Creamy Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta
This Creamy Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta is a dish that my whole family loves and it’s no surprise why! Luscious penne is covered in a homemade alfredo sauce that has just the right amount of Cajun spice and creaminess. There are tender pieces of seasoned chicken and bites of spicy andouille sausage sprinkled throughout and a nice bright crunch and flavor from the peppers. Because of the amazing flavor and the simplicity of this recipe, this will be your “go-to” pasta at home, I have no doubt!
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Here’s another fun fact about my little family. They aren’t huge lovers of pasta. (shocking, right!?) And it’s not just my husband and kiddos, I grew up in a home where pasta was super rare and if it was made, spaghetti was the only pasta we knew. (HA) So if you didn’t like red sauces or tomatoes, you were out of luck and probably never ventured towards pasta restaurants at all. (At least this is my own personal experience) But I’m a lover of pasta. Every kind of pasta is welcome on my table and in my tummy!
A Brief history of Cajun Cuisine!
“What’s the point?”, you might ask for all that information. Well, here’s the deal. I have an incredibly picky family, and YET, they LOVE this pasta dish. Specifically, it’s a huge hit with my husband. And that’s saying something because he’s the most difficult to impress in the Thompson home. I believe that it has EVERYTHING to do with my homemade sauce. Alredo sauce out of a jar is just bad. There’s no way around it. And homemade alfredo sauce is so easy to make that there’s really never a reason to pop open that jar. Just trust me… I’ll show you.
Not only does my picky family enjoy the flavors of this crazy good Creamy Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta, but it’s so quick and easy to make that it’s doable as a weeknight dinner. It’s not going to set you back more than thirty to forty-five minutes start to finish and that’s impressive for a dish with complex flavors. The most strenuous part, and it’s not much, is cooking the protein and prepping the vegetables. But that’s just a matter of searing chicken and sausage and chopping ingredients into bite size pieces.
Be Sure To Pin It For Later!
Another thing that I want to point out about this dish is that it’s even better the next day! Now, you can’t always say that about dishes, especially pasta. But my Creamy Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta just keeps developing flavor overnight in the fridge. And it doesn’t dry out at all. (Which can be a really big problem with pasta dishes.)
Tips for this Creamy Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta:
- I know that you are supposed to salt the pasta water, but the reason I don’t do that with this recipe is because I like my sauce to be perfectly seasoned and I don’t want to risk oversalting the dish. At the end of cooking, you can taste the dish and see if additional salt is needed, but I don’t feel like I can control the salt of this dish if I salt my pasta.
- If you want to add extra flavor, boil the penne pasta in chicken stock instead of water.
Make Creamy Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta with me on YouTube!
Creamy Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta Ingredients:
- 14 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts tenderloins
- 1 Green bell pepper (cut into thin strips or diced)
- 1 Red bell pepper (cut into thin strips or diced)
- 12 oz. Spicy andouille smoked sausage (chopped into bite size pieces)
- 1 yellow onion (diced)
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- Chopped green onions for garnish
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder + 2 teaspoons
- 1 tablespoon Onion Powder
- Black Pepper to taste
- Red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to taste
- 32 oz. heavy cream
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 tablespoon Tony Chachere’s + 2 teaspoons
- 2 tablespoons All-purpose flour
- 1 lb. penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
Creamy Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta Instructions:
- First, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the diced sausage and cook until some fat is rendered, and it begins to develop color. (Move onto the next step while the sausage is cooking.)
- **Also, place a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta later**
- Second, in a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon of Tony’s, onion powder, and garlic powder and mix. You will season both sides of the chicken with this.
- Third, while the sausage is cooking, lay the chicken tenderloins on a cutting board and season the top side with half of the seasoning.
- Next, once the sausage is browned, take it out of the skillet and set it to the side.
- Then, add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil to the skillet and then add the chicken seasoned side down.
- Afterwards, season the other side of the chicken while it’s in the pan with the remaining seasoning.
- Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until it has developed a nice crust then take the chicken out and set it aside.
- Next, add 1/2 of the stick of butter and all of the bell peppers and onions to the skillet.
- While the vegetables are cooking, slice up the chicken and set aside.
- Cook the vegetables for a few minutes until the onions become translucent and the bell peppers begin to soften a little then take out and set aside.
- **At this point I added my penne to the boiling water. This way the pasta and sauce will be done about the same time. Cook according to the package instructions and drain when done.**
- Then, add the other half of the stick of butter and let that melt. Then add the all purpose flour and whisk to eliminate any lumps.
- Add 2 teaspoons of garlic powder to the melted butter and flour and whisk well.
- Let this roux cook for about 2 minutes. We are not trying to develop color, we are just trying to get the “uncooked flour” taste out of the roux.
- Next, pour in the heavy whipping cream while whisking. This will help prevent lumps in your alfredo sauce.
- Then, add the grated parmesan cheese and whisk well.
- Add back the vegetables, sausage, and chicken to the creamy sauce.
- Now, complete the final seasoning with a generous sprinkle of red pepper flakes and black pepper. (I will leave these two ingredients to your personal preference since they add spice and heat.) Also, add 2 teaspoons of Tony’s seasoning.
- Mix the seasonings into the sauce well and taste. Add more salt or pepper if needed.
- Then, add the penne to the sauce and mix well.
- Finally, top with diced green onions and serve hot with a fresh piece of garlic bread!
Storage for this Creamy Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta:
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
What are the Macros for Creamy Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta?
Makes 19 servings (Nutritional information below is for 1 serving = 1 cup)
- Calories – 430
- Protein – 18 grams
- Carbs – 20 grams (net)
- Fat – 28.7
Check out some of my other Cajun recipes!
Cajun Chicken and Pork Jambalaya
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Creamy Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta
Equipment
- 1 large skillet
- 1 large pot for boiling pasta
Ingredients
- 14 Boneless skinless chicken breasts tenderloins
- 12 oz. Spicy andouille smoked sausage chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 Green bell pepper cut into thin strips or diced
- 1 Red bell pepper cut into thin strips or diced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder + 2 teaspoons
- 1 tablespoon Onion Powder
- Black Pepper to taste
- Red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to taste
- 32 oz. heavy cream
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 tablespoon Tony Chachere’s + 2 teaspoons
- Chopped green onions for garnish
- 2 tablespoons All-purpose flour
- 1 lb. penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
Instructions
- First, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the diced sausage and cook until some fat is rendered, and it begins to develop color. (Move onto the next step while the sausage is cooking.)
- **Also, place a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta later**
- Second, in a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon of Tony’s, onion powder, and garlic powder and mix. You will season both sides of the chicken with this.
- Third, while the sausage is cooking, lay the chicken tenderloins on a cutting board and season the top side with half of the seasoning.
- Next, once the sausage is browned, take it out of the skillet and set it to the side.
- Then, add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil to the skillet and then add the chicken seasoned side down.
- Afterwards, season the other side of the chicken while it’s in the pan with the remaining seasoning.
- Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until it has developed a nice crust then take the chicken out and set it aside.
- Next, add 1/2 of the stick of butter and all of the bell peppers and onions to the skillet.
- Cook the vegetables for a few minutes until the onions become translucent and the bell peppers begin to soften a little then take out and set aside.
- **At this point I added my penne to the boiling water. This way the pasta and sauce will be done about the same time. Cook according to the package instructions and drain when done.**
- Then, add the other half of the stick of butter and let that melt. Then add the all purpose flour and whisk to eliminate any lumps.
- Add 2 teaspoons of garlic powder to the melted butter and flour and whisk well.
- Let this roux cook for about 2 minutes. We are not trying to develop color, we are just trying to get the “uncooked flour” taste out of the roux.
- Next, pour in the heavy whipping cream while whisking. This will help prevent lumps in your alfredo sauce.
- Then, add the grated parmesan cheese and whisk well.
- Add back the vegetables, sausage, and chicken to the creamy sauce.
- Now, complete the final seasoning with a generous sprinkle of red pepper flakes and black pepper. (I will leave these two ingredients to your personal preference since they add spice and heat.) Also, add 2 teaspoons of Tony’s seasoning.
- Mix the seasonings into the sauce well and taste. Add more salt or pepper if needed.
- Then, add the penne to the sauce and mix well.
- Finally, top with diced green onions and serve hot with a fresh piece of garlic bread!
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