Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Homemade Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta is such a simple and quick recipe, perfect for weeknight dinners. Juicy chicken breast tossed in tender pasta in a creamy cajun garlic sauce.
All you need is a slice of Focaccia Bread to soak up the creamy sauce, plus a simple Caesar Salad for a memorable pasta night.
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Copycat Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipe
We love recreating our favorite recipes and this copycat recipe for Chili’s Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe is going to become a family favorite!
Creamy pasta with pieces of tender and juicy cajun flavored chicken in the most delicious homemade cajun sauce. You will love all the flavors from the dish and it comes together in under 30 minutes so it’s perfect for busy weeknights. I’m excited to add this to our long lineup of 30-minute meals.
Ingredients
- Pasta – For this recipe, we used linguine pasta but you can use any type of pasta: angel hair, linguine, fettuccine, elbow, macaroni, penne, bow tie pasta will all work great.
- Chicken – We used chicken breasts but chicken thighs will work as well.
- Cajun Seasoning– You can use your favorite store-bought cajun seasoning. You’ll also need salt and pepper.
- Garlic– Freshly minced or finely chopped garlic will give the best flavor, but you can substitute with 1 tsp dried garlic, or add it to taste.
- Butter – for sauteing garlic and adds flavor to the sauce.
- Heavy Whipping Cream – Makes the sauce rich and creamy.
- Parmesan – Grated parmesan cheese or shredded parmesan will work great.
How to Make Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Cook Pasta – boil in a pot of salted water until al dente, according to the package instructions.
- Prepare Chicken – Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a saucepan, pound the chicken breasts into an even thickness and season both sides with cajun seasoning. Saute the chicken in a skillet with oil until fully cooked then slice into strips.
- Make the Sauce – In a deep skillet, saute the garlic in butter 30-60 seconds or until fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the cream, remaining cajun seasoning, and parmesan cheese and bring to a simmer.
- Combine – Add the pasta and sliced chicken to the sauce and toss to combine.
- Serve – Top with parmesan and parsley to serve.
Pro Tip: You can adjust the spiciness in the pasta by adding more or less of the Cajun seasoning.
Variations and Add-Ins
- Vegetables – you can add cooked broccoli or asparagus to the pasta when tossing everything together.
- Vegetarian pasta – leave out the chicken or substitute chicken with mushrooms.
- Substitute the chicken – try sliced sausage or kielbasa instead of chicken. You can also make it a seafood pasta like our Cajun Shrimp Pasta.
- Lighter pasta – try using half and half or light cream to cut the calories, but keep in mind the sauce will be thinner.
This restaurant copycat Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe is sure to please. If you love comforting pasta dishes, check out the list below for more dinner inspiration.
More Pasta Recipes
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta is such a simple and quick recipe, perfect for weeknight dinners. Juicy chicken breast tossed with tender pasta in a creamy cajun garlic sauce, ready in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Servings: 6 servings
- 8 oz linguine pasta
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp cajun seasoning, divided, (or added to taste depending on the brand you use*)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2/3 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped, to serve
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 Tbsp salt. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water then drain, cover, and keep warm.
- Beat the chicken breasts so that they are even in thickness and season all over with 1½ Tbsp cajun seasoning.
- In a large non-reactive skillet*, heat 2 tsp oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and sear on both sides. Turn heat down to low and saute until cooked through and 165˚F on a thermometer. Transfer to a cutting board, slice into thin strips, and cover to keep warm.
- In the same skillet over medium heat, saute the butter and garlic for 30-60 seconds or until the garlic is fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes and saute another 2 minutes.
- Add in the heavy whipping cream, add remaining cajun seasoning to taste, and parmesan cheese, and bring to a simmer. Season to taste if needed.
- Add the sliced chicken and cooked pasta to the sauce and toss until combined and pasta and chicken are warmed through. Add warm reserved pasta water if desired to thin the sauce. Serve with freshly grated parmesan and chopped parsley.
Notes
*Avoid using cast iron or copper pans anytime you are making a creamy sauce with an acidic product like tomato or it will react and make the sauce grainy.
*If you are using a cajun seasoning that has a high salt content, start with half of the seasoning and add more to taste.
Nutrition Per Serving
480kcal Calories34g Carbs18g Protein31g Fat
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Amount per Serving
Calories
480
% Daily Value*
Fat
31
g
48
%
Saturated Fat
18
g
113
%
Trans Fat
0.2
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
8
g
Cholesterol
109
mg
36
%
Sodium
214
mg
9
%
Potassium
413
mg
12
%
Carbohydrates
34
g
11
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
4
g
4
%
Protein
18
g
36
%
Vitamin A
2368
IU
47
%
Vitamin C
6
mg
7
%
Calcium
142
mg
14
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Valentina Ablaev
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I made this for dinner tonight, following the recipe exactly. The flavor was exceptional. I will definitely be making this again soon. It was easy to pull together but tasted like a lot of time went into it. 5 stars!
That’s wonderful, Lisa! I’m so glad it was a hit!
Hello, I made this recipe and the cooked the shrimp recipe posted as well. Both came out too salty (I also used salted butter since it’s all I had). Even though I reduced the chicken Cajun slightly and the shrimp recipe I reduced the Cajun seasoning to 1 1/2 TB of Cajun seasoning. It was very flavorful but was noticeable salty. I would say to reduce the Cajun seasoning to one TB and maybe add garlic powder.
Hi CC, It definitely depends on the brand of cajun used: “*If you are using a cajun seasoning that has a high salt content, start with half of the seasoning and add more to taste.” We have ours linked in the recipe card. I will add an extra note higher up in the recipe though. It might be better just to write a range in the recipe card.
This recipe is killer. I know because we moved to the Yucatan from New Orleans and have to cook lunch for our childcare. Southern food is VERY different from the food in this Mexican state and this was the first dish with enthusiastic reception. Because I’m from Louisiana, I had to use “Slap Ya Mama” white pepper cajun seasoning in this and it’s amazing, so if anyone’s looking to add authenticity to it, you can buy some Amazon!
Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
I just came across this recipe and it looks delicious! I wanted to ask if you could replace the cream with anything? Maybe sour cream or milk?
Hi Caterina! I have not sour cream to advise. Cream with a higher fat percentage is recommended for a thicker sauce. Using just milk will result in a runny sauce.
This is the best! Very easy to follow the steps and it turned out so good! Can’t wait to fix it again.
So glad you loved the recipe, C. B!
Delicious! And sooo easy to make. Definitely a winner with my family!
I’m so glad to hear it was enjoyed!
I have no words… This is by far my favorite recipe I’ve tried so far – and I’ve tried A LOT!!! lol MAKE THIS NOW!!!!
Thanks a lot for this wonderful feedback, Madison! We’re so glad that you love our recipe a lot!
Second time I’ve made it, always a hit! Used ziti this time, half and half, added sautéed mushrooms as well. Easy and delicious.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Dyan!
This looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it!
Can you tell me what pan you used? Thank you!
Hi Lorraine, here’s my amazon affiliate link for the Le Creuset pan that I used.
This was amazing! Whole family loved it. I will definitely be saving this recipe to add into my dinner recipe rotation.
Lovely to hear that, Candace! Happy to know that it was a huge hit with your family.
So easy and yummy! We added spinach at the very end at it was so perfect!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
This is excellent! I made a few tweaks based on what I had at home but basically followed the recipe. I sliced a handful of mushrooms and sautéed to supplement leftover chicken kabobs. I didn’t have tomatoes so subbed 1 generous T of tomato paste.
Sounds wonderful! I’m glad you loved it!
Great Recipe!! Do you have a cajun recipe with rice or would this one be good with rice?
Hi Regina! Yes, this would work well served with rice as a side.
Hi Natasha! Thanks for sharing this recipe, my kids love it!
Quick question, do you find that it’s better to use freshly grated parmesan from a block or the grated from a container (not the pizza one, more like shreds)? I sometimes get that the cheese starts getting kinda stringy like while cooking when using the container grated.
Hi Jessika! I’m glad your family enjoyed the recipe. I’ve used both. Freshly grated seems to work best because often times pre-grated cheese has other additives that can effect how it melts.
Thank you for the response! I think I will try freshly grated.
Blessings.
Very good recipe! Loves the flavor. I took tomatoes and pureed them so I wouldn’t have any chuck (or my husband wouldn’t have ate it lol) I saved this recipe, it was soo good, and even wonderful the next. I’ll def be making this again. Chicken was great and tender! This blog always has wonderful recipes.
Hi Kristin! I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you for sharing.
I thought this dish was delicious and I did a few minor tweaks that worked well. I added sauteed bell peppers and onions, used Rotel diced tomatoes. The spice was perfect and the sauce was creamy and flavorful
Thanks for sharing, Robin! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Yhis was delicious and not hard to make. My only mistake was not getting a cajun spice that did not have a lot of taste. But it was still delicious.
Hi Jan! So glad you loved it!
Made this for dinner and my husband LOVED!!!! definitely one of our new favorite recipes. DELICIOUS!
Great to hear that your husband enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for sharing.
Made this dish this week and it was so simple & very tasty!! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Jess!
Tried it yesterday, was great. Adding some chorizo to the dish to get even more flavour.
Yum! I bet that was so good! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I’ve used this recipe twice now and it is amazing!!! On par with my favorite restaurant Cajun chicken dishes. Definitely will remain a staple dinner for me.
Yay, awesome to hear that, Savannah! Thanks so much for sharing that with us, we appreciate your review.
Do you think I could out zucchini in this and it would be okay?
Sure. You can experiment with it and other veggies.
Does the carb count include and serving of pasta? I have gestational diabetes and I’m using a stuffed pasta to add more protein so I didn’t wanna over do the carbs. Thank you so much!
Yes, that the per serving nutritional facts include the pasta.
Thank you for posting this recipe. My wife, of 30+ years was an awesome cook. She passed a little more than a year ago. Among other things, I really miss her cooking: the warmth, comfort, and connection of dining together with friends and family. So easy to take for granted the pleasure, intimacy and bonding inherent in the sharing a meal until it’s suddenly gone. Over the past year I have grown weary of take-out, restaurants, fast food etc., while trying to learn to cook. It was a messy affair until I was referred to your site, “NatashasKitchen.com” via Pinterest. To my surprise and shock to my guest, this recipe was easy to follow and make and 2nd helpings were requested.
I’ve been told it would be easier for me to turn candy- corn into a vegetable then prepare a meal easy on the eyes and palate. Yet this dinner presented well and tasted great, earning me some kudo’s from the guest I shared it with.
I’m honored and grateful to have you coaching me in the kitchen now. Thank you Valentina for renewing my anticipation and pleasure of dining again. I again am looking forward to sharing a meal and socializing with some old and new friends I think, in part, you have changed my life. In closing, please forgive my overly-sentimentality, nostalgia and sadness. My intention was and is to say: Thank you.
I’m so sorry for the loss of your lovely wife, Bruce! She sounds like an incredible person. I’m so glad you’ve found some comfort in cooking and found a new favorite recipe on my blog! I hope you get to try more and more recipes soon!
Was absolutely delicious! I used crushed tomatoes instead of diced and didn’t use quite as much Cajun seasoning as my family are wimps when it comes to spice. Didn’t need the pasta water. Will make again!
Thanks for sharing, Susie. Happy to know that you enjoyed this recipe!
This was easy and delicious! May try it with shrimp the next time.
Sounds geat, Amy. We’re glad that you loved it!
My most fave dish ever. How do u think the sauce alone would freeze? I’m thinking of making a few batches for a family event next week and to save time I wanted to make the sauce ahead of time.
Hi Brittany! I’m so glad you love this. I have not tried freezing this dish or sauce, so I do not know how it would hold up once thawed. Let us know if you experiment with it.
It looks absolutely amazing. And would like to make it for my family. However, can we skip the Parmesan cheese? Or replace with something else? Looking forward to trying it!
Hi Laura! I have not tested this without cheese or another cheese to know how it would affect the texture. I assume it could work but you’d have to experiment with it.
Very good pairing of the pasta and the chicken. The flavors are balanced. Really creamy. Instead of diced tomatoes I put in a cup of chunky tomato sauce.
Sounds great, Stephanie! Thank you for sharing.
I am so happy that I tried this dish. It really was very good. I did watch the spice and had no trouble with the sauce. And we certainly enjoyed it!
That’s so great, Tish! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
I tried this recipe yesterday to pair with a watermelon, cucumber, feta salad recipe. Delicious!!!
I followed the recipe as listed and it turned out great. I did add a bit more garlic. My daughter stopped by and tried it with me. She absolutely loved it too. Will be making it again soon. I did make my own Cajun spice with spices I had on hand.
I’m so glad you loved it, Elaine!
I don’t understand what I did wrong with this recipe It is completely soup there is no consistency to the sauce It is pure liquid followed instructions by cooking it down what could have gone wrong
Hi Jason! It shouldn’t be watery. I’m sorry that was your experience. Did you use heavy whipping cream? If you used a different cream with less fat, then the sauce won’t get as thick.
Absolutely fantastic!!! This sauce is definitely a keeper with SO MUCH FLAVOR for such a quick meal. We shredded two left over rotisserie chicken breasts and seasoned with half the Cajun seasoning for about an hour. We added the chicken with the pasta. Also, sautéed cremini mushrooms (added an additional tablespoon of butter) before adding garlic and freshly diced tomatoes. Followed the directions from there on. As others have, we will experiment with onions/shallots, sun-dried tomatoes and baby spinach next time. Served with garlic sourdough bread and the crew went nuts. Thanks again for the great recipes!
Hi Don! That sounds amazing. Thank you for the wonderful feedback. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Hi we absolutely LOVE this pasta dish. question, we want to make it and bring it on a family trip. does it store and reheat well? if so what do you recommend to keep it good and fresh?
Hi Madeline! You can refrigerate it. To reheat, I’ve had a few people share that it reheats well on the stovetop at low heat with a little added milk.
I made this tonight, and my entire family LOVED it! This will be added to both of my daughter’s lunch rotation when school starts back up!
That’s great, Kimberly! So glad to hear that.
Love this recipe!! I made it once before and it was delicious.
Just a quick question – can I use tomato paste in lieu of diced tomatoes? would it still taste ok?
Hi Valeria! Tomato paste is more concentrated. I think it could work but I have not tested it to provide directions. Let us know how it is if you experiment.
I made it and loved it! I think I will add more pasta next time because there was plenty of extra sauce. Thank you for an easy, delicious recipe!
You’re very welcome, Nancy! Thank you for the feedback.
Omg my family loves this recipe!!! They have asked for it weekly , all I do is change the meat and noodles but use the same sauce it’s a 10 out of 10 for me!! Thank you for sharing also I sub the heavy cream for half and half
Hi Rachel! That’s wonderful. I’m so glad it’s being enjoyed!
Hi Natasha, I have a big family, so the six servings would not be enough if I needed to make more I would just double the recipe, correct?
Yes, that will work, One of our readers shared this “You can try to make your own buttermilk at a ratio of 1 cup whole milk to 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice. Combine and let it sit 10 minutes to curdle then stir and use.” I hope that helps.
I just used this recipe recently and I really love it! Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
I have to watch my cholesterol intake though, so instead of using the heavy whipping cream and butter I instead used homemade cashew milk and avocado oil. It was still creamy and flavorful and no one noticed the difference, and it had only about 1/10 of the total cholesterol! The only caveat that I encountered is that I needed more of the pasta water, so I’ll make sure to save more the next time, and I also increased the amount of the cajun seasoning. I also threw in some mushrooms along with the chicken.
Overall this dish came out really yummy!
Thank you for sharing that, Jonathan! I’m glad you loved the recipe.
I absolutely love this recipe. I make your dishes at least once a week but this is my all time favorite. I have to limit my salt intake and this is delicious even with limited salt. I have a no salt cajun seasoning that is tasty with even a tiny bit of added salt. Thank you so much for all you do.
Hi Nancy! I’m so happy you are enjoying the recipes. Thank you for the wonderful feedback.
Excellent recipe, we all loved it,Have a question can I freeze this dish.
Great to hear that you all enjoyed our Creamy Cajun Pasta! I think you could freeze it but I haven’t actually tested it myself.
Doubled the recipe, used diced tomatoes from a can, and subbed half the chicken for artisan smoked andouille sausage. SO freaking good, better than I expected. The sausage added a really nice smoky flavor. Kids loved it. I also made buttermilk swim biscuits with cajun seasoning added, and that was a nice side.
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Billy! You’re very welcome. I’m glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Natasha, in this recipe do you use can diced tomatoes or grape tomatoes? Thank you!
Hi Denise! we used fresh tomatoes that we diced.
Made this pasta tonight for dinner….it was very tasty. I used chicken tenderloins instead, added spinach leaves when mixing the pasta and chicken into the sauce, and found my prior homemade Cajun seasoning needed to be added much more generously to season the sauce. I added a little more cream as well to make more sauce. Family friendly and will make it again. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing, Z! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe and that you found a new one for the meal rotation.
This was excellent! I love a lot of the recipes from your site and I’m never disappointed. Thank you for sharing.
I’m so glad to hear that, Alisha! Thank you.
Use the Cajun seasoning listed. Other brands have salt as the main ingredient, and it will turn into a salty mess.
I agree that seasoning is perfect for this recipe! Added a 1/4 chopped bell pepper half kielbasa half chicken, turned out perfect!
I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you for sharing.
My husband and I just finished eating this for supper and we both really liked it, he thought it had a lot of different flavours through it and said you could find this in a restaurant. The only thing I did extra was chopped up a little bit of peppers and added it to the tomatoes.(my preference) Other than that I followed it to a T and wouldn’t change a thing!
Nice to know that you both enjoyed this recipe, Susan! Thanks for sharing that with us.
Made this for dinner tonight. The whole family enjoyed it—even my hard-to-please husband who doesn’t typically enjoy pasta dishes. He had two helpings and said it was the beat pasta dish I’ve ever made! Thanks for a new recipe to add to my repertoire!
That’s amazing, Kathy! I’m so glad to hear that.
My family loved this so much. I added andouille sausage as well as the chicken and it was a hit. Thanks for such an awesome recipe.
That’s wonderful, Nicole! I’m so glad to hear that.
Awesome!!!!!!! Loved it. Served with garlic bread and corn on the cob!! Will make again and again!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Michelle!
Made this recipe tonight for the fam. I had to wing a Cajun season, I thought I had some in the pantry. It was really flavorful. I sliced the chicken in half lengthwise then sauted. Adding the pasta water was perfect. Definitely liked the creaminess. Paired with ceaser salad .. Delightful.
That’s wonderful, Marie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
I made this for my boys this weekend (they like spicy) so I used extra cajun seasoning on the chicken, and added some sliced andoullie (hot Ragin Cajun)- they absolutely loved it. Bookmarking this recipe!!
That is the best when the family loves what we moms make. That’s so great!
First time making this but I often use your creamy shrimp pasta recipe that is amazing, I think in part due to the wine ingredient. Would this work with the chicken as well? Thanks!
Hi T, if you’re referring to my Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta, yes, it will work well to sub chicken. Here’s what one of my readers wrote: “Yummy quick and easy recipe, added chicken to the recipe and turned out delicious! Thank you” I hope this helps.
I made this using chick pea spaghetti and added mushrooms and red pepper flakes. It was delicious!😋
So glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve made this so many times for dinner. Now I want to make the entire meal (main, salad, and dressing) for a ladies lunch. Would rigatoni work well with this or do you suggest the penne or ziti? This dish is the best!
Hi Doris, we prefer it with linguine or penne. But other pasta like rigatoni or ziti may work if that’s your preference. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
The Caesar dressing was delicious. I used rigatoni and it overpowered the dish. The rigatoni soaked up all the sauce. I would use a smaller pasta. But I love this dish!
Hi Doris! Thank you for sharing. I’m glad you loved the recipe.
I just made this tonight for the first time. It was absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe exactly except I used about 1/2 tablespoon less of cajun seasoning as my crew is sensitive to spice. I used the McCormick Cajun seasoning. This was delicious! Next time will add a little fresh spinach at the end and my try sundried tomatoes instead of fresh. So so good!
Thanks a lot for sharing that with us, so good to hear that you liked the result! That sounds like a good plan too, I’m sure that will. be a great addition to the recipe.
I made this once already and making it again 🙂 Just changed two things I used fire roasted tomatoes with green chilies and I added one teaspoon of cayenne pepper. It was amazing.
Thank you for sharing. Mike! So glad you loved it.
Hi, I’m making this tonight and wondering if I could use a can of fire roasted tomatoes with green chilies?
Hi Courtney, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
This turned out amazing! I felt like I was eating something from a super fancy Italian restaurant.
I’m so glad you loved it, Emilie! Thank you for sharing.
Question before making….your recipe says diced tomatoes but it doesn’t further specify if these are fresh or canned tomatoes. Please clarify in the recipe. Thanks. Also could I bake instead of sautéing the chicken. Would it affect the outcome?
Hi Nanci, we used fresh tomatoes. We have a photo in the recipe post of the fresh tomatoes, also. I haven’t tried baking this recipe, but it may work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe I hope that helps.
I made this last night for dinner and it was a hit! So good and really simple to make. Better than restaurant Cajun pasta. I love your tips along the way, too. Thank you I’ll definitely make this dish again.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Debbie!
Enjoyed the recipe but is the amount of cajun seasoning correct? If so, you may want to inform other to TASTE before they blindly follow this recipe. I’m a rule follower to a tee and this was so unbelievably salty–I had to kill it with tons of cream and lemon juice to make it remotely edible not to mention cutting off the chicken seared edges because of the saltiness.
Hi Dawn, there are some brands that can be considerably saltier but I really love your suggestion and thank you so much for sharing that! I added some notes to the recipe card.
I followed the recipe to a T and mine was simply delicious. I always taste along the way and I had to add a pinch more salt.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Debbie!
I’m so happy at the end you mentioned not using cast iron, because I definitely was going to! I will use my ceramic non stick, I never knew that and I’ve been perfecting my cooking skills for 25 years haha
So glad it was helpful, Wendy! 🙂
You have my uneducated taste buds curious… why not a cast iron pan???
Hi Casie, I recommend not using cast iron to avoid a grainy sauce.
Sooooo incredibly good!! Added spinach and broccoli and a can of diced tomatoes (drained a bit) bc I didn’t have fresh tomatoes. Huge hit with the kids.
Hi Deena! That’s wonderful to hear.
100% delicious!! Just made for dinner and O.M.G. it was perfect! I added fajita seasoning and cayenne just cause.
That’s so great, Gena! I’m so happy you loved it!
We made this last night and it was so good!!! After I went to bed my son told me he ate 2 more bowls while doing homework.
The next day he ate 2 more bolws of it for lunch.
Making a second one tonight with shimp. I can’t get enough, simply mouth watering!!!
Hi Sally! That’s great. So glad it was enjoyed.
Would fresh spinach cook well in the sauce? I would love to add it for the extra nutrients, but only if it will not affect the flavor too much.
Hi Lindsey, while I haven’t tried that, several of my readers reported great results using spinach! If you experiment, I hope you love it!
Natasha, this recipe is so DELICIOUS!!!! Thank you so much for sharing. It is definitely a must to add to the regular menu. 😊😉🤗
Wonderful, Bernadetta! I’m so glad you found a new one for your meal rotation. 🙂
Made this today but used a can of rotel instead of plain diced tomatoes. Very good and I will definitely be making this again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Dawn!
I almost used Rotel but since I had diced tomatoes I used those. I’ll try the Rotel next time:)
This was awesome Natasha! I used half and half cuz that is what I had. Also added a few bottled roasted red peppers that I had. So simple! Your sight is one of my favorites. Thank you!
Hi Marian! I’m so glad you loved it. Thank you for sharing.
Hi we are having a girls night tomorrow and I am going to make this for us. On the tomatoes, I know you said fresh and not peeled. What tomatoes do you use and how much?
Hi Kristy! I have the quantity in the recipe card. You’ll want to use 2/3 cup diced tomatoes. You can purchase “diced tomatoes” in a can at the store or use fresh tomatoes if you prefer.
THIS RECIPE WAS PHENOMENAL! I oven roasted sweet mini bell peppers, garlic and the tomato before adding it to the heavy cream. I also added bacon! So good there were no leftovers after the fam and I were done! Thank you for sharing!!!!
Sounds so good! Great to hear that you liked it. Thank you for sharing!
Making this tonight, just wanted to comment that in the first part that lists ingredients, it does not mention the tomatoes.
Hi Jodie, in the recipe card, it mentioned 2/3 cup diced tomatoes below garlic.
Hi. The sodium is listed as 202 per serving. What Cajun seasoning did you use to get such a low sodium per serving? 2 Tbs of seasoning divided by 6 servings is 1 tsp. The Cajun seasoning linked in the recipe would be 1240mg per tsp. Asking due to a family member with kidney disease on low sodium diet. Recipe looks delicious.
Hi Karen! Thank you for pointing that out. I will have to look into it. In the meantime, you can find that same brand of Cajun Seasoning in low sodium. I’ve linked it HERE.
This is actually very important in my opinion. Good catch. I used whatever Cajun I had on hand without giving it too much thought. The dish was toooo salty and unbearable to eat. I had to toss. I will be making this again tonight with either a different brand or scale down on Cajun. Guess I’ll go check the labels now.
Hi Anna! I’m so glad Karen caught this. I verified and updated the recipe card with the brand of Cajun seasoning that we used. I think it pulled forward an old link for the Cajun Seasoning. We used this McCormick Cajun seasoning HERE which has significantly less sodium. I hope you have better results on the second attempt.
Hi Karen. I looked into this and I think it carried over a different link from a previous recipe for cajun seasoning. Here is the cajun seasoning we use, McCormick brand, it is significantly less in sodium. The calculator estimates nutrition values and will vary by different products, brands, and varieties that can have significantly more sodium. I always recommend doing your own calculations since the nutrition calculator will pull generic nutrition info for cajun seasoning rather than for a specific brand. I hope that helps clarify the issue. 🙂
I needed a Cajun alternative to a Jamaican jerk chicken pasta since I couldn’t get my hands on the right seasoning. I used creole seasoning and added garlic and onion powders for the chicken. After the chicken was done, I added half a diced onion and 3 bell peppers, diced, with two extra tablespoons of butter. Sautéed those until soft, added the garlic, and a drained can of rotell. Then went forward with the rest of the recipe, again adding garlic and onion powders as well as a little shake of cayenne as I found my creole seasoning didn’t have enough heat. I waited to cut the chicken until the end, and served on top of the pasta. Absolutely delicious, I’ll be using this again! My picky fiancé practically licked his plate clean!
That’s wonderful, Rach! So glad it was a hit.
I am making this for my partner’s 30th. We are going to be 8 adults and I am not sure how many servings I should go with. Any good suggestions?
Hi Micah! I would definitely double it. 🙂
Absolutely loved it!! My entire family did too, even my super picky 5 year old that won’t even touch beef
That is the best when kids (and family )love what we moms make. That’s so great!
Very bland. I had to add garlic powder, paprika, salt, etc. just to give this dish some flavour. The only part of this recipe that I would remake is pounding the chicken breast before cooking.
Hi Hanna, the amount of cajun seasoning in this will make it super flavorful – did you possibly forget the cajun or cut it back? I haven’t heard that feedback before which makes me think something was changed?
Lol quite insulting to insinuate that. No the Cajun wasn’t changed if anything I had to use half a bottle of the Cajun seasoning on top of all the other spices listed just to give it some flavour. Perhaps the recipes from my culture have conditioned me to expect a lot of spices and flavour and seasoning. Some people are accustomed to bland. No hate.
Hi Hanna! That was not my intent and I’m sorry if that is how it was portrayed. I was simply asking and trying to help troubleshoot if I could, that’s it. Thank you for your feedback on the recipe though, it has been noted, and I will further look into it.
This looks delicious but the instructions include diced tomatoes and I don’t see any in the picture. As they blended with the sauce?
Thank you
Hi Kathy! Yes, that’s correct. You can see the images with the steps above in the blog notes. They start to break down a bit during the cooking process so they are not as obvious in the finished product. 🙂
The sauce was really good but it turned out super thin without even adding pasta water or changing anything in the recipe. Wouldn’t stick to the pasta, so it felt like I was eating plain noodles
Hi Breanna! Did you make any substitutions to the recipe or did you possibly use a lower-fat cream? We used heavy whipping cream which has a minimum of 36% fat. Also, be sure to let the sauce simmer long enough and it will thicken and should coat the noodles nicely.
Do you think maybe people who are using canned tomatoes are not draining them and it is causing the extra liquid?
I can’t wait to try this recipe, just reading all the reviews right now. Sounds easy and delicious!
Hi Sandy, I think that’s a big possibility to have a watery sauce if they are using canned tomatoes and not draining. Thank you for your insights!
Very tasty! Also quick to make. We had this over zucchini noodles! Everyone loved it! Will be making this again♥️
I’m so glad it was a hit. Thanks for sharing, Tammy!
Simple yet so tasty & creamy! My boyfriend went back for 2nd’s then a 3rd serving.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Becky!
Fantastic recipe! I had to substitute the heavy whipping cream for 18% cream (half and half) due to dietary issues and worked out beautifully!
This a a great recipe, wouldn’t change a thing. My three boys even had seconds. This one’s a keeper! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi Robin! I’m so glad you found a keeper recipe. Thank you for your feedback and review.
I just made this for my family. This was definitely a hit. Quick and easy, will be making again. Thank you so much for this delicious recipe.
You’re very welcome, Tyna! So glad it was enjoyed.
Made this tonight and it was a hit! I used a can of Rotel for diced tomatoes and the kids loved it 🙂
Great to hear that it was a huge hit!
Have you tried freezing the sauce? I froze your Tuscan Chicken in portions, thawed and made fresh pasta to serve it with and it was just as good the night I made it! I can’t see why this would be any different, but I just thought I would ask! I love all of your recipes and it’s a bonus when they freeze well for a quick weeknight meal! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Brooke! Thank you. I’m glad you love my recipes. I think you could freeze it but I haven’t actually tested it myself.
And indulgent, satisfying meal. I subbed sundries tomatoes for diced tomatoes and adding some sliced sautéed bell peppers to the mix. All three of my picky children enjoyed this meal. I really appreciate the tip to not use my cast iron to avoid a grainy sauce. Will definitely be making this one again!
That’s great, thanks for sharing! We’re happy to know that you loved this recipe a lot.
This pasta dish is easy and fast. My picky son and entire family loves it so we have it like once a week. Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Sara! You’re very welcome. That’s great! I’m glad so glad it was a hit. Thank you for the review.
I made this for the wife last night. I used your recipe exactly and she loved it! Next time I will probably use half and half to make the sauce a little thinner but it was delicious! Thank you!
Hi Roy! I’m so glad you loved it. Thank you for sharing your experience.
This was the easiest, tastiest Cajun chicken pasta I ever made, it was DELICIOUS! Even my son liked it and the best part was I had everything in my kitchen already, I used can tomatoes, which were great and penne pasta, perfect, my now go to dish
That’s so great! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, LaBrilia!
This looks really good. Does it need freshly graded Parmesan cheese or will the kind in the tub work?
Hi Shae, we always prefer using fresh ingredients but that will work too!
This recipe is excellent!! My only change – I used sun-dried tomatoes; and it was amazing!! Thank you!!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, LeeAnn! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
The recipe itself is great,wonderful flavors. My complaint is with the serving size…in what universe would 2 chicken breasts and only 8oz of pasta make 6 servings?? Those measurements would be lucky to cover 2 servings at our house.
Hi Caroline, Thank you for sharing your feedback. I recommend using the recipe slider to adjust the recipe to the amount of servings you would like.
We made this the other night and everyone loved it. Will definitely make again. I didn’t only used a Tablespoon of cajun seasoning because some don’t like it spicy and it was perfect.
So glad you loved it, Angela! Thank you for sharing!
Absolutely delicious! My whole family loved this including my picky daughter. I will make this often. Thank you for another scrumptious recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Suezann!
Been making this dish since the ’70s. Paul Prudhomme’s recipe called “bronzed cajun chicken pasta” green onions added!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Billy!
Holy Moley this is an amazing recipe! Made a double pot and already almost gone!! Absolutely highly recommend!!! Will make it with shrimp next time!! 🤩
So glad it was a hit! Thank you for the feedback.
Ahhmazing!! And so simple too! I wouldn’t change a thing 👍
Thanks so much, Stacie! I’m so glad you loved the recipe.
Do you use fresh tomatoes or canned? This looks absolutely delicious. 🙂
Hi Jamie, I used fresh diced tomatoes. I hope you love this recipe!
Very nice recipe! Only change I made was to put some nice carmelized onion slices in before adding the tomatoes garlic, etc. added some nice flavor. Thanks for the recipe!
That sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing with us. I’m glad you loved the recipe.
This one’s really good!
My wife saved a handful of your recipes that made it into our weekly rotation, and now I’m doing the cooking I’ve made a few adjustments but this recipe is great.
A few minor changes:
1. We always allow for/make for leftovers, so full box/16oz of pasta.
2. The recipe ordering and quantity on seasoning is a bit tough following – however much chicken, just season it on both sides as you’d season a steak (vs the 1TBSP or whatever called out), and keep 1/2TBSP to add to the sauce mix step later.
3. Have tried the chicken in strips, in chunks, etc., and wound up going with cut into strips, then half or third, but also add them in last, or a good chunk of the nicely browsed seasoning ‘washes off’ the chicken…so warm up the (6-8 cloves – oops, another minor change) garlic and butter, add tomatoes and then add the cream and parmesan, then the pasta and mix, and only then add the chicken…or lay it on top.
4. Ok, I guess I also ignore the ‘measure the parmesan’ and probably wind up with closer to a cup of parmesan.
5. Adding the extra pasta water in the recipe, even if using more parmesan like we do – just makes it too liquidy for us so we skip that, although adding pasta water is a good general tip in most cases.
Re-heating isn’t an issue here – you’ll have some cream or half and half left over, just add a capful or a bit of butter and re-heat away.
Hi Scott! Thank you for sharing. So glad this one made it to your weekly rotation. 🙂