Say hello to your favorite easy weeknight dinner recipe… Cajun Chicken Pasta!
Cajun Chicken Pasta is a quick, go-to recipe in our household. It can be made in under thirty minutes with minimal steps! The key to is to getting an intense flavor with the blend of spices for our take at Cajun seasoning. This pairs perfectly with alfredo sauce over a bed of yummy egg noodles, or whatever noodles you prefer.
To get started, first prepare your chicken. For this meal, I like to use 1 pound of chicken tenderloins. Honestly, any chicken will do. I’ve made this with chicken breasts and chicken thighs in the past, but if I can choose I go for the chicken tenderloins. Cut up your chicken into bite sized pieces. Place cut up chicken into a gallon sized freezer bag. In the same bag add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, 2 teaspoons of paprika, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme. Seal the bag and mix this up to coat every piece of chicken thoroughly. Let this marinate for ten minutes.
While the chicken is sitting in the bag marinating start your pasta. Bring a saucepan of heavily salted water to a boil and add the egg noodles. Cook until done. SAVE 1/2 CUP OF PASTA WATER WHILE DRAINING!!! We will use this pasta water later!
After that, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over a large skillet on high heat. When oil is shimmering and very hot, turn down to medium high heat, and add chicken to the pan. Let cook for about 5 minutes on one side then flip to cook other side of chicken. Use a meat thermometer to ensure you don’t dry out the chicken. Since its a high heat, it’ll cook fast.
When chicken is just nearly done (160 degrees internally), add one jar of alfredo sauce. I prefer to use Bertolli’s. Next take the pasta water you saved and add it to the emptied jar of alfredo sauce, shake thoroughly and pour liquid into the skillet. Stir mixture and let simmer for 15 minutes.
See how quick that was! To sum up, serve over egg noodles and top with chopped tomatoes. Add a bit of parsley for presentation. Enjoy your Cajun Chicken Pasta!
Cajun Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins
- 1 jar alfredo sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (use 1/4 for less heat)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- egg noodles
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and place into gallon sized freezer bag.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and all of the spices to the chicken. Thoroughly combine in bag. Let marinate for ten minutes.
- Cook egg noodles in a heavily salted pot of water.
- After egg noodles have cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside for later use.
- Heat a large skillet with one tablespoon of olive oil on high heat. When oil is shimmering, turn heat down to medium-high.
- Add chicken, spread out so chicken pieces are all touching pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until browned on one side. Flip, cook for additional 3-4 minutes.
- Turn heat to low. Add 1 jar of alfredo sauce to pan. Take reserved pasta water, add to emptied jar of alfredo, shake well in jar with lid on, and pour liquid into skillet. Stir chicken and sauce to combine.
- Let simmer for ten minutes on low.
- Serve over egg noodles and add chopped tomatoes for a fresh bite. Add some parsley for garnish.
- Enjoy!
Made this tonight and loved it!