the outside of the meat with a nice crispy outer layer without burning it. This is a skill every home cook should learn to perfect.
• As with most meats, I highly recommend allowing the meat to rest for a few minutes after cooking. This allows the juices in the chicken to redistribute. Also, any juices that accumulate on the plate can be added back to the final pasta dish.
• I love to add the cajun seasoning to the alfredo sauce. It carries the flavor throughout the dish.
• Whenever you add pasta to a dish where you will continue to cook, or even warm, it in a sauce, you want to ensure your pasta is cooked al dente as it will continue to cook once added to the sauce.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Calories: 955kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 67g | Saturated Fat: 37g | Cholesterol: 222mg | Sodium: 1006mg | Potassium: 540mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3795IU | Vitamin C: 2.1mg | Calcium: 682mg | Iron: 2.1mg

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This recipe was originally published in September 2019 and has been updated with helpful information, ingredient and process photos, as well as recipe tips. Don't worry - the recipe hasn't changed!