Why You’ll Love This this Guilt-Free Creamy Spiced Cajun Chicken Pasta
This Cajun chicken pasta brings restaurant-quality flavor straight to your kitchen with just a handful of pantry staples and about 20 minutes of your time.
The creamy parmesan sauce gets its kick from cajun seasoning and cayenne pepper, creating that perfect balance where your taste buds get excited but your mouth doesn’t catch fire.
Plus, with tender chicken pieces and perfectly cooked rotini all mingling together in one skillet, you’re looking at a complete meal that’ll have everyone asking for seconds—and probably thirds, if I’m being honest.
Ingredients List
Getting this creamy, spicy masterpiece on your table starts with gathering these simple ingredients that probably live in your kitchen right now.
- 5 cups rotini pasta, cooked
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- The heavy cream makes this dish rich and indulgent, so if you’re watching calories, you could swap it for half-and-half, though the sauce won’t be quite as luxurious
- Fresh garlic beats the pre-minced stuff every time for that aromatic punch
- Look for cajun seasoning without too much salt if you’re watching sodium, since the parmesan already brings plenty of salty goodness
- The cayenne pepper is what gives this dish its gentle heat, so start with less if you’re not a spice fan
Step by Step Directions
Transform your kitchen into a Cajun paradise with these straightforward steps that’ll have you twirling perfectly seasoned pasta in no time.
- Cook rotini according to package directions, then drain and set aside.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add cubed chicken to the skillet and sauté until cooked through and golden brown.
- Stir in minced garlic, chopped green onions, cajun seasoning, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 5 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Pour in heavy cream and let it simmer for 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Remove the skillet from heat and stir in grated parmesan cheese until melted.
- Add the cooked rotini pasta to the skillet and toss everything together until well coated.
- Serve immediately while hot and creamy.
For an even more hands-off approach to cooking flavorful chicken dishes, consider using a premium slow cooker that allows you to develop rich, complex flavors with minimal effort.
Substitutions and Variations
- Vegetable additions – Bell peppers, mushrooms, or cherry tomatoes bulk up the dish and add color, because let’s face it, beige food needs all the help it can get.
- Dairy-free version – Coconut cream creates surprising richness, and nutritional yeast gives you that cheesy flavor without actual cheese, though it sounds weird until you try it.
- Make it a one-pot meal – Cook the pasta right in the sauce with extra liquid, which saves dishes and somehow makes everything taste more connected.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
This pasta is rich enough to stand on its own, but a few strategic sides can turn dinner into something that feels more like a proper meal.
- Simple green salad – Something crisp and acidic cuts through all that cream, and honestly, we could all use more vegetables in our lives, even if they’re just drowning in ranch dressing.
- Garlic bread – Because when you’re already committed to the carbs, why not double down and make it worth the food coma you’ll inevitably undergo later.
- Roasted broccoli or asparagus – The char from roasting adds a smoky contrast to the creamy pasta, plus it makes you feel slightly better about your life choices.
- Caesar salad – The anchovy punch and sharp parmesan echo the boldness of the Cajun spices, creating this weird harmony that somehow works perfectly.
- Corn on the cob – Keeps the Southern theme going strong, and butter dripping down your chin pairs surprisingly well with spicy cream sauce.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
A few small tweaks can make the difference between decent pasta and the kind that makes you forget your own name.
- Don’t overcook the chicken – Nobody wants rubber masquerading as protein, so pull those cubes off the heat the second they’re no longer pink inside, because they’ll keep cooking in that hot cream sauce anyway.
- Save some pasta water – That starchy liquid is liquid gold for loosening up sauce that decides to get clingy and thick on you, plus it helps everything stick together like one happy, creamy family.
- Toast your Cajun seasoning – Let those spices bloom in the butter for about 30 seconds before adding the cream, because raw spice powder tastes like disappointment compared to properly awakened flavors.
- Use room temperature cream – Cold cream hitting a hot pan is basically asking for a curdled mess, and nobody has time to start over when dinner was supposed to be ready ten minutes ago.
- Taste as you go – Your Cajun seasoning might be spicier than mine, or your cheese might be saltier, so adjust accordingly because recipes are more like suggestions than gospel truth.
- Don’t let the sauce boil – Once that cream goes in, keep it at a gentle simmer or you’ll end up with something that looks more like cottage cheese than dinner.
Nutritional Facts
Quick nutrition breakdown per serving (recipe serves 4):
- Calories: 685 per serving
- Protein: 42g (mainly from chicken breast and parmesan cheese)
- Carbohydrates: 58g (primarily from rotini pasta)
- Fat: 32g (heavy cream, butter, and cheese contribute most of the fat content)
- Saturated Fat: 19g
- Fiber: 3g
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 580mg (varies greatly based on Cajun seasoning brand)
- Calcium: 285mg (thanks to the parmesan and heavy cream)
- Iron: 3mg
- Cholesterol: 155mg
- Macronutrient breakdown: 25% protein, 34% carbs, 41% fat
- High in: Complete proteins, calcium, vitamin A from heavy cream
- Moderate in: B-vitamins from chicken, iron from pasta
- Lower sodium option: Use low-sodium Cajun seasoning or make your own spice blend
- Lighter version: Substitute half-and-half for heavy cream to reduce calories by about 120 per serving
Fun “Did You Know?”
Cajun seasoning wasn’t actually invented in Louisiana – it originated from French-Canadian Acadians who were expelled from Nova Scotia in 1755 and eventually settled in Louisiana’s bayous.
I find it fascinating that rotini pasta‘s corkscrew shape isn’t just decorative – it’s specifically designed to trap sauces in its spirals, making every bite more flavorful.
Here’s another surprise: heavy cream actually contains less water than milk, which is why it creates such rich, velvety sauces without curdling.
The Parmesan cheese in this recipe ages for at least 12 months, developing those sharp, nutty flavors that perfectly complement spicy Cajun heat.
