Spicy, creamy, chicken cajun pasta was my very first recipe creation. It sneakily started my slow progression towards creating a food blog. 🙂
About four years ago, while I was still super deep into the service industry, I was going out for every. single. meal.
When I wasn’t going out, I typically worked a lot of doubles (lunch and dinner shifts), and that would get me a free meal in between shifts. I would live off that for every work day, which meant I wouldn’t have to cook when I got home.
Then, one Thursday, my parents decided they wanted to come spend the evening with me in my new loft. My first thought was, “well, where do we go for dinner and drinks?”
But suddenly, it dawned on me. What if I STAYED HOME AND MADE DINNER?! Do people actually do that? But the real question was: am I capable of doing that?
There was only one way to find out. I lived a few blocks from the Farmers Market, so I grabbed my disposable grocery bags and set out to do some shopping. I was able to pick up some peppers, onion, and spices from the outdoor vendors. From those with actual shops, I snagged some cream and chicken. Luckily, there is also a specialty Italian food store in the Farmers Market, so I was able to grab some pasta, too.
I headed back home, unpacked my newly found treasures, and just stared at them for a while. This was it. This was my first test in adulthood. I felt rather pathetic knowing that I had never attempted this before … but what did I have to lose? I threw it all together and hoped for the best.
Since that day, after that first step, I was no longer intimidated by making dinner at home. I think the pure lack of experience is what prevented me from trying it earlier. But now, NOW, I could make creamy chicken cajun pasta. I was unstoppable. 😉
The best part of my entire experiment was that it turned out SO good! First, I was shocked by how much I truly enjoyed making dinner for myself and my parents. But I was even more shocked at how much I LOVED the end result.
Today, this creamy chicken cajun pasta has evolved into a perfect blend of a lot of my favorite flavors. Green pepper, crushed red pepper, onion, garlic, shallot, jalapeño for some heat, a little green onion, cajun seasonings, and cream sauce. It’s simple, it’s quick, and it’s perfect for any season.
If you are looking for an entry-level recipe that delivers big taste, this is an ideal recipe for you! If you’re fairly experienced, but need something simpler for the evening – this will still provide you with the gourmet approach to dinner that so many of us love to feel and taste.
Cheers to you and your food journey, too!
creamy chicken cajun pasta
Ingredients
- 2 servings of fettuccine noodles
- 1 strip bacon thick cut, chopped
- 1 cooked chicken breast seasoned with salt and pepper before it's cooked, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup green pepper finely chopped
- 1/3 cup white onion finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp. shallot minced
- 1 Tbsp. jalapeno seeds removed, minced (optional)
- 1/4 cup fresh spinach chopped
- 1/2 tsp. cajun seasoning
- pinch crushed red pepper
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1/4 cup green onion chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Boil fettuccine noodles in salted water until al dente. Feel free to do this step as you are making your sauce.
- In a large saute pan over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until done to your liking.
- Add green pepper to the pan, and cook for a couple of minutes until it starts to soften.
- Add onion, garlic, shallot, jalapeño (optional), and cook for a few minutes until very fragrant and softened.
- Sprinkle cajun seasoning and crushed red pepper onto the veggies. Stir to combine. Add the spinach and toss into veggies for about 30 seconds, until it starts to soften.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low, and slowly pour in the half and half. Stir continuously as your pour it into the pan. Add more if necessary for a creamier sauce. The half cup I recommend will just coat all of the noodles!
- Season the cajun cream sauce with salt and pepper if necessary, then add the chopped chicken and stir to evenly distribute throughout the sauce.
- Slowly spoon the cooked noodles directly into the cream sauce and chicken, and stir to coat the noodles in the sauce.
- Serve hot! Garnish with chopped green onion or chopped Italian parsley.
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Make sure to follow on Pinterest @aflavorjournal and on Instagram @aflavorjournal
Get More from A Flavor Journal!
Make sure to connect on social media where I share small batch recipes for two, party food ideas, cocktail recipes, and wine pairings!