Cajun Chicken Pasta Skillet
If I had to pick one of my all time favorite kitchen tools it would have to be my cast iron skillet. It’s naturally non-stick making searing chicken easy and effortless. Which I so need because I’ll be honest sooo many times {more times than I’d like to admit} I’ve seared chicken only to have the top of the chicken become one with the bottom of the pan, leaving dinner ruined.
I’m a big fan of “one-pot-meals” and even a bigger fan when I see the word skillet is in the title. In this recipe I sear a few Cajun seasoned chicken breasts, and then I tossed some veggies in afterwards to pick up any leftover Cajun-ness. Oh and I especially love a skillet meal when it calls for wine AND cream. Just sayin.
Start a big-o-pot of water on the stove top and bring it to a boil. Start prepping your vegetables; mince the garlic, peel and slice the shallots into strips, halve and slice the mushrooms and dice up the peppers and tomatoes.
Butterfly two chicken breasts all the way through so you have two chicken breast halves. This will cut the cooking time down which means you can easily fully cook these in the skillet.
Arrange the chicken on a plate and generously season them with the Cajun seasoning. I’m using the Bon Appetit Cajun seasoning recipe from this post. I love this Cajun version in particular because it has the perfect flavor and heat level for me.
Heat up a few tablespoons of olive oil in your skillet over medium heat.
When the pan is nice and hot; place two chicken breast halves seasoning side down, then sprinkle with more of the Cajun seasoning.
After 4-5 minutes, turn and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.
Set them onto a plate or sheet pan to rest, cover with foil to keep warm. If for some reason your chicken isn’t cooked fully, you could always slip them into a preheated 350 degree oven to finish cooking for about 6-8 more minutes depending.
Now would be the time to drop in 3/4 of a box of fettuccine. Follow the package directions, mine said to cook for 12 minutes and that, for me, was the right amount of time to make the sauce.
Add a little more olive oil if needed to the skillet you just cooked the chicken in and toss in the shallots, peppers and mushrooms.
Stir occasionally so the veg’s have time to brown a bit and soften. About 6-8 minutes.
Crank the heat up to medium-high and add in the wine and minced garlic. Give it time to bubble and reduce a tad.
Turn the heat back down to medium and add in the diced tomatoes.
The whole milk.
And the heavy cream. Ooooh yeah baby!
Bring it up to a bubble and season with a little kosher salt and black pepper.
While the sauce is simmering; roughly chop up the chicken into bite-size pieces.
Drain and toss in the cooked pasta.
Next in the skillet is the chicken.
Now all you have to do is give it a good toss.
The flavors in this pasta dish are wonderful! It had a subtle heat and creaminess that any great Cajun pasta should have! Serve it up with a fresh green salad and maybe a cold glass of white wine to wash it all down. You’ll be smitten I promise!
Cajun Chicken Pasta Skillet
Yield: serves 8
Ingredients:
3/4 lb Fettuccine Noodles
4 Chicken Breast Halves
Cajun Seasoning
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Shallots, sliced lengthwise
1 Roma Tomato, diced {seeds removed and discarded}
1 cup Mushrooms, halved and sliced
1/2 cup Yellow Bell Pepper, diced
1/3 cup Dry White Wine {Sauvignon Blanc}
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Whole Milk
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
Fresh Parsley, roughly chopped for garnish
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil.
Season the chicken breast halves generously with some of the Cajun seasoning. Heat a cast iron skillet with a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil and pan are hot, place the chicken seasoning side-down and cook for 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle more Cajun seasoning over top of the unseasoned side before turning. Repeat for another 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove the chicken to a clean plate and repeat with the remaining chicken breast halves.
Drop the pasta into the waiting boiling water and add in a tablespoon of sea salt. Follow package directions to cook the pasta al dente.
With the chicken removed and covered with foil. Add a tablespoon more of olive oil to the pan and add in the mushrooms, bell pepper and shallots. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until they are softened and a little brown. Crank the heat up to medium-high and add in the garlic and wine. Simmer for two minutes and then reduce the heat back to medium. Add in the tomato, whole milk and the heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper. Let that bubble while you cut up the chicken.
Drain the pasta (reserve a little of the pasta water if you need to revive the sauce a bit) and add the drained pasta to the sauce. Lastly add in the chicken and toss.
Serve with a little chopped parsley on top and enjoy!
Reheats nicely for leftovers!
Over the past few years I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours! (
Wow… need to make this ASAP!
Annnnnd, I think you need to do a photography post.
oh man, this looks so creamy delicious! love cajun pastas!
This looks delicious Laurie! I can't wait to try it! We had your Beef Satay last night, & the boyfriend kept asking if there were any more skewers left in the kitchen.
What brand is your cast iron skillet? We have a very old one that's been in the family for years, but it's small, & we'd like to get a bigger one. Plus, yours also has one of my favorite
awesome pasta recipe…will try it soon
This looks great! I need to purchase a cast iron skillet.
Would you believe that I don't have a cast-iron skillet? It's been on my list forever. This sounds and looks so amazing, Laurie! I have something similar that I'm posting tomorrow, I love seeing others' versions of Cajun chicken pasta!
OH. MY. GOSH. I love meals like this. I want to LICK it, seriously.
Just the title alone had me wanting to make, but then the creme!!! This is dinner tonight, thank you.
blessings, jilly
Sounds delicious!
I'm reading this just at lunch time and starving now! This pasta dish looks so, so tasty
well, this solves the what to have for dinner tonight dilemma!
This looks delightful and full of flavor, would love it to appear in front of me..hint hint..hehe
The cast iron skillet is one of my favorites, too! That and the dutch oven….it's a huge plus to make a whole meal in one pot or pan – less clean up for sure. As always, your recipe looks like it is sure to please and keep you satisfied!
This looks delicious!!!!
Oh wow, this looks fantastic! I love cajun flavors, this would be a perfect comfort dinner for me
This looks awesome! Love me some cajun cookin'!!
I will have to lighten it up some for my needs, but it is easily done without losing to much in the process. (It always loses some)
I really love one pot meal especially when they are as easy and tasty as this one! Great list of ingredients and then that little touch of cream – Yum!
can i just say that i 100% agree with you on the cast iron skillet thing? seriously…what else could one really need
and in that same line, there's really nothing better than a really great piece of perfectly seared chicken!
Well, I know what MY dinner is going to be tomorrow night. I don't have to share with my husband and kids, do I?
I'm a great skillet fan too, many thanks for this recipe, it looks delicious! Will have to try it ASAP!
Yum, this looks and sounds delicious. I make a dish similar to this and it's super flavorful.
The colors in the dish are gorgeous! I'm always fan of one-pot meals…especially when I'm trying to throw something together last minute, this dinner looks awesome! Yumm!
Love spicy cajun seasoning. Pasta looks like one amazing dinner!
I love your blog. You have renewed my interest in cooking and I love your photos! I will definitely be trying this recipe. My family loves all things Cajun. I seriously need to bite the bullet and buy a cast iron skillet.
Whew! Made this tonight for my fiance and myself and WOW spicy. I think I may have over done it on your suggestion to add a little more cayenne pepper to the cajun spice if you want it spicier. But creamy and delicious otherwise, it just left both of us sweating a little
So glad you still enjoyed it even if though you were sweating and all
This was amazing! It is mine and my husband's new favorite! Thanks for sharing!