It’s been a while since I’ve made a one-pot pasta! But this weekend I got a craving for a creamy, smoky, spicy, easy one pot dish, so I set to work! This One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta is incredibly easy to make, so it’s perfect for weeknight dinners. I have a few variations for you below (spicy, non-spicy, creamy, non-creamy) so be sure to read on! :)
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“Good, easy, simple recipe. The sauce is perfect, and creamy, the spices are great, the only thing i did different was add a little lemon juice and it enhanced the flavor. My fiancé and I are obsessed with this meal!”
Julietta
What is Cajun Chicken Pasta?
This tasty pasta dish is one of my favorite easy weeknight meals. Everything happens in one pan, and there’s so little to clean up afterward. I mix tender cubes of chicken with plenty of savory (and hot!) spices, tomatoes, pasta, and cream cheese to create this flavorful one pot Cajun chicken pasta dish. It’s super simple to make, costs less than $10 total, and feeds the whole family!
Ingredients for One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Here’s what you’ll need to make creamy Cajun chicken pasta:
- Spices: Smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt infuse this dish with a savory and spicy flavor.
- Fats: Olive oil helps the chicken cook without burning, and butter adds richness and flavor to the dish. You can use all oil if you prefer. I like the flavor olive oil adds, but vegetable or canola oil both work well and cut costs a bit.
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are my favorite lean protein for this dish. You can also use chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Onion: Yellow onion adds a sweet and earthy flavor to the dish.
- Penne Pasta: Cooks perfectly right in the pan. Any short pasta shape will work, but skip longer noodles.
- Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes: Add a smoky and acidic flavor to the dish.
- Chicken Broth: Helps create a rich and flavorful sauce. You can also dissolve chicken bouillon in water to help cut costs.
- Cream Cheese: Makes this dish rich and creamy.
- Green Onions: Add a pop of freshness and color to the dish.
Serving Suggestions
This is a one pot meal, so you could totally end it right there and be completely satisfied. But I like to add a salad or some bread to round it off. My classic Caesar salad really plays up the creaminess of this dish. Or try some homestyle cornbread for a little sweetness to balance out the heat!
Recipe Tips!
- Adjust the Heat: This pasta is spicy. BUT you can adjust the heat by adjusting the amount of cayenne pepper in the Cajun seasoning. You can cut it in half for just a little heat, or if you are completely spicy intolerant, leave the cayenne out altogether. That makes me kind of sad, but I completely understand. Sometimes your body and brain don’t want the same thing. :)
- Make it Creamy (Or Not): If you can’t do cream cheese, feel free to replace it with a splash of heavy cream or half-and-half. I’d probably use about 1/4 cup of heavy cream or 1/2 cup of half-and-half. OR, if you don’t want it creamy at all, that works too. This pasta was quite delicious even before I added the cream cheese, but the creaminess does balance the heat and acidity very well.
- Make it Extra: If you want this pasta to be super over the top, try adding some cooked bacon, or a final dusting of Parmesan cheese. That little bit of extra umami flavor will really take this Cajun Chicken Pasta over the top! Or, in place of or in addition to, you could add shrimp.
Other Chicken Pasta Recipes You Might Like:
- One Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
- White Cheddar Mac and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli
- Chicken Broccoli Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce
- Greek Chicken Pasta Salad
- Monterey Chicken Skillet
One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Servings 4Ingredients
Cajun Seasoning
- 2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.20)
- 1 tsp oregano ($0.10)
- 1 tsp thyme ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
Chicken Pasta
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1 Tbsp butter ($0.13)
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast ($5.47)
- 1 yellow onion, diced ($0.32)
- 1/2 lb. penne pasta (uncooked) ($0.75)
- 15 oz. fire roasted diced tomatoes ($1.00)
- 2 cups chicken broth ($0.26)
- 2 oz. cream cheese ($0.50)
- 3 green onions, sliced ($0.25)
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients for the Cajun seasoning in a small bowl. Cut the chicken into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes. Place the cubed chicken in a bowl, pour the Cajun seasoning over top, and stir to coat the chicken in spices.
- Add the olive oil and butter to a large deep skillet. Heat the oil and butter over medium-high until the skillet is very hot and the butter is melted and foamy. Add the seasoned chicken to the skillet and cook for a couple minutes on each side, or just until the outside gets some color. The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point.
- Add the diced yellow onion to the skillet and continue to sauté for about 2 minutes more, or just until the onion begins to soften. Allow the moisture from the onion to dissolve any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- Next, add the pasta, fire roasted diced tomatoes (with the juices), and chicken broth to the skillet. Stir just until everything is evenly combined, then place a lid on top and allow the broth to come up to a boil.
- Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and let the pasta simmer for about ten minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, until the pasta is tender and the liquid is thick and saucy.
- Add the cream cheese to the skillet in chunks, then stir until it has melted into the sauce. Top the pasta with sliced green onions and serve.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Stainless Steel Pots and Pans
- White Cutting Boards
- Glass Mixing Bowls
Notes
- The deep skillet I use is a 4-quart capacity.
- Depending on your cookware, you may need to adjust the heat up or down to maintain a simmer in the broth. Be sure to stir often to prevent the pasta from sticking.
Nutrition
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how to make One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta – step by step photos
Stir together the ingredients for the Cajun seasoning in a small bowl (2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp salt). Cut one pound boneless, skinless chicken breast into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes. Place the chicken cubes in a bowl, pour the Cajun seasoning over top, then stir to coat the chicken in the spices.
Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is very hot and the butter is melted and foamy, add the seasoned chicken pieces. Cook for a couple of minutes on each side, or just until they get some color. The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point.
Add one diced yellow onion and continue to sauté for just a couple minutes more, or until the onion just begins to soften. The moisture from the onion should help dissolve any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Add 1/2 lb. penne to the skillet along with one 15oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes (with the juices) and 2 cups chicken broth.
Give everything a brief stir to make sure it’s all combined, then place a lid on top and allow the broth to come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn it down to medium-low, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.
Simmer until the pasta is tender and the broth has become thicker and more saucy in texture.
Add 2 oz. cream cheese to the skillet in small chunks. Stir until the cheese has melted into the sauce.
Top with sliced green onions and SERVE! This One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta is going to be on regular rotation in my house. :)
I think this bowl of pasta is begging for some Freezer Garlic Bread, what about you?
I know this is an old recipe and unlikely to be updated, but I made it last night and after simmering for the allotted time I still had a lot of thin liquid in the pot. The pasta was also shy of fully cooked.
In step 4 it says to put a lid on and bring to a boil then in step 5 it says to stir frequently. Should the lid be left off at that point to allow more liquid to evaporate? Also, the written instructions say for the liquid to be “saucy” but the instructions with pictures show the “drag a spoon through the sauce and it leaves a clean line in the pan for a moment” test. I’m an experience cook and understood this but less experience cooks may not. It could help to add this explicit information to the written recipe. So basically, I’d recommend considering adding a note about whether to keep the lid on or not once it comes to boil, and more explicit guidance on how to test if it’s “saucy,” and considering it chicken thighs may work better since they won’t dry out as much. Still a very yummy recipe!
Okay, here’s how to fix this recipe.
PS I don’t use onions. Maybe double that too? Up to you.
2 tsp smoked paprika (could definitely do 3)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper (so 1/4 and a 1/2)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
Honestly you can double the oregano but I wouldn’t do it with the thyme.
As well you want two big handfuls of shredded mozzarella cheese, a splash of heavy cream, and 2-3oz of cream cheese BLOCK. Whipped makes a difference so don’t do it.
I also add 3 sprinkles of Accent MSG, that’s on the side with the tiny holes. (FYI- MSG isn’t bad for you.) But if you have issues with it, use salt. Just double it to be 1/2. The reason why I don’t do that is bc MSG acts like salt.
Any enjoy your yummy seasoned food. Beth has a good start here, but it’s lacking.
Yesss to your MSG note! I want to do a video about it.
Love it! My husband and kids asked for seconds. I added a chopped red pepper.
I’ve always made this with chicken thigh but the other day I tried it with canned tuna and it was delicious!
So good! Gave an elevated “hamburger helper” vibe. I switched for ground chicken sausage i had in my freezer and doubled the cream cheese. Sooo yummy 8/10
good, easy, simple recipe. The sauce is perfect, and creamy, the spices are great, the only thing i did different was add a little lemon juice and it enhanced the flavor. My fiancé and I are obsessed with this meal!
Great meal with garlic bread and salad
Made this last night after not making it for a while and it did not disappoint. I used less chicken and low fat cream cheese, it turned out well and so quick and easy and delicious!
This meal is great for large groups. I saw some comments saying the sauce was too watery, just omit the broth and add heavy whipping cream instead!! The juices from the diced tomatoes, combined with the heavy cream & seasoning makes for a very unique spicey creamy cajun sauce. Also, sautee the onions and the garlic before you add the seasoned chicken it really brings the flavor to life as well.
Had to add sooooo much more salt to this at the end because it literally had no flavor :( my pasta was too mushy as well, but idk if it’s because I used protein (chickpea) pasta instead
Sauce would not thicken at all and ended up being a soup. So sad to waste the ingredients on this
May have had too much liquid. After the pasta cooks I leave the lid off and let the liquid reduce until there is maybe a half a cup before adding cream cheese. I have made this recipe at least a dozen times and it usually turns out great.
I loved this recipe- it was just delectable! I didn’t add cream and I thought it was just perfect! Would defo recommend :)
This was delicious!! I also made a few tweaks due mostly to inventory.
●I thought the spice blend was perfect, just added an extra 1/4 teaspoon of both the cayenne and the black pepper, as we like it on the spicier side.
●I had boiled a whole chicken last night to make broth so I used the 2 cooked breasts. I sautéed the onions first, then added the chicken and the spice mix.
●I added some fresh baby spinach cause I wanted to use it up! It was delicious.
●I didn’t have fire roasted tomatoes so I used a can of kirkland diced tomatoes.
●I didn’t have cream cheese so I added 3 oz of sour cream (full fat) and some shredded parm.
Thanks for providing such a quick, awesome recipe!! Looking forward to trying more of your stuff 😀
The recipe states one onion. Since onions are in so many sizes, could you possibly estimate the measurement amount of chopped onion? One cup or more?
One cup would be good!
I just love me a good, versitile, easy recipe!
I read through the reviews, and some of y’all made me laugh. Thanks for that.
I did make the recipe as written and I would also make a few tweaks for myself. My daughter would not change a single thing.
Changes I will make:
1. Brining my chicken – 10 minutes in a salt water bath does wonders, adding just enough saltiness to liven up the dull flavor of fresh chicken cubes.
2. Exchange 1 tsp of smoked paprika for regular paprika. I agree with a previous reviewer that the smoked paprika, being so bold in flavor, left the recipe a bit over-powered and unbalanced. Certainly not worth giving this recipe 3-stars, though. C’mon man, really?
3. Longer cook time, which I end up doing, as the noodles were too aldenté for my liking. 20 minutes was just right. Happily, this reduced the cooking liquid and the end result was creamy and saucy.
Things to try in the future:
Taco season and salsa, in place of the other seaseons and tomatoes.
Chili season sounds fantastic, too.
I’m looking forward to making this again. A 5-star keeper!
One of my Fav’s – I omitted the tomatoes and adding a little bit of water in it’s place. I also added a bag of frozen steamed spinach near the end. I’m making this again tonight and will most likely add white wine in place of the tomatoes.
Extremely paprika-heavy, and couldn’t get the sauce to thicken right even with double the amount of cream cheese plus a little heavy cream.
I liked that this was a quick, easy meal to prepare with common ingredients that I already had on hand. I found that the oregano and thyme were a bit strong, however. If I were to make this again, I would put about 1/4 to 1/2 of the amount for those two herbs.
Can I just used cajun seasoning from the store? And how much?
You can, but just be mindful of the salt amount and don’t add any additional salt until you’ve tasted it at the end. We formulated this Cajun blend have the perfect salt amount for the recipe and some store-bought Cajun seasonings have a lot of salt. I know a lot of other readers have done it with success, though! I would do about 2 Tbsp Cajun seasoning.
How do you reheat this dish?
Honestly, we’d just pop a portion in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or reheat it all on the stove on medium-low until warmed through.
how to make the sauce thicker?
The sauce should be pretty thick by the time the pasta is cooked through! If it’s still too liquidy for you, you can add a bit more cream cheese to make it creamier or perhaps you could spoon out some of the sauce and add a teaspoon or so of cornstarch to it to make a slurry and add it back in to the pasta to thicken the sauce.
I was looking for something creamy but not made with heavy cream and rather quick to prepare. I followed the recipe closely with only a couple of variations as needed.
In my opinion, it was quite salty, but that could’ve been due to the chicken broth I used. My first alteration was adding an extra cup of water for the noodles to soften enough. The Cajun seasoning wasn’t very Cajun—it seasoned the chicken and gave the pasta a nice flavour, but it wasn’t as robust as you’d expect from Cajun cuisine.
The other alteration I made was using light cream cheese instead of standard cream cheese. I let each person add it to their desired consistency.
Overall, this is a good base recipe that you can play with as needed. My partner enjoyed it.
Would you say this dish would freeze and reheat well? I’m trying to meal prep some dishes for postpartum. This dish is one of our favorites.
I think it should freeze fine! There’s always a chance it could separate as you reheat it but it should come back together. Congratulations!
We loved this recipe! I doubled and added 1/2 red bell pepper and 1/2 green bell pepper for a little extra veg. Overall, delicious recipe. The cajun spice combo was perfect. It had a little kick, but not overwhelming. This recipe is absolutely hitting the regular rotation.
I would like to double the recipie. How should I adjust the cooking times?
It’s hard to say exactly without knowing about how big your pan is that you’re using, etc. I would just keep an eye on the pasta and check it’s doneness every so often once the liquid has reduced according to the photos. It likely wont take too much longer than the recipe time if you’re using a big enough pan.
This was awesome! My husband said don’t lose this recipe. It was quick and easy with TONS of flavor. I didn’t have two items, so I had to substitute. I used sour cream in the place cream cheese and Italian Better than Boulion in place of chicken boulion. Definitely a keeper. Thank you!
I have made this about 10 times in the last 2 years and we Love it – both the flavor and the simplicity. Over time we have settled on these 2 changes:
– Double the pasta to 1 pound. Therefore also double the broth, fire roasted tomatoes and cream cheese.
– Add about a pound of andouille sausage (more cajun! more meat!)
I buy sausage at costco, its already cooked, so just needs to be warmed. i slice it and add towards the end.
This essentially doubles both the meat (sausage and chicken) and the pasta so the balance is preserved, and the andouille sausage screams cajun.
This is a reliable and tasty recipe – Thanks!!!
Can I swap the chicken to tofu for this recipe if I want to make it vegetarian? If so would the same seasonings work and would it also be 1lb of tofu for a serving of 4? T
That’s correct! Everything else should be the same. We haven’t tried this with tofu so I cant speak to the success of the flavors, etc, but it could be done.
I made this recipe as written tonight and unfortunately, I cant say there was really anything cajun about it. It was rather bland and simple. It is not creamy and could probably use some heavy cream to get it right. If you have a basic taste palette, this may work for you as it is simple, quick and cheap. I was just really hoping for some kick from the cajun flavor.
I added some wine to the mix and before serving added some cream cheese – if was so good…😆
Made without onions/green onions and it was fantastic. We’re both onion haters lol. A nice kick to it.
New favorite dinner!! Dang, that was good!! The spice mix is so perfect. I added sun dried tomatoes at the end and that was a delightful pop! Thanks for this amazing recipe!
My husband is not a fan of onions or tomatoes, so I left both things out. I was worried this would affect the outcome but it still tasted DELICIOUS and I could not be happier with the results!
my mother’s husband is also not fond of onions and tomatoes, she makes this with bell peppers instead. it’s good that way too!
I increased the pasta cooking time because there was still a lot of broth left and added some habenrio powder this recipe turned out great
This is a huge winner with my picky husband. I love it too. I’ve made it several times now with NO substitutions, except once when I used rotini pasta instead of penne.
This is a delicious meal! I made some revisions and added some light cream, parmesan cheese & tri color diced peppers. I omitted the tomatoes also. My family kept going back for more! Thanks!
Instead of cream cheese I’ve been using Alioli and it’s amazing so garlic’y
What kind of aioli? Do you have a recipe, I’ve been looking for a really good garlic aioli!
I rarely ever comment on anything. This dish was absolutely delicious. I made this for a date night, and let’s just say this dish is a favorite for many reasons.. Who ever came up with this recipe please know you changed my view on culinary arts. Thank you.
This is an amazing delicious dish. Perfect amount of spice and creaminess. The only changes I made~~~1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp ground garlic, 1 tsp of onion,4 cups of beef broth and added 12 oz gluten free penne. I also added 8 oz of cream cheese. The people rating is 3 stars obviously don’t know how to make dishes that tailor to them or their family. I always make adjustments I know my family would like
I made this with smoked sausage and half and half substitutions and it is amazing! I normally do not like smoked paprika but the creaminess really does something to that flavor! Will add this to my weekly dinner rotation for sure!
I normally don’t post reviews but this one is worth raving about. I’ve made this recipe twice now. I used pre packed Cajun season for ease but followed everything else as written. This recipe is so easy and so good. My hubby and I both love it, it’s the perfect amount of heat and creaminess!
How much premade Cajun seasoning do you use?
I followed it to the tee last night and it was almost inedible. Way too watery, almost like a really sad soup, and the flavors were pretty meh too. Disappointing miss for me.
I’ve made this at least ten times and followed the recipe exactly and it never came out soupy, in fact if anything I probably needed to add more broth, you must of made a mistake.
Mine was soupy also. It was very tasty just not thick enough.
Same here! Soupy and bland, followed recipe exactly. What a bummer after all that prep and grocery shopping 😞
This was great! I had broccoli that needed used, so I added that instead of the tomatoes. Added the broccoli about 10 minutes before the pasta was done. Worked really well. Will make again as the recipe is written.
TASTY!
I’d consider adding spinach or something for a veggie. Good flavor. I love using easy canned goods and one pot recipes with my busy schedule. Great recipe!
Made this and it was very bland. I don’t know what I did wrong.
Same here, which is shocking considering how strong the spices smelled when I made the mix in Step 1. And the sauce was kind of thin and not really sauce-y. I’m thinking maybe the
“couple minutes on each side” of the chicken step might have toasted all the flavor away, and I possibly needed to add more pasta?
The base of this recipe is very good, just add some peach chutney and lemon juice for that sweet/sour balance and some hot sauce.
Bc of availability/expensiveness at my current location I adapted the recipe slightly
Chicken:
Onion powder, fresh garlic (pressed), thyme, oregano, red chili powder (I like it a bit spicier), curry powder, and salt.
I replaced chicken broth with vegetable broth (only thing I still had and broth is not available here)
Tomato cans are imported and really expensive here, so I used 500 g fresh tomatoes and cut them up into small cubes (about $0,50).
Rest of the recipe I left untouched. A very quick, easy, cheap and delicious meal. Thank you!
I’m pescatarian so I made this with shrimp instead. I cooked the shrimp separately and added it back in at the end. The flavor was great and it had a nice spice, but my sauce was too thin and liquidy. I added an extra ounce of cream cheese but that didn’t seem to help. I think next time I’ll either add more pasta to absorb the sauce, or decease the amount of broth I use.
This recipe is easy and very tasty. Everyone in my family enjoyed!
yuckyy
Had just regular cajun seasoning so used that instead of making it from scratch. Used Gumbo filé in place of the thyme to thicken the sauce. Came out really good!
This was so good that I wanted to keep eating even after I was full! A really delicious, flavorful pasta. However, it was too spicy for my 7-year-old. I like a moderate amount of heat and thought it was perfect. The only change I made was using a can of diced tomatoes with mild green peppers rather than fire roasted, because the that was what I had on hand. This will be in regular rotation! (Maybe I will omit the cayenne next time and add extra spice to just the adult plates.)
Making this tonight. I have made it before and it’s great. Was that rotel you subbed in there ? Did it change things much ? I’m interested in that. Love the recipe.
This is a family favorite! I am wondering if it would be able to be cooked and frozen ahead of time? And if so could I reheat it right from frozen? Thank you!
This is in our regular dinner rotation, minus cayenne pepper for our picky kid and with hot sauce for grownups.
It’s fast, easy and one pot–you can’t go wrong! Plus, our picky kid loves it..
This recipe is in our typical dinner rotation, it’s so good! We decided to try grated Parmesan cheese on it and it was even better! Definitely try it out if you love this recipe
Soooo tasty. Added in some green bell peppers about five minutes before finishing and thickened with a 1 tsp flour slurry before adding in the cream cheese. It was perfection. Next time I’ll try it with Andouille sausage!
This was a hit! Even my 6 year old said, hey I actually like this! Lol I’ll take the win! I didn’t have the smoked paprika but used regular paprika instead. And I left out the cayenne pepper – well because we’re whimps! The taste was great and and the recipe much appreciated for this busy mom. Thank you!
I tried this recipe after seeing a video about Cajun Steak Pasta. I substituted the chicken with steak, the chicken broth with beef broth, and since neither my husband or I like tomatoes I used a little bit of lemon juice instead. It was so good! May try it as the recipe intended because it was so good.
This is a fan favorite in our house. I follow the directions but substitute half and half for cream cheese. It’s fast and easy and delicious. Thanks for sharing.
The cajun spice mix for the chicken is pretty good (needs more salt for that amount of chicken though — about 1tsp), but unfortunately the rest of the tomato sauce was fairly bland. I had add a lot of salt and pepper to compensate.
The timing of doing a one pot pasta is tricky considering the amount of time the canned tomato needs to cook versus not wanting to overcook the pasta. The tomatoes were a little acidic in the end.
Overall not bad but not great (except for the chicken.)
Followed all directions and it came out perfect!
This is the best one pot recipe I’ve tried. I love a bit of spice so the second time I made it I added a bit more cayenne. Otherwise I make it as is and finish up every single bit. The sauce is delectable. I’m in heaven whenever I make it. I love this recipe so much.
Has anyone tried this recipe omitting cream cheese/heavy cream/ any creamy element? I want to try this for a picky eater in my family who hates creamy textures!
I think you could definitely try it without the cream cheese!
This was so stupidly EASY and TASTY, I want to cry. First of all, I want to take a second for us all to appreciate how well written these recipes are. No long blog post. Straight to the very simple recipe. Easy to follow instructions with PICTURES EACH STEP! I’m so impressed with how delicious this was with how few ingredients there are. Someone mentioned using shrimp in place of chicken, I think that would be DELICIOUS!
Beth, thank you for what you do! You’re awesome!
I’ve made this many times, with chicken or with shrimp. I’ve never had the problem some are stating about it not thickening or feeling like it was too much broth to cook down… If you want a more Cajun kick, just add more of the spices. Taste and adjust the sauce, problem solved! I usually make it as written, but sometimes with extra cayenne or pepper flakes.
Hi Beth,
Curious to know, when cooking the chicken, why the butter and the olive oil? Why not just one? Thanks!
We like using the butter here for the flavor, but since we’re using a higher heat, we add in the oil to precent the milk solids in the butter from burning. You’re welcome to use all olive oil if you like!
I used sausage and shrimp instead of the chicken but it turned out amazing!! Would make again!
This was really good! This was a “What can I make with what I have” kind of meal as tomorrow is errand/shopping day and I didn’t want to drive to town just for a few ingredients. I did use Cajun seasoning instead of the listed spices since I already had it and I never use it. I had some shredded sharp cheddar cheese that needed to be used so I put some on top of each serving of chicken pasta when plated. I’ll make this again! Thank you for the recipe, you saved a country girl from having to brave the elements and waste time, money, and gas! :-)
So good! Had to use up some leftover turkey, so used that instead of chicken. Added them to the pan after cooking onions and peppers, and then mixed in the spices. This recipe is very flexible and forgiving! Thanks for this recipe!
Great recipe with lots of room to customize. Lowest grocery bill I’ve had in a long time, too.
I doubled the recipe to make lots of leftovers. If you double as well, I recommend adding an extra tablespoon or so of cream cheese.
I had some green pepper and Andouille sausage that I needed to use up so I added those as well–they were a great addition if you’re looking for ways to beef up (or pork up?) the recipe. I always keep Tony Chachere’s on hand so if you don’t have and don’t want to purchase all of the ingredients for the seasoning, Tony’s is great. I added some hot sauce for extra heat, as well. The recommendation in the recipe for adding parmesan kicked everything up a notch.
This recipe will definitely be entering my dinner rotation and I’m excited to play around with it more!
One of my all time favorite pasta recipes
You don’t put in the recipe when to add the chicken back to finish cooking that’s a major step missed in this recipe otherwise it was good!
Hi Katie, I had the same thought but after looking at the step by step pictures, I reached the conclusion that you dont take the chicken out.
I made this last night, and it was a big hit in my picky eater household. I subbed heavy cream for cream cheese and used some left over rotisserie chicken. This was so good! My husband loved it. I’ll make a double recipe next time so we can have leftovers.
Good call. I used some leftover deli chicken and threw in a couple of breasts and the chicken shreds were way better than the breast pieces. Yum recipe though overall. Might try different pasta shape next time like big spirals.
Can the left overs be frozen?
You can definitely freeze, however it’s possible that the sauce will separate when thawing and reheating. To help this, you can gently reheat the pasta and sauce on the stovetop over low heat while stirring continuously until the sauce comes back together.
This recipe was very easy. I added mushrooms, onion, garlic and a green pepper. Used about 6 ounces of cream cheese. I would definitely use Rotel tomatoes next time for added spice. It wasn’t spicy enough for me. I think the amount of smoked paprika may have been a bit too much so I recommend not using as much. I will definitely make this again and possibly use shrimp instead of chicken. Yum!!
I would like to try this! Two questions: 1) Can you substitute tomato sauce for roasted diced tomatoes?; 2) Can you simply use a Cajun seasoning, rather than making your own?
You can absolutely use a store-bought Cajun seasoning! The tomato sauce is a bit more tricky. You really want those pieces of tomato throughout the pasta that the diced tomatoes provide. Also, since tomato sauce is more liquidy, you might need to reduce the amount of chicken broth a bit so that the sauce isn’t too loose by the time the pasta is done. We haven’t tried it that way, but you could definitely try it and see how it goes!
This was full of flavor, hearty and satisfying. And best of all, easy to make. I added a tad extra to the spices and chicken stock and cream cheese but that was personal preference. The recipe is perfect as is. Another great one to add to my rotation. Thanks, Beth!
This was so easy and tasted incredible.
This was delicious and easy however it is not spicy if you are a spice lover. My son and my husband both said it was delicious. I cut back on the liquid but ended up having to add some in the end. I would definitely make this again.
Super easy and tastes amazing!
needs way more salt. ate it on the first night and had absolutely no flavor. but i cooked it for my lunch for the week and had to bring it to work—dumped a packet of salt on it and it brought out the tomato flavor. still, its a crime to call it cajun
Amazing! Even my six year old loved it. I followed the recipe to a T and at the end I added a very small amount of heavy cream. I never post reviews but this one was worth it. I’ll make it many times over. I didn’t have thyme but was amazing regardless.
I think my husband & son would eat this every day if they could. Big winner – thank you!
Excellent. And I’m picky! I threw in a green bell pepper that needed to be used and I used an entire block of cream cheese because I love cream cheese. But I have always used a Cajun seasoning before like Tony’s or Slap Ya Mama but this was waaaaay better and I felt like I could have added a little more spice without making it too salty. I’m going to mix up a whole bunch of that Cajun stuff and put it in a shaker. The premixed ones are getting soooo expensive, and they’re tooooo salty!
Too much broth. Was really excited but fell flat. even after 2x cream cheese we still feel like it could have been more. Maybe 1.5 cup of broth would have been better.
We will probably have the leftovers over rice.
Agree. With the juice from the tomatoes it’s too much liquid. Other than that it’s pretty good!
I think I’ve commented here before: I LOVE this recipe, and I make it often. It’s been bookmarked on my list for literal years, and I make it probably once a month (which is often for us). It’s so quick, easy, and flavorful: we love.
I always follow the recipe as written, though I usually add some extra salt, maybe 1 tsp total extra #saltfiend because I always salt my onions on adding, and I use lower sodium chicken broth, and I feel like the pasta needs more salt as a result (probably making life too difficult on myself, oh well). Also, usually my range requires an extra 2-3 minutes to get the pasta to where I like it. Easy tweaks.
TODAY, I was so excited to make this, and I realized I was out of 15-oz cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes (dun dun DUNNN). However, I had a can of crushed tomatoes on hand that were supposed to go into chili later in the week, and hungry me, I figured I’d sub those in and go to the store tomorrow to replenish the chili ingredients. I used the same amount, 15oz (just slightly less than 2 cups liquid measure).
HOLY MOLY this sub, for some reason, made this my best batch of this recipe yet BY FAR (confirmed by other household member as well). I assume because the tomato flavor is more concentrated in the crushed, saucy tomatoes? I was worried it would be too soupy, but it is PERFECT for us. INcredible.
Just wanted to give a 2023 shout out to a) the genius of this original recipe, thank you BudgetBytes, and b) this small sub that really elevated this from a great standard recipe to an OMG make-this-every-week. Yay!
It’s fine. I made it exactly as instructed, lacks any real “cajun” flavor or any distinctive flavor overall and the chicken was tough but maybe that’s my fault.
It was fine, but it didn’t really taste like much and I feel like there was too much broth to simmer down for it to get creamy. It lacked flavor overall, but it was edible I guess.
Pretty good recipe. I added some extra of the seasoning towards the end for a little more flavor. Overall, super easy and quick to cook and tasted great for a budget recipe.
Incredible. I ended up straining some of the juice after the pasta cooked then added more Cajun sauce on top after draining. Turned out amazing.
Tastes like creamy tomato soup mixed with chicken noodle soup. The flavor is lacking something, I think next time I will try with fresh herbs instead of dried and use fire roasted chiles instead of just tomatoes. I think black garlic oil or a flavoring oil could also help elevate the flavor.
This was great!!! Couldn’t get any fire roasted tomatoes (being a European on American cooking websites sucks sometimes – so many ingredients that just don’t exist here. Looking at you, cream of chicken/mushroom soups!), but it worked just fine with regular high quality tomatoes. The smoked paprika adds plenty of smokey/grilley flavour.
Highly recommend.
Is it possible to cook this in a slow cooker?
No, unfortunately this one is not a good candidate for a slow cooker.
Where I live, cream cheese is creamy so can’t be cut. A spoon has to be used.
If I can’t get fire roasted tomatoes where I live, how can I make them?
All the spices to be used?
🫠
I half some roma tomatoes and put under my broiler until they are nice and roasted with some black parts, basically the same as fire roasted
Really good recipe. I made a vegan version by leaving out the cream cheese and subbing veggie broth. Instead of chicken I used a Japanese eggplant, half a green pepper and a few mushrooms. Very tasty and flexible recipe.
you could get some tofu cover it in some cornstarch and pan fry it then add it to your sauce to absorb the flavour
Hi! How would I best go about making this dish vegetarian? What would be a good substitute for the chicken? Thank you!
Honestly, I’d probably just make it a creamy pasta by itself without adding anything in place of the chicken (you’ll also have to sub veg broth for the chicken broth). In that case you would be adding the spices to the skillet after the onions have softened and then you’d continue to cook the spices and onions for about two minutes more to toast the spices. You could potentially add some chickpeas, but I think the texture and contrast to the pasta would be strange.
Really good! I food processed a cup of cottage cheese and added that at the end as well for some extra protein and creaminess.
Amazing recipe, it tasted so good, this will become a part of our meal rotation.
Hi
One of the best things I’ve ever made! I decided to go with pre-made cajun seasoning to save some money, and couldn’t find the fire foasted tomatoes so used regular diced tomatoes. Also left out the onion but it came out absolutely delicious!
I was away from home for a few days after making it and kept fantasizing about the leftovers lol. It was also very easy! Thank you!!!!!
I doubled the recipe and it came out a little soupy. To fix it, after the pasta was fully cooked I strained the remaining liquid and reduced it in a separate pot until it was thicker, then added it back with the cream cheese. It turned out well!
I love this recipe. It’s so simple, easy to follow, and delicious. I think it tastes better without the cream cheese though
This recipe is everything I hoped it would be, absolutely delicious and easy to make <3 Love it!
Can you use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breast?
Yes, you could do that. :)
I have made this dish at least 20 times. Simply amazing.
Cream, cheese, and half-and-half are both dairy. Any recommendations for substitute for dairy?
Unfortunately, since this recipe is so dairy heavy, substituting both would create a lot of changes in both the flavor and texture. We’d need to do a lot of testing and reformulating before being able to offer a good substitution.
Can you provide the serving size in grams? I weigh my food, so I need to determine how much I need to weigh to get the macros that are in this recipe.
Hi Carl, Unfortunately, we cannot provide the weight in grams.
Could you provide the mass in grams?
Hi Berty, I wish we could but unfortunately, we cannot.
My, my, this looks totally delicious!! I have plans for this weekend’s meals, but wait until next week gets here!! :)
It’s a great tasting dish. I added sliced turkey smoked sausage along with the chicken and it was great. Used half and half instead of cream cheese. I wondering if I could use a different pasta. Linguine or bow tie ?
Yes, you can definitely use a different shape pasta if you prefer. :) Shorter shapes, like bowtie, are usually a little easier with one pot cooking methods like this.
So I couldn’t wait to try this recipe and gathered the ingredients together except I used premixed cajun seasoning, because I forgot to buy thyme and I didn’t have a lot of “time”. I generally try to stick to a recipe for the first try. I realized I had 1.5 lbs of chicken and I didn’t want to save the .5 lb. I added a little additional seasoning, butter, oil to make up for the difference as I did with the pasta and the chicken stock. A little too much extra pasta, so I decided to add an additional can of fire roasted tomatoes and cream cheese. When I went to taste it, I realized, I had bought fire roasted Rotel, lol. It is very spicy, but still so delicious!!! Thank you for the recipe!!!!
Hi, I really hate cream cheese and I’m wondering if substituting it for regular marble cheese would work just as well? Thank you
Marble cheese probably won’t melt into the sauce quite the same way as cream cheese, unfortunately.
I can’t wait to make this tonight! My previous question was answered, thank you, I wanted to know if this can be made ahead of time and reheated?
Hi Christine! Yes, this can be made ahead and reheated, but the pasta will absorb some of the sauce. Portion and reheat in a microwave until steaming, or keep in the pan and warm on the stove.
Thank you!
Hi! My daughter doesn’t like canned tomatoes, can I substitute tomato sauce and how much? Thank you
Hi Christine, you can sub tomato sauce in a 1:1 ratio. xoxo -Monti
I just tried this for the first time and loved it! I doubled the recipe and made it in a big pot, and it came out quite a bit soupier than the pictures. If you’re doubling the recipe, I recommend not covering the pot during the simmer step, and use higher stove temperatures in general.
Made it just now and it tastes great! Easy to make as well. Do you have any recommendations if we wanted to add any more veggies? Thank you!
I think almost any veggie would work- especially cauliflower, kale, mushrooms, or sweet potatoes. However, I would cook the veggies separately and add them in at the end. Depending on the veggie, they will either absorb or release moisture and fuss with results. xoxo -Monti
Thanks! Will try next time for sure!
Delicious! Our whole family loved this recipe!
Hi!
Im planning on making this tonight, Just wondering if it’s better to cook the noodles before I add it to the sauce?
What if I wanted to do Cajun steak instead of chicken, how does that change the way the recipe is made?
You’ll probably want to sear the steak first, then remove it from the skillet. Prepare the rest of the dish without the steak in the skillet, then just slice it and add it in at the end, otherwise, it will likely overcook and become tough.
Another winning recipe! :) I made as directed except more onion powder instead of diced onions. The pasta cooked fully, the sauce became thick after I removed the lid and simmered another 2 minutes, I was worried about the tomatoes because I’m not a huge fan of chunky tomatoes but they cooked down and worked perfectly.
Fabulous! I had no inspiration for dinner then fell upon this recipe…thank you! I added a couple handfuls of frozen small sweet peas near the end, I mean, a little extra veg can’t hurt 😏
Hello,
Love how easy this meal is. One thing. I like my sauce a bit thicker. I added cornstarch but it had an aftertaste. Is there anything I can do to make the sauce thicker?
Hi Gabrielle- Try doubling the cream cheese and adjusting the seasoning to taste. This isn’t a tested method, so we can’t guarantee results, but it’s worth a shot.
I don’t know what to say other than this is FIRE. No notes.
If you want to take it to the next level, we got a rotisserie chicken and pulled the meat off and put the bones in a pot with some vegetables to make our own chicken broth. The meat from the chicken went into the final dish.
Hello, this sounds delicious! Do you have any suggestions for a version that substitutes the chicken breast with chicken sausage?
Hi Vanessa, you can substitute the chicken breast with chicken sausage, pound for pound. As chicken sausage is already seasoned, I’d definitely decrease or even skip the seasoning. I can’t tell you how much seasoning to keep since I haven’t made it with chicken sausage. XOXO -Monti
Is this similar to premade Cajun seasoning. I’d like to use that instead of buying what I don’t have? And if it is how much would I use? Thanks
Hi Nancy, yes you could substitute a store-bought Cajun seasoning, just be careful about the salt content. You would want to use about 2 Tbsp Cajun seasoning, but if your blend has a high salt content that might end up being too much salt-wise.
Made this today too (and the Ricotta lemon cookies). This pasta dish is so delicious! Super easy to make, step by step, awesome. Thank you.
Question: I need to use gluten-free pasta and would cook it separately. How much chicken broth would you recommend for the chicken part with pasta being added afterwards?
Ooh, that’s really tough to say without testing it, unfortunately. The moisture from the canned tomatoes might be plenty, but then you’ll be missing a LOT of flavor from that broth. It will definitely turn out differently.
I will put some broth concentrate in it for flavor. :)
Thanks for that! I probably would’ve left it out.
So excited to try this! If I do it with shrimp instead, should I adjust the cooking time so as not to overcook the shrimp?
Yep, you can totally do this with shrimp with one simple modification. After cooking the shrimp in the skillet (just like the chicken) take the shrimp out and set it aside while you add all the other ingredients and simmer as usual. Then, after you’ve finished the pasta and creamy sauce, add the cooked shrimp back in at the end so it doesn’t overcook. :)
Hi. Great recipe. I have a comment, and it is not a criticism. More of a reflection on how times have changed. Not sure when the recipe was calculated, but I have just made it in March of 2023. Total cost for the recipe was not $9.41 as listed, but $26.00! Examples: a 15 oz tin of fire roasted diced tomatoes as not $1.00, I had to pay $4.99. 1 pound of chicken breast was $10.60 and even the 3 green onions, listed at $0.25 turned out to be half of a bunch of 6 that cost $2.89. I’m a crafty shopper and I surf a number of stores for good deals. Groceries are just through the roof here in Canada. I don’t regret making the dish, it was delicious, but what times we live in!!!
Yes, it is totally a sign of the times! We manually calculate the recipe costs based on what we spend at our local stores (in Nashville, Tenn.) at the time of publishing. Since this recipe was published back in 2018, the costs are likely much lower than what you would find in stores today. Since we have 1200+ recipes on the site, it’s impossible for our small team to keep them all updated to reflect current prices or account for fluctuations in prices for certain ingredients from region to region. Because of that, we created a super handy step-by-step tutorial to help people recalculate recipe costs on their own. We also have an article, “THE KEY BUDGET BYTING PRINCIPLES,” which gives some great tips on how to boost your buying potential at the grocery store. I hope you’ll check them out! ~ Marion :)
https://www.budgetbytes.com/how-to-calculate-recipe-costs/
https://www.budgetbytes.com/budget-byting-principles/
GIRRRRLLLLL!!!!!! My family absolutely L-O-V-E-D this!!!! I added a little more garlic and some cumin just because we love those spices !! And girl , my kids said I HAVE to make this at least 1 a week!! It’s delicious , creamy a little spicy which we love. Good job boo!! 😉 thank you for such an easy meal 💕
I LOVE making this recipe. I follow the directions exactly and I’ve never had a problem (and I make it a lot) My only wish is that it was easier to double. I would prefer to use the whole box of penne to have some leftovers—but my pan isn’t big enough. Beth, would I get the same results if I used a soup pot and just doubled it? I worry that the single pot recipes need to be followed exactly or else it won’t cook right.
You’re right to be cautious, but you should be able to double it just fine. I’d use a soup pot or a dutch oven instead. The only major difference is that it will take a bit longer for the mixture to come up to a boil. Otherwise, everything should take roughly the same amount of time. ~ Marion :)
We loved this! The only thing I did differently was I cooked the onions and chicken together with minced garlic and added some cumin to the spice mix. I didn’t remove the chicken mixture, I just added the rest of the ingredients and then brought to a boil. Delicious and very flavorful.
We loved the flavor but the pasta sauce didn’t thicken up…did I do something wrong?
It’s hard to say…but I’d guess the heat was a little too low once you turned it down, which means the sauce wasn’t able to reduce properly. ~ Marion :)
Amazing! I love a one pot meal on a weeknight. It tasted like a restaurant pasta, so good!
I made this recipe and I ended up on the toilet for 4 days with explosive diarrhea. I don’t recommend this recipe to anyone. It is so– wait, no, please NOOO, I think I have to poop again!!
That’s your own doing, not the recipe
Idiot…..you just okay the victim for life in general
Just had a go tonight! Ça c’est bon. Will make again. So easy to throw together and only had one dish to clean!
By the book the sauce doesn’t thicken or cook down very well. Also doesn’t have that big smack of flavor you get with some cajun pastas.
There are better spice mixes out there, the proportions were off here and some ingredients were not present (*cough* cumin *cough* coriander). Either way I suggest doubling whatever spice you use, and adding it not only to the chicken as directed, but also to the chicken broth, and a little again with the cream cheese. It also doesn’t hurt to throw some minced garlic & hot chili pepper in with the onion.
I like a creamy sauce and next time I’ll try a roux or heavy cream instead of cream cheese, but it’s good as it is. I might also mess with other flavors – maybe a bouillon cube, a bay leaf, and some liquid smoke.
This one’s going in my rotation! Thanks for sharing!
i’ve make this mayhaps once every month, IT IS BUSSIN!
Okay this dish is DELICIOUS! Due to the presence of a teenage boy with an insane appetite I doubled the pasta and chicken but kept everything else as written. The result? A creamy, spicy, and hearty meal the entire family loved. 10/10 will make again, thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Loved it! I doubled the spices, used a clove of fresh garlic with the onion. Switched the diced for crushed fire roasted tomatoes. The crushed spreads better over the pasta and chicken.
It was Meh. I used to make a great creamy cajun pasta years ago, but I lost the recipe.
There are ways to make this a Creamer dish that involves making a rue and using heavy Creamer. Kinda like an alfredo but Cajun. It will do in a pinch, but I’m still searching for my recipe in the mean time.
Sounds kind of like the recipe for Cajun pasta on Natasha’s Kitchen website?
it’s kind of like cajun pasta isn’t that unique and the recipes wouldn’t be that different
It’s roux
I’m at best an inexperienced cook, at worst a bad cook. This meal was really easy to make and was even more delicious than it looked, and it looks really good. I did substitute the diced tomatoes for a can of Rotel with green chillies which I believe probably adds more of a spice kick, and it was wonderful.
Made this but added grated parmesan. It was amazing and the sauce came together well with the extra cheese. But I might just like cheese a lot
This was outstanding!! I first tasted this at a local restaurant earlier this week and resolved to make it myself. Chose your recipe as the one most likely to be the best. It was better than the restaurant’s version by far. Thank goodness I have leftovers!
The seasonings don’t cook well with all the liquids put into it. Very bland and white
You’re supposed to cook them on the chicken in butter and oil first. The spices get dark that way and the sauce is very much *not* white when you let the spices blacken in the oil.
Delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe. We mixed in more cooked penne
And the sauce mixed nicely. I used half the cayenne and half and it was mild but a tiny kick. Wonderful!
We love this recipe! Have made it at least a half dozen times as written. If you’re looking for a meat free option, sautéed baby Bella mushrooms work GREAT.
Amazing!!! Just made it…..home run!! Easy, simple, yummy!! I did add spinach at the end which was a great addition. Thanks!!
Needed something quick to make for dinner. This will be a new go to!
Followed the recipe and no one cared for it. Flop!
came out great! I added a bit of garam masala and turmeric to the Cajun seasoning and added cayenne at the end bc it wasn’t very spicy. Overall really good. Btw it definitely tastes Cajun and not Italian!!
Tweaked a few things because of personal preferences. I don’t like tomatoes so left them out and I added an additional 14.5 ounces of chicken broth. I also added a whole box of penne pasta because it’s pasta and pasta = life. It turned out great and will make again. We loved the underhanded heat of spice level and filled our bellies and satisfied our taste buds. Love that it comes together in one pot.
This was delicious and I had fun making it! I had a ton of the substitutes in my fridge and was actually experimenting! Excellent recipe for people who are nervous cooks! I added some extra spices and different tomatoes that I had on hand! :) Also love the set up of this site!
If I wanted to substitute Cajun seasoning for the individual ingredients, about how much would I need to start with? There are roughly 6 teaspoons of ingredients, which equals 2 tablespoons (if my math is correct!). Would that be too much?
thanks
That’s correct! But one thing to look out for: many store-bought Cajun seasoning blends contain a lot of salt, so you’ll be heavily salting the dish if you add 2 Tbsp. Make sure to use an unsalted Cajun seasoning blend. :)
Such an easy and fast recipe. This is perfect for a weeknight. We added 2 celery and a green bell pepper diced. It lacks heat, so I recommend more cayenne. A great way to use up leftover Turkey or chicken.
I used cavatappi pasta. I was in a pinch of ingredients so I used onions, peppers and tomatoes sautéed in butter and olive oil with Cajun season. I used a roaster chicken I grabbed at the store. Mixed broccoli and parmesan cheese.
Definitely will make again. But for us, we would use less pasta coz we like our pasta a little sauce. It was dry coz the pasta absorbed a lot of the sauce.
I double the cream cheese and a little less salt, added a shredded cheese mix… this was SO good! I’m going to try subbing pasta for cauliflower next time.
The sauce as followed was missing a little something for me but I added some cream in addition to the two ounces of cream cheese and a cap full of shaker Parmesan and it was delicious! (Also did some sliced green bell peppers instead of the green onions, highly recommend for some crunch)
I thought this was good. Used what I had on hand I used onion powder in place of onion and crushed tomato’s in place of fire roasted tomatoes and rigatoni and added mushrooms.
Way too much smoked paprika, very soupy too
This recipe was outstanding! Loved being able to cook the pasta in this one-pan meal!
I’ve made this several times, no changes to the recipe and we absolutely love it. It is definitely a staple in our house.
I just had a question — if I had some leftover rotisserie chicken I wanted to use up, could I use that in this recipe and I would I have change anything? Would I have to add it later on or still follow recipe as is?
Hello Beth,
Love the site and all your recipes. Lately I’ve noticed that the text is over lapping on my android phone making it impossible for me to read your content.
Is there any way you can fix this?
Thx!
Hi! I just sent you an email. SO sorry this is happening and would love to figure out a solution ASAP. We need screenshots to send to our tech folks. XOXO -Monti
Try adjusting your zoom
Not our favorite recipe. Perhaps too much paprika for us and it was definitely missing something. The recipe was easy to make and it makes a lot (unfortunate for us because nearly all of it went in the trash).
I totally understand where you’re coming from. I had the same thing happen. Spent money and time on this recipe and it didn’t even smell good once it was done. I don’t know if it was just the cream cheese or if I put too much noodles in it but it smelt kind of weird and my kid didn’t like it and I tried a bite and I didn’t think it was too bad but I didn’t take up a bowl myself. The whole pot of it went into the trash. :(
Super delicious! I like spicier food so I added more cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes. I also added more salt. I think next time I’ll try this with hot spicy sausage as well as the chicken. Definitely keeping this in my rotation! Thanks!
I’ve made this a few times, and it’s always a hit. Sometimes I use chicken, sometimes I use sausage or shrimp. Sometimes I use all 3. I often add fresh spinach or kale (if I have it on hand), and it really compliments this recipe. This is a favorite in my house, and it always stays on the rotation. It’s budget friendly, fast and delicious.
Hi Giovanna, I imagine spinach can be added at the very end to just wilt. When you add the kale-when do you do it and is it already cooked somehow or raw when you add? Thank you!
You also want to add kale right at the end to wilt. It will take a few extra minutes to soften than spinach and will continue to keep a lot of its texture. ~ Marion :)
I used 8lbs of penne instead of the half lb you recommended. Ate it all raw then combined the Cajun seasoning with the chicken broth and drank it. I’m just built different. 10/10 would make this recipe again.
Fritz- let me know how your anus was after you did all that.
Thanks for the tip! Definitely gonna try this! 😂
LMAOOO YO-
Can you freeze this?
Yes. Freeze in individual portions, with plastic wrap covering the top surface of the portion so air cannot affect it. XOXO -Monti
This recipe is perfect as-is. Really, I don’t change a single thing when I make this. The first time I made it, my husband and I ate the whole thing, just between the two of us. Creamy, not too spicy, and a great flavor profile to add to our rotation.
I had some chicken thighs already cooked and seasoned but needed something quick and easy.. I also used fettuccine as my little like “slurpy” noodles best. As others mentioned, I needed a little extra cream cheese to achieve maximum creaminess, but was delicious. Definitely making again! Budget Bytes never lets me down!!
This was so freaking delicous!!! I added a bit more cream cheese because I wanted extra creaminess. It came out perfect and it smells so good.
Hi! I’m making this tonight as a casserole for a couple who just had a baby. Do you think your spice mix (which looks yummy and totally good as is) could be easily replaced with a Cajun seasoning mix such as Tony Chacheres or Old Bay?
Go for it! XOXO -Monti
It’s so hot just now in Michigan, but m’people still want fed dinner (ha ha) So I turned to my fav, Budget Bytes, and thought a one-pot meal may get the job done. As is often the case with your recipes, I had everything on hand and didn’t heat up the house making this creamy cajun chicken pasta (whoot!)
We read some of the reviews, but other than pasta…we can’t figure out how some folk found the flavor profile “italian.” We all gobbled it all up and proclaimed it yummo! Do you think a cup and a half of basmati rice could be tossed in to this, rather than pasta at the point of simmer?
This dish was good; but I added my own twist to it by adding smoke sausage and shrimp, and I cut some of the sodium.
This is a great recipe and loved it was quick and easy to make. It did seem to taste a little bit Italian but I quick sear andouille sausage slices and throw it in also. We love it with the chicken and sausage and helps give a little extra cajun flavor. I usually have to add more cream cheese to thicken the sauce also.
I found the measuring units difficult to interpret as we use grams in England.
This recipe is quite spicy.
Hi Marina! Thanks for being here. Feel free to use an online measurement converter to help with all of the math. This one works well: https://www.inchcalculator.com/convert/cup-to-gram/ XOXO -Monti
What a great dish. My wife said this is something she would order in a restaurant. So rich of flavor, fun and easy to make. Well Done!!
Made this without the cream cheese due to an allergy, and it was still so delicious and flavorful!! Highly recommend, and loved that it was one pot.
Absolutely smashing. Cook it on a regular basis with some toasted Ciabbata bread and garlic butter. The other half wants it to be cooked all week if she could.
Really nice recipe, son and husband both had seconds they enjoyed it so much. Definitely one to keep, maybe try it for a lunch box recipe for my son and daughter.
Will the pasta come out al dente enough to freeze and reheat well without getting too soft?
Just make sure to pull it BEFORE it’s al dente.
It’s really good! It’s in the rotation of meals. The creaminess of the cream cheese makes this wonderful along with the spices and fire roasted tomatoes.
Great recipe but my only wonder was where was the Cajun flavor? It tasted more Italian than anything. My husband came home from work and asked where the pizza was. All I could taste was the tomatoes.
Looking forward to giving this recipe a try. It looks awesome and I love cajun spices. I had my daughter take a look at this recipe also and she agrees….we can’t wait to try it! Thanks so much.
Not really a lot of Cajun flavour but it was yummy and the husband liked it a lot. 😅 Served it with parmigiana and a simple butter lettuce salad. Thank you. I’ll make it again. Also I used dark meat instead of white chicken.
Cheers 🥂
This is spicy and delicious even with some adjustments. I used andouille sausage instead of chicken and then realized I didn’t have any broth. So, I used a cup of coconut milk and 1 cup of water for the broth. I added sliced green and red peppers and some shredded carrots to get more veggies. Our house likes spicy so this was a hot!
My husband and I both loved this recipe! We had all of the ingredients in our pantry, and it was a great use of fire roasted tomatoes and cream cheese that I didn’t know how to use up. I added some mushrooms and red bell peppers, and next time think I will add some spinach as well. Thanks for all of your work in creating these recipes!
So, what…..? A potentially negative comment about your recipe doesn’t deserve to be read by your “groupies” ?
Shame on you
Now you are saying I’ve made this comment previously…..NO, I don’t think so…I haven’t submitted the above comment before. I did submit a comment on the healthy aspects of the recipe, or rather the UNhealthy aspects. But, you did not see fit to post that comment.
AGAIN, SHAME on you.
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You know, comments like this on a great website can be kept to yourself. It’s so easy to be mean behind a keyboard. Be kind. We’re talking about RECIPES here.
All of the recipes I’ve read from your site sound great. I’m a more senior woman than you. And I am a old Southern woman, having grown up in the south with all that encompasses regarding food, cooking, and traditions. AND I have had the unique experiences of being Greek AND living in New Orleans for a large hunk of time. My experiences bring a special set of skills and “taste buds” to the kitchen. I would like to know if you have thought about making your recipes a little more health conscious ? You can save money, have great tasting meals, AND have a reduction of fats and carbs.
I can reduce things on my own, but, younger cooks may not have those skills. There is absolutely nothing wrong in making your recipes every now and then….BUT, a steady stream of your suggestions will not be heart friendly after a while .Just a thought.
Hi CB, I try not to offer advice on health since the definition of healthy is very subjective and we all have different health goals. What one person considers a healthy ingredient swap may not be healthy for a different person. Instead, I try to offer very basic recipes that users can modify to meet their own nutritional needs. :)
Hello – Will be trying this recipe tonight, all I have is chicken stock, would that be an ok substitute ?
Thank you
Yes, that will work. :)
So easy and very flavorful!! Amazing recipe!! I LOVE one pot meals and this one does not disappoint!!
Husband this a huge thumbs up. I say it’s absolutely delicious. We used gluten free pasta so I could binge on this meal. The pasta took longer and with more water (likely because it was gluten free?) but everything else was spot on. We added small amount of andouille sausage with the chicken. This recipe will go into the rotation for sure. Thank you!
A+!!! Added some bell pepper and mushrooms to up the veg. Tasty and easy clean-up. Coworkers asked for the recipe after heating up my lunch leftovers. Yum!
First time making this dish. This recipe is soooo good!!!! The only things I changed were the noodles and tomatoes. Instead of penne pasta I used tri-color rotini and instead of the fire roasted diced tomatoes I used a can of Rotel because that was all I had in the pantry. But it turned out great!! I will definitely be making this again!
This is my FAVORITE pasta dish! So good and so easy to make.
Can u freeze it?
I haven’t tried freezing this particular one, but I bet it would freeze fairly well.
This was amazing! I made it vegan, using plant-based chicken and cream cheese, and it turned out to be exactly what we were looking for in a weekend meal: easy, satisfying, and seemingly decadent. This will definitely be in our regular rotation.
Delicious recipe! While it’s super convenient it cooks in one pan, if you’re hoping to have it for leftovers you’ll find that the pasta has soaked up majority of the sauce the next day. I’m not a fan of that, so I reduced the amount of chicken broth to a 1/2 cup so I could cook the sauce and pasta separately. It was still a tad bit soupy, so I’ll probably try a 1/3 of a cup the next time I make it. I can always add more if it winds up too thick.
I just found your site recently, and this is the first recipe I made. Wow this is delicious! Super flavorful. Will definitely be making more!
If I’m already using cooked chicken that I already have, how do use the Cajun seasoning?
I would sauté the onions first, then add the seasoning and sauté for a minute or so more before moving on to the next step. :)
Hi,
If you’re using Cajun seasoning sold from the store instead of making it from scratch like the original recipe, how much Cajun seasoning would you recommended adding?
Probably about 2 Tbsp, but make sure to check if your seasoning contains salt. A lot of them are more like a seasoning salt and if you add 2 Tbsp it will be way too salty.
If you use the green can of Tony’s it will probably be too salty but I used the orange can of Louisiana Cajun seasoning (my favorite) and it turned out delish!!
very good , would make again!
I made my own little adjustments. I used heavy cream and grated parmesan instead of cream cheese, Italian sausage instead of chicken and I bought Cajun seasoning as opposed to making my own. I also live in the Bahamas so things costed slightly more but overall I still paid less than $25 for everything. This turned out amazing. It tasted great and because I live alone, the meal can last me a few days once stored properly.
Those are more than little adjustments…
This one is really good. I cooked the chicken separate so that my vegeterian wife could eat the pasta without the chicken. And I used vegetable bouillon base. For those in the family that eat meat, we mixed that in at the end. I split the spice mix between the chicken and the pasta mix. All came out great. Thank you!
This was so good! I modified it a bit since I had some Cajun seasoning on hand and I used andouille sausage and rotisserie chicken to cut down some time , but overall it was delicious and quick. If you have a little extra money it’s definitely work using some cherry tomatoes instead of the canned tomatoes or if you want a little extra spice, rotel chili works really well in this recipe. I make this dish regularly and I rarely have leftovers.
Love love love this recipe…made it a ciple times last year and again today. I double everything for my big boys and hubby, but its a fav for any busy mom. Quick, easy, tasty. Love it. Sometimes I add sausage or shrimp…but I love this recipe so much!
Delicious. Only adjustments were half a can of fire-roasted tomatoes instead of the full. Perfect texture, and I actually could have used a little more liquid from that other half-can (then just reduced a bit more). Great recipe… will absolutely make again!
This was fantastic. It will be going into the rotation, thank you! I didn’t have fire roasted tomatoes so used tomato sauce. Added chopped roasted red pepper. After ten minutes of covered simmer, remove cover and increase heat for about five minutes, stirring often. Zero soupiness. I added in a few splashes of cream with the cream cheese. Topped with Parmesan. It was fantastic. I think people have to be mindful of ratios in these types of dishes – I’m an experienced cook but I weighed everything for this and it’s the correct ratio.
Absolutely fantastic! Only made it once so far, but seriously can’t wait to make it again. And the fact that it’s just one pot, and quick to put together, makes it an super easy and super delicious weeknight meal. I was kind of worried the first time around that the pasta wouldn’t cook, but I used just enough chicken broth to barely cover the pasta, covered the pot, and stirred frequently, until the pasta was just about there. Then removed the lid and continued to simmer until the liquid reduced by about half (so no need for cornstarch as others mentioned to thicken the sauce)… added in the cream cheese (a bit of heavy whipping cream because it was in the fridge, and a bit of Parmesan because why not). This is now on my permanent wintertime rotation!!!
The best dish I’ve cooked in a long time sooo tasty thank you so much
Any thoughts how to make this with leftover pre-cooked chicken? I thought I would start by sauteing the onion, mixing the chicken with the cajun blend, and adding to the chicken to the onion after a couple of minutes.
I’d probably sauté the onion and about halfway through cooking that, add all the spices. Then continue with adding everything else (chicken, pasta, tomatoes, broth, etc.).
I would just sauté your peppers and onions, then add the garlic and sauté for about a minute then add the chicken in with your remaining ingredients to keep it from getting too dry. This is how I do it if I use meat from a cold rotisserie chicken.
Delicious! I added sausage as well for more protein. Will definitely make again!
This was easily to make me and tasted great. It also seems like a meal that is easy to keep for leftovers. Very filling.
It took us much longer than 40mins though. It took about 20 mins to get the pasta to cook and the sauce to get to the right consistency. In fairness, I used whole grain pasta which can take longer to cook. Taking the lid off near the end (when the pasta was where we wanted it) helped with boiling off the water faster.
This made for a tasty dinner! So quick and easy for a weeknight meal as well. I added sliced red bell peppers as I’d seen this in another picture and thought it would go well too. I used a bit of double cream at the end instead of cream cheese. I know they are not exact substitutes but it was more for preference. The Cajun flavour was delicious and I would definitely make this again!
Made this tonight as written except added red bell pepper to up the vegetable content. Came out really well! I did need to thicken it up at the end with a little corn starch as it was very brothy. It also benefited from being served with Tabasco for additional heat and acid. Thanks for the recipe!
If I use 12 oz pack of pasta do i need to add more broth
Yes, more pasta will require more broth. I’d need to test the recipe first to know exactly how much, but since you’re using 50% more pasta, I’d start with 50% more broth, which would be an extra cup.
Hi,
Has anyone tried this as a make ahead and then bake in the oven when needed? Thinking of putting some cheese on top and in the oven.
Thanks
Was looking for something new, so I gave this a try tonight….and it was SOOO GOOD!! My family ate it all. Quick to make, and will be on my “favorites” recipe list. Love it!
I’ve been coming back to this recipe for years now it is one of my favorites to make.
I like to add Cajun adouille sausage and shrimp on occasion in which case I add 2 tbs of extra chicken broth to make slightly more sauce (it needs it to coat all of the extra add ins).
Bell peppers are a lovely addition as well. Just add them in diced along with the onion in the beginning.
Thank you for this truly divine recipe.
This recipe is spectacular!!! I DO add Red peppers with the onions- this is a GO TO once every week or 2! We like spicy, so i do add a tsp of McCormick’s Cajun seasoning to give it a kick. Thank you, so delicious.
See above
Love this recipe, I keep coming back to it. I’m not someone who has a lot of time to cook for myself and this is perfect. It’s quick, easy to clean up, and tastes great reheated. I use 4x the amount of cayenne because I like my food really spicy and I substitute heavy cream for cream cheese. It was really soupy the first time I made it, but I added some cornstarch the second time and that solved the issue.
The taste was great! Unfortunately I misread and used a dutch oven instead of a skillet, so it didnt thicken quite right. Next time I’ll try it the right way – the flavor is so worth another shot!
We are without a stove while our remodel is finishing up, and I have been making this with the Instant Pot. I doubled the pasta to 1 lb and added 4 c. of broth + 1 can of fire-roasted salsa-style tomatoes to the spices and sautéed onion (chicken was baked and chopped earlier using my toaster oven). I set it on high pressure for 6 minutes, making sure the pasta was mostly submerged in the liquid and added cream cheese at the end. It turned out so well – consistency of pasta was perfect and I just had my one pot to clean up – thanks for a wonderful recipe – my kids love this!
Thank you for sharing the IP method! I know a lot of people will love that information. :)
Simply yummy, I added chorizo for that added smokiness
This recipe is great for weeknight dinners! It comes together super fast and with ingredients I usually have on hand anyways.
I love that it cooks in literally ONE pan, nothing gets better than that.
I’ve also made this and portion it out in the fridge for lunches for the week. Reheats really great.
This was absolutely delicious! I used double the seasoning in the recipe (bc we like our food VERY spicy – would not recommend doing this to the faint of heart), and used 1/2 cup less of chicken broth because of the comments here. It was insanely good, and I will definitely be making it again.
Any recommendations on a wine or beer pairing with this recipe?
No, unfortunately, I don’t drink enough wine to have a solid recommendation. :P
Absolutely delicious!!! Thank you for posting such a great recipe.
I made this and liked it, but next time I will use Italian sausage instead of chicken. I think it would go really well with the seasonings.
So delicious! Really enjoyed this one. I also used tomatoes with green chilies since that’s what I had on hand. So tasty. I’m all about that smoky creamy flavor!
My favorite recipe here! Super easy and delicious every time!!
So good. I did 14oz of fire roasted tomatoes instead of 15, used 4oz cream cheese instead of 2. I didn’t have any issues with soupyness.
Made this pretty much as is but I used mushroom broth and herb and garlic cream cheese. My normally taciturn son commented is was ‘very good’ which is unprecedented ;) As a vegetarian myself I’m always looking for reliable recipes for the rest of the omnivore family. I’ll be making this again and again. Thank you Beth!
This recipe makes me feel like a pro chef! The way it all comes together in the end is amazing! So creamy and so spicy and yummy! I make this one a lot, it’s a top recipe in my rotation!
I think this is a solid 3-star recipe. It’s quick, basic, and made from pantry staples. It’s also customizable which is good. My only critique is that the fire roasted tomatoes made the dish taste more Italian than cajun (to my palate, anyway). Another reviewer said they used tomatoes with green chilies. I think that might match better for this dish. Again, solid easy weeknight recipe right here.
Did your fire-roasted tomatoes contain herbs and spices? The fire-roasted tomatoes I used were just plain, no seasoning.
Loved this recipe.
I didn’t use as much liquid as the recipe stated, but to make up for it, I added diced onion, bell pepper, celery, and mushroom and let those sweat.
Otherwise, it was a hit.
Perfect meal.
Thanks
Will do this again soon
Superb!
Decided to make this on a whim because I wanted to use up items in the pantry and it turned out better than I expected considering the “soupy” comments.
Slight differences for how I made it included using a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles instead of fire roasted tomatoes (thought I had some but did not), macaroni elbows instead of penne, and the seasoned vegetable Better than Bouillon (the only one I use) instead of chicken broth. I put in ever so slightly less than two cups of water but not enough to make a noticeable difference.
This was definitely saucy but not “soupily” so. I highly recommend Better than Bouillon since you can slightly decrease the water if you are worried about soupiness but did not have that issue.
This was very flavorful and easy and I will definitely be planning to make it again.
this meal looks delicious. Anyway anyone knows the serving size? otherwise its pretty simple to figure out on my own. just curious thanks
It was amazing! It was a little too runny, even after adding about 3/4 a pound of pasta. But i drained about 1/4 of a cup then sprinkled corn starch until it thickened and it was perfect!
Def agree with the other comments – it was way too liquidy and I had to drain about half the liquid before adding the cream cheese. But, after I did that, it turned out really great! I also added mushrooms, bell peppers, garlic, and some parmesan & pepper jack cheese – the extra veggies & flavor were key!
Definitely too soupy. I wished the written ingredients stated ‘uncooked’ pasta. I’m not one to read and watch every bit of a long post and for times sake pay attention mostly to the ingredient list and then the directions as I cook.The first time was a flop as i precooked the pasta.. The 2nd time it was still soupy so I drained all the liquid and added marinara sauce with the cream cheese. It was okay but next time I would definitely use less smoked paprika and more onions…probably add some other veggies also.
YUM! So good so yummy & pretty dang easy! The sauce will be watery at first, but be patient and simmer a bit longer without the lid on and it will thicken up beautifully! Adding this in to my dinner rotation. Subbed a can of rotel and added some extra Parmesan ❤️🧡
Agree on the watery sauce. I let liquid evaporate the last few minutes but it would not thicken up at all. :(
The taste is good the only thing I’d like to change is that the sauce doesn’t thicken up. It’s kind of more soupy than I would like. Any ideas on how to change that? I followed the recipe exactly besides at the end when it didn’t thicken like i thought it was going to i tried adding about a half cup of parmesan cheese. Also have you tried adding spinach, if so how much does it change the flavor?
If it was too soupy my guess is that there was too much liquid left after you simmered the pasta, so one thing you might try is letting it simmer the last couple of minutes without a lid to help it evaporate more. Making one pot recipes like this is a little bit like riding a bike in that you have to feel it out because every piece of cookware and every stove top heats a little differently. :) If I were to add spinach, I’d probably just toss in a few handfuls at the end. I’m not sure I could quantify how much it would change the flavor, that would probably depend on personal perception.
I added some Queso Quesadilla chees along with the cream cheese and it thickened up nicely. Walmart has the cheese
So good! I used 2T of store-bought Cajun seasoning and subbed chicken thighs. The liquid ratio and everything worked just fine, it thickens up even more once off the heat and especially in the fridge, so I like it to be pretty saucy on day 1. It was spicy for my sensitive mouth, but amazing flavors for being so simple. When served with a side (broccoli for me) I meal prepped this into 6 servings. Yum!
I’ve been living on my own for the first time this year and learning to cook and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this recipe! It’s so delicious, and the tips for substitutions and variations are super helpful. When I went back home to visit, I got to make this pasta for my dad and some of my friends, and it was a huge hit! I got so many compliments and I was asked to make it again when I come home next. I’ve never left a comment on a recipe before, but I’ve just come back to this page so many times, I felt I had to. I’ve even been inspired to make different pastas based off this recipe as I’ve been learning to cook. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Delicious! I’ve made this multiple times. Didn’t have the roasted tomatoes so I just diced up some fresh ones. You can also add mushrooms too!
Delicious!!! I would add a bit more salt prior to simmering and definitely add parmesan if you aren’t intolerant. Will be added to my favourites for sure!
Delicious!!! I was skeptical but WOW!!!! I didn’t have any penne so I used spaghetti and just eyed the measurements- so good!! Also didn’t have enough cream cheese so I added some alouette garlic herb spread and y’all- so good. This will be in a regular rotation from now on for my family of 6!
Delicious! We make this at least once a month, it has become a staple in the rotation. We use chicken thighs instead of breasts, but otherwise it’s a perfect recipe. Definitely recommend!
I made this tonight. Really good. A bit spicy, thus the Cajun. I added sweet Italian sausage too. It was a little soupy so I turned off the heat and let it absorb the liquid. That worked well. Served with garlic bread and salad. Yes, I make it again! Thanks.
This was amazing, even my picky eater (4 year old) loved it!
These one pot pasta dishes are seriously my jam. It’s so nice being able to get dinner on the table quickly for my family of four. I cooked this last night and it was a HUGE hit. Everyone got seconds, even my 5 year old….. who begged for a third serving!!! Definitely doubling the recipe next time!!
Added 2 links of diced andouille with the onion and an extra cup of chicken broth + 2 extra oz of cream cheese. Delicious!
We made this at work in a electric skillet and it was amazing! Made it just like the recipe
This makes my heart sad because I wanted to love this. The pasta was literal soup. I followed the directions to the T and cooked the pasta uncovered as stated in the comments. It just tastes like it’s missing something. (Even after I dumped in 2 cups of parm cheese, used an extra 2oz of cream cheese, and had to thicken it with corn starch.) I’ve been cooking for years and I’ve never run into this issue. Even the viral Tik Tok Feta Pasta had better flavor. (I’m not trying to be rude but flavors are lacking here and I can’t pinpoint it.)
It could be that you might have just needed a bit more salt. There are quite a few herbs and spices in this pasta, but salt is usually what makes those flavors pop. So if your broth was not quite as flavorful or didn’t have as much salt as the broth I used, the overall flavor of your pasta may have been more muted.
Felt the same except for the soupiness.
Added: 2 table spoons Peach chutney + 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce + squeeze of lemon juice.
Adjustments: 1/2 tsp salt instead of 1/4 tsp + 15 min cooking time for pasta instead of 10 min.
After these adjustments and additions it was to die for.
This has become one my family’s favorite dinners. One pot, quick, easy, and delicious. The only change I make is adding mushrooms, peppers and spinach if I have them on hand.
Want to make but really nervous about the pasta not cooking adding it in uncooked! Has anyone had this issue?
Made this for my family tonight. Straightforward recipe that’s easy to follow on a weeknight. Thank you for sharing this one with us!
Making this today! Can I put in IP ?
I haven’t tried this one in an IP, unfortunately.
What can I substitute for the tomatoes? My fiancé can’t stand tomato chunks but I love this recipe.
Hmm, that’s a tough one. I don’t think there’s going to be anything that is an easy swap that I could suggest without testing. The tomatoes add acidity, liquid, and texture to the dish. I would probably try just leaving them out, adding a smidge more broth (maybe ½ cup), and perhaps a dash of lemon juice? That’s just a stab in the dark, though, it really is something I’d have to test and tinker with.
I’m not a fan of tomato chunks either –
I would throw in a couple of healthy tablespoons of tomato paste for the last couple of mins of the onions sauteeing. Add another 1/2c of of broth to make up for lost liquid in the tomatoes. (The other one pot pasta recipes on this site generally use 2.5c of liquid total for 8 oz of pasta.)
Flavors should be there, without the chunks.
I as looking for just a pasta version of this without the chicken. Since it looks like a lot of the sauce gets it flavoring from the chicken seasoning residue and from the chicken itself, what would be the best way to introduce the same flavors into the pasta/sauce portion of this recipe? Same portions of seasoning, but cut a bit?
I probably wouldn’t reduce the seasoning at all. I would cook the onion in butter (instead of oil) to give it a little more richness in absence of the meat, and then sprinkle the seasoning on top of the sautéed onion and cook for a minute or two more just to toast the spices.
Love, love this
What a great recipe. I was looking for something more interesting than my regular chicken pasta bake and this will be it for dinner tonight. Thanks very much.
Hey there, I’m a bit lactose intolerant but I’d love to try this recipe before because I love Cajun pasta (despite the consequences lol). I’d love to know if there was possibly a cheese substitute that I could use that may not change the taste of the recipe very much. Vegan cheese maybe?
Unfortunately, I haven’t tested any non-dairy substitutes for this, but I can say that it’s also quite tasty without the dairy (just as a spicy red sauce). :)
I’ve been making this recipe many times by leaving out all the cheese and it still is one of my favorite recipes! I would recommend trying it.
Alpro make a soy cream and I use that in place of cream cheese
I use coconut milk instead of cream cheese just for healthier version and I love it
I added 1/4 cup lactose free milk in place of the cream cheese. It’s still very good!!! My husband can’t handle the heavier stuff like cream cheese and heavy cream.
I’d use coconut cream (not cream of coconut, which is sweetened!)
Made this many times as written and loved it. Sometimes if I’m rushed I use premade Cajun seasoning. This time I forgot the cream cheese at the grocery store so I subbed some plain Greek yogurt and shredded pepper jack cheese since that’s what I had. It was still really good, maybe an alternative if you don’t like cream cheese. I personally love cream cheese and will try not to forget to buy it next time I make this.
Can this be frozen? I meal prep for the week or next two weeks and this recipe will probably do me 6 or 8 portions so I won’t get to eat it all quickly enough.
I haven’t tried freezing this one, but I believe I’ve gotten comments from other people who have done so successfully. What I suggest is to test it first with one portion to see if the results are palatable to you before trying to freeze say, half the batch.
Thank you, I’ll let you know how it goes :)
I use sliced turkey sausage with this recipe and my whole family LOVES it! Thank you!
I loved the sibling recipe so much that I made this one too. I replaced the chicken w a can of drained red kidney beans and a diced bell pepper because I have no chicken in the house lol.
This is one seriously delicious recipe. I’ve made it twice in four days it is THAT GOOD.
Thank you thank you thank you so muchhhhh!!
Yum! I also added in bell peppers with the onions. Thanks for this recipe!
loved the recipe so much , and as i am in Ramadan i am going to try 100% Delicious and fulling.
We’re trying this tonight! The nutritional info says 1 serving, but it doesn’t say how much 1 serving is? Can you advise?
A serving is ¼ of the recipe, but I don’t have an exact volume. With recipes like this it can vary depending on how you pack that measuring cup. :)
Love the recipe. I like to cook my pasta separate, but this recipe is on point!
I’ve seen you can adjust the serving size but can you make more and freeze the other portions?
I haven’t tried freezing this one, so I’m not sure how it would hold up. Sometimes creamy sauces separate after freezing and thawing, but I’d have to test it to find out for sure.
Terrific recipe! Made a few next-level modifications: including girella pasta, bell peppers, blue cheese, and bacon. Recommend more aggressive salting than the recipe calls for. Removing the lid — while still on heat — helped speed up the thickening process. Excited to make it again!
This recipe has become a regular meal in our house hold we love it so much it is sooooo YUMMY !!!!
I’m not typically a huge fan of tomato’s but they work in this recipe !!! I also use a pre mixed Cajun spice and it works so well
I also add in bell peppers, grated cheese and use 1/2 regular cream cheese and 1/2 Boursin herb and garlic !!
I am not a fan of tomatoes. Do we have to include them?
Personally, I feel like they add the important element of acidity to the flavor profile, but you might still like it without! :)
I made this tonight and it was delicious! The only criticism is that it needed more salt, but that was easily remedied. The only thing I changed was I added bell pepper, and I also added an extra oz of cream cheese. I found that, even after simmering for 10 minutes, it was very water and resembled a soup more than a pasta sauce so I added the extra cream cheese to thicken it up which seemed to do the trick. Overall it was very good though! I think I’ll add some chipotle peppers next time for some smokiness.
Hi im trying to make it but can i use regular tomato paste or does it have to be fire tomato paste
You should not use any tomato paste. You need to use canned diced tomatoes, which are very different from tomato paste. Fire roasted will give you more flavor, but you can use plain if needed.
I need to know do I throw in the pasta just like that or cook the pasta first then throw it in??
The pasta is added in its uncooked state. It cooks in the broth with everything else. :)
OMG this was delicious.
This was good, but surely the salt is a typo? 1/4 tsp of salt total for a dish with 1 lb of chicken and 1/2 lb of pasta seems way too little.
Salt is always going to be a bit subjective, but this dish gets quite a bit of its salt from the broth and canned tomatoes. I didn’t find I needed to add much after that, but I always suggest adding salt to your own tastes. :)
Can vegetable broth be substituted for the chicken broth or would that throw off the entire recipe?
It will change the flavor, but just how much is hard to say. The spices are pretty pronounced here, so it might mask the change in flavor from the broth. Ultimately, it will probably just be a matter of personal preference whether or not it’s still tasty. :)
I had chicken broth in the pantry, so I substituted with what I had. Let me just see, this was my first time cooking using budgetbytes and I will continue. It was soooooo yummy and simple
Love this! I’m planning on making it with Shrimp tonight…….. I’m debating when to add the shrimp. At the very end, right before I add the cream cheese??
I would cook them quickly in the skillet first, then remove them and add them back in at the end. Shrimp are pretty easy to over cook, so you’ll want to make sure they don’t stay in the skillet the whole time or they’ll shrink up and get super rubbery. :)
Super good very easy and I love that you can change the serving size and it adjusts the recipe.
I really like this recipe, but would like to make it vegetarian? What is a good substitute for chicken? Would any beans/tofu/tempeh work?
You might try kidney beans or tempeh. :)
Maybe try jack-fruit as your chicken substitute.
I make this recipe quite often using a bag of Quorn’s Meatless Pieces as a substitute for the chicken and Better than Bouillon’s vegetable base as a substitute for the chicken broth, and it’s amazing every time. :)
This was amazing! My husband had 3 servings he loved it so much!! So easy and flavorful. Thank you for a great recipe!!
Seriously, so yummy! I added bell peppers and mushrooms just to get my veg in. Shared with others and they loved it. Great as leftovers too! I’m crazy for your broth pastas! Thank-you
Omg. I made this for dinner and it was delicious. I did make a few modifications. I added about 3 cups of spinach, sautéed mushrooms, and an extra ounce of cream cheese. I will definitely make this dish again and might even add a spicy sausage and bit of basil for freshness. Well done!
I love this recipe, but I added some savoie’s smoked sausage to it
Went next level 💯
It was delicious!! My family really enjoyed it.
I llllloooooveeee this recipe but I always dry out the chicken! It drives me nuts. I must be cooking too long on the front end? Any ideas?
Yep, definitely cooking too long on the front end. :) Remember the chicken will continue to cook as everything is simmering, so you don’t need to cook very long in that first step.
You could try using boneless/skinless chicken thighs too. It doesn’t tend to dry out quite as much.
Delicious! Just the right amount of spice and had great flavor. I have already made it twice and will be making again.
Excellent recipe! It turns out great every time. This is one of our go-to recipes when we are in a rut for dinner. We usually have all the items in the pantry. And now i always have your Cajun seasoning in there too! It’s fun to mix up the protein in this dish. Our favorite is chicken sausage and shrimp. Quick and tasty. Thank you!
Made this tonight. Amazing, I’ll make it again! I added broccoli at the end just because I had some to use. Heat was perfect for me, my husband would have preferred half of the cayanne pepper. I also used regular diced tomatoes since that was what I had. I’ve avoided the cream cheese pasta as it sounds rich and isn’t an ingredient I normally have on hand. Luckily someone left some cream cheese here. Next time I’ll buy some just to make this.
Very good recipe! Stuck to the recipe with the exception of adding some sauteed, diced zucchini at the end and sprinkled parm before serving. The dish was well-received!
Hella good. I have been using this recipe to lure
my ex. Hopefully he will come back to me.
Ari We went on a date two years ago. Please stop showing up at my house with pasta like you’re Uber eats. My dog ate the the pasta you left on my doorstep and sprayed poop all over my carpet. I had to throw out all my furniture.
Thank you for such a great recipe! I made it today. I pureed my tomatoes and use a little cream instead of cream cheese and less cayenne pepper. I baked my chicken in the oven then added it, shredded, last, and added a little frozen drained spinach. This couldn’t have been any easier to make. https://i.imgur.com/5Emj6bt.jpg
Husband approved ! I am a newish cook and your site has been soooo helpful. Thank you Beth! Everything I’ve made our yours has been delicious.
Really great recipe. The only thing I did differently NOT INTENTIONALLY I cooked my pasta.
So tasty and easy. I used leftover roast chicken and just added it while the pasta was cooking. It came out delicious. I added a little extra cayenne and paprika because I like them both and wanted the flavor to be very strong. Highly recommend for an easy, flavorful meal.
Thanks as always for your great recipes, Beth! I don’t know why I bother looking anywhere else for dinner ideas…yours are delicious, easy, and don’t cost half my paycheck! Thank you <3
This was awesome! It’s super easy and I added whatever veggies I had in my fridge that I needed to get rid of and it was perfect :))) I also had premade chicken so it took me literally 10 min to make
This was SO good and SO easy to whip up. I used pre-made Cajun seasoning because I’m lazy and it turned out great! I think this would go very well with spicy Italian sausage as well, might try that next time.
Quick to make if you have everything out and ready (which I often do not). Tasty and pantry friendly.
Absolutely loved it! Did it last week without the tomatoes because I didn’t have any in, and we still loved it.
Found it easier to put the spices in a tupperware, shake to mix them up, then add the diced chicken, shake again until all surfaces are coated, then add to pan when ready.
I know it says 1/2 lbs of pasta, which is about 2 cups of ounces, is that correct?
Well, that depends. Cups is a volume measure, so it depends on the shape of the pasta. A small pasta will have more per cup than a larger shape pasta, so ½ lb. of pasta will not always equal two cups.
I see, so should I be using 8oz of the pasta or actually weigh the pasta?
8oz. is a weight measure here. In the U.S. we use fluid ounces (volume) for liquid ingredients and weight ounces for solid ingredients, which can get confusing. 8 fluid ounces = one cup, 8 weight ounces = ½ lb., but 8 fluid ounces does not always equal 8 weight ounces because every ingredient has a different density. So in this case, you’re using ½ lb. of pasta (equal to 8 weight ounces). You can weigh it if you want, but I just eyeball ½ of a 1 lb. package.
Do you think I could make this ahead and reheat in oven?
Also….. how much does this make…. enough for a family of 4?
I’ve never tried reheating this one in the oven, but one thing you have to be careful with reheating pasta dishes is that the longer they’re on the heat the softer the pasta gets. Oven reheating tends to be a slow process, whereas something like a microwave is very quick. I got four servings out of this, but whether or not it will feed your family of four just depends on how much you tend to eat per serving. :)
This is a family favorite.
Can I make this ahead of time and allow it to sit on very low heat? If not, how long is it advisable to let it sit? I realize pasta could over cook.
I don’t advise keeping any pasta dish on the heat for very long because it will continue to soften and absorb liquid, leaving the pasta mushy and with a drier sauce.
Clarifying that I don’t cook the pasta prior to adding it to the chicken mixture.
Correct. :)
Instead of cream cheese could I use quark as a substitute? It’s similar to cream cheese, it would just be easier on my diet plan?
Unfortunately, I’m unfamiliar with quark so I’m not sure how it would affect the outcome of this recipe.
This was delicious! Do you think I could add in spinach and mushrooms to the chicken and onions to sauté? Or would it mess up the moisture?
Hmm, I think the mushrooms would add a lot of moisture that you’d want to cook off, but that extra cook time might result in the chicken overcooking. If adding spinach, I’d add that later toward the end. One option would be to sauté the mushrooms and spinach first (before the chicken) then remove them from the skillet so it’s not overcrowded when you do the chicken. And make sure the butter is added before the chicken because that really helps get that browning action with the spices. :)
Not complaining about the heat in the original version (LOVED IT!!!) , but I am wondering if it works using regular canned tomato instead of fire-roasted ones in a pinch (without losing too much of the taste appeal)? Has anyone tried? What was your verdict?
Yep, you can definitely swap that out. The fire roasted tomatoes just add a little more subtle smokey flavor, but there are so many herbs and spices in this that I think you can get by without that. :)
Hi just wondering can you use whole wheat penne instead & would it change the cooling time?
You may need slightly more broth and to simmer it a bit longer, but I can’t offer any specifics without actually testing it. :(
Hello,
Would it be possible to use store bought ‘cajun seasoning’ instead of making the seasoning from scratch? Also regarding the 2 cups of chicken broth, is that two chicken stock cubes in water? I’m unfamiliar on how to make broth!
Kind regards,
A super novice
Hi Shaun! The only thing you have to be careful with when using store-bought Cajun seasoning is that many of them are more like a seasoning salt, and you might be in danger of way over-salting the dish. So if you can find one that is just a spice and herb blend without salt, that would work (use 2 Tbsp). For the chicken broth, you’ll need to check the instructions on the package for your cube to find out exactly how much one cube makes, but most small cubes are usually one cube + one cup water = one cup broth. :)
Hi Beth!
Just wanted to thank you for this recipe! I did use the store bought cajun seasoning but followed everything else and my family loves it. Next thing I want to try is adding full cream as you suggested, just to make it creamier and a bit more light orange in colour :)
Once I order myself a spice rack I’ll try making the cajun seasoning from scratch as per your recipe!
Thanks,
Shaun
So good! Did this tonight ! Didn’t have chicken broth so I used chicken bouillon and water. Yummm
Delicious!
Hi Beth, this looks amazing! If I were to use cooked rotisserie chicken instead of raw, how should I proceed?
I think I would sauté the onions first, then adding the spice mix and sauté for just a minute or two more. Then add the shredded or chopped rotisserie chicken in with the pasta and broth. :)
Can I use cream cheese and heavy cream? How much of each?
I’m not sure without having tested it. That would be REALLY thick, so I’m not sure you’d need both.
Can I use green peas instead of green onions?
No, they’re very different.
Absolutely love this recipe! How much is a serving?
One serving is one quarter of the finished dish.
I love this recipe – it has become a favourite of my family! I usually make it as-is, except that I like to add some bell pepper and zucchini (at the same time as the onion) to get some extra veggies in. Thanks for this wonderful recipe, Beth!
I think veggies is the only thing missing! I omitted the cayenne and added andouille sausage. Next time I’d do some red and green bell pepper!
Husband and I really liked this one! Thank you for posting these recipes.
How much onion? Med? Large?
It’s flexible. :) I’d go with medium.
Recipe doesn’t state if the pasta should be cooked or uncooked. Anyone know?
Uncooked. :) If it needed to be cooked I would include that in the instructions or list the pasta as “cooked pasta” in the ingredient list.
Can I just use the Cajun seasoning I already have instead of using all those spices ? If so how much would I use ?
It depends. A lot of store-bought Cajun seasonings contain a LOT of salt, so you have to be careful of that. The seasonings I used equal about 2 Tbsp of seasoning, so that’s what I would guess to use with store-bought unless it has a high salt content, then you’d be in danger of over-salting the dish.
If I didn’t want to use the fire roasted tomatoes could I use roasted garlic and onion pasta sauce
No, I wouldn’t suggest using that substitution. More so because of the texture difference. The diced tomatoes are tomato pieces with juice, whereas the past sauce is a thick, even-textured sauce. While it might work, I can’t predict how that will affect the overall texture of the sauce.
I loved this recipe! I added mushrooms and kale and used whole wheat fusilli. I had mascarpone on hand and that worked well in place of cream cheese. Thanks for sharing, will definitely make again!
Delicious, but a little too smoky for me. I’ll likely reduce the smoked paprika next time. I also used soft goat cheese instead of cream cheese since I’m lactose intolerant to cow dairy products.
This is my absolute favourite recipe – it’s so easy and so delicious. Thank you!!
Tried this the other day and it was delicious!
Awesome. Easy. Kids loved it too, said make it again!!
Wonderful recipe. Another budget bytes favorite. I put in a little chile powder too.
If I wanted to sub the chicken for shrimp, what broth should I use instead?
I would still use chicken broth, since the flavor is pretty universal. The only change you’d want to make is that after you sauté the seasoned shrimp in the skillet, remove the shrimp, then proceed with the recipe. Add the shrimp back to the recipe at the very end. If you leave it in the skillet like you do with the chicken it will over cook and be very tough and rubbery. :)
Ok, lemme tell you this recipe is golden!! I’ve made it like ten times and its the best thing ever. I use water instead of chicken broth but it still tastes like HEAVEN. Anyways this is actually very easy to make since I’m only 15 and I could do this with my eyes closed. I do be Gordon Ramsay. Chao anyways
This recipe is amazing! And very simple with just a couple changes I tried. Instead of making the Cajun seasoning yourself you can just season the chicken with a premixed Cajun seasoning (such as Slap Ya Mama). I did about 8 tsp of that but if you prefer less spicy 5 or 6 tsp would suffice. It was also suggested to make the dish “extra” you can add bacon. So what I did was chop about 6 slices of bacon first and cook it in the pot. I removed the bacon and left the bacon grease in order to sauté the chicken and other ingredients instead of the butter and olive oil. I added the cooked bacon in at the end when mixing the cream cheese. I ended up with a restaurant quality dish and plan to make this again!
This is fingerlicking good. Very delicious! I added 1/2 pkg (4oz)of creamcheese for more creaminess! Definitely will be doing this again.
I love this recipe and have gotten so many people hooked on it! It is a staple in my house!!
I made this vegetarian by omitting the chicken, added green and red bell peppers and sliced mushrooms. I also used protein pasta and veggie broth. Sooooo good! This is going into our regular rotation!!
Love this recipe. We use regular spaghetti. We like spicy so we use the store made Cajun seasoning, rotel with habaneros, and add garlic!I add parmesean cheese at the end too. It’s delicious!
This was really good, I usually dont buy much into the ‘one pan pasta’ thing but was pleasantly surprised by this. Tomato cream sauce is always good and the cream cheese substitute for milk or cream works really really well with the spices. My only gripes are pretty shallow;
1/4 tsp cayenne does NOT a spicy dish make, like objectively, I am a spice rookie and this is pretty mild, so if you want it to kick use more cayenne and black pepper, and think about hot sauce or pickled japapenos! If you’re using medium or large penne you will almost certainly need to boil it in the stock close to twice as long as listed to get it al dente. You probably want to use more cream cheese as a thickener, otherwise this sauce will end up at the bottom of your bowl instead of all up in those noodles.
Amazing!!!! That’s it just amazing!
We loved it!! The only thing that stopped us from eating the whole recipe between two is that the spiciness kicked. But it is definitely becoming a permanent in our recipes. Full of flavor and creamy…just great. I didn’t let my chicken golden as much as yours but will try to next time we do it, for sure it will taste even better.
An easy, fast and delicious meal.
Loving it from Colombia!
Really good recipe. I used fusilli pasta, added diced bell peppers, celery, fresh garlic, fresh parsley with the green onion at the end. Was out of cayenne so I added a few dashes of Tabasco. Will be trying this with shrimp next!
Made this last night for my husband and I. Absolutely delicious, I just moderated the cream cheese quantity for our preferences and cooked a bit longer than 10 minutes. Definitely making again.
Delicious!
I’ve made several,of your recipes and especially enjoy your Southwest One Pot Casserole. It makes a big batch considering there are only two of us eating it. It’s great leftover and I make it a lot since it’s like 2 or 3 meals for me. I do add homemade pics de Gallo and sour cream at the table. Love the crunch and creaminess it adds.
Also in one of your recipes you were asking about having cooked meat lying around. I always do. When chicken is on sale, I buy extra, put it in a crockpot with broth and cook. I then shred the chicken and put it by the pound in the freezer. I use it in lots of recipes. And it that’s pretty quick.
Homemade pico de gallo sounds wonderful!
This looked so delicious and I was so excited to try it, but it came out meh. My sauce was not nearly as creamy as the photos with only 2oz. of cream cheese so I ended up doubling it. The cajun flavor really didn’t come through much, maybe because I doubled the cream cheese? It tasted more tomato-ey than anything. The flavors were rather flat and muted. I had considered adding some kale as another reader suggested, but I didn’t do it and I think it could have benefited from some more flavor. My husband wasn’t even thrilled about it and he loves pasta.
That was my first impression too. We switched out the chicken for ground hot Italian sausage and it was delicious
Mine came out meh as well, and I even added Parmesan at the end. It wasn’t rich or all that creamy, didn’t taste Cajun, was just very mediocre. I don’t understand all of these raving reviews. It took the hungry away, but I won’t be making it again for sure.
Delicious and super easy! I did saute a bunch of kale along with the onions because I needed to use it up, and the whole family loved it.
This has been a hit in my home and in my parents! Even my two year old and picky dad loved it! If you are looking for an easy meal to cook with two kids under three running around, I suggest this. I held the baby and cooked, my son helped “cut up” stuff” and we threw it all in and bam! Done! Perfect for a busy parent!
I’ve made this many times, and it’s always amazing. I follow the recipe exactly, except I go heavy with store-bought cajun seasoning and cook longer than 10 mins. Always a hit.
Hi! I really want to make this, but already have cajun spice in my cabinet. How much should I use?
About 2 Tbsp should be fine. Enjoy!
Absolutely DELICIOUS! I used chicken sausage instead of chicken and it turned out fabulous! Wonderful recipe, thank you for sharing!
I just tried this recipe tonight and one note I would add is when you cover the pan to bring everything to a boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes after it boils, remove the lid. This is so the sauce can reduce and thicken. I did not do that so it was still watery when I added the cream cheese and I had to let it simmer for several more minutes and ended up with chicken that was a bit overcooked. I graded some parmesan over the top and it helped thicken the sauce as well.
Great suggestion!
Can I add broccoli? And I’m not a fan of cream cheese but would it still taste good with the heavy cream instead? And I don’t pre cook the pasta right?
Yes that would be a great addition! No need to pre cook the pasta.
Can I use a can of Rotel in place of the can of fire roasted tomatoes?? I don’t have anything else except for crushed tomatoes which would be best??
Yes I think that would be delicious!
I use the fire roasted rotel and it’s delicious
What vegetables can be added to this? Bell peppers would be good, but I’m blanking on anything else. Maybe eggplant? Spinach? I like to include veggies wherever I can but I’m not good at improvising!
I think you’re great at improvising! I love bell pepper in almost anything. I’d say spinach would be great too. Maybe some carrots!
This was AMAZING. This is one of the only dishes I’ve made where the seasoning was on point, and I didn’t have to add more. What helped along the flavor and saved me 2 steps was using a whole rotisserie chicken (traditional seasoning) and adding 6 tsp of store- bought cajun seasoning. Was fantastic. I regret pre-cooking my pasta before adding it. Im sure it would’ve been closer to el dente had I listened more closely to the directions.
was the chicken already made?? 😇
Just made this for lunch. Quick, easy, tasty dish. I didn’t have the fire roasted diced tomatoes, so I used regular diced tomatoes and added some finely chopped sun dried tomatoes.
This was very good. I added green and red peppers and used more cream cheese and chicken broth because I used the whole box of pasta. Perfecto!
Followed the recipe precisely. Although I used salted butter, regular sodium fire-roasted tomatoes, and regular-sodium chicken broth, mine needed more salt for sure. I used free-range broth, so maybe the sodium was lower than other broths. That’s the only thing I’ll change for next time!
This was great! I added some fresh garlic, extra garlic powder, and used some leftover jalapeño cream cheese I had. I also added some fresh basil to my bowl which added some nice sweetness. Great easy recipe!
Was there another recipe very similar to this that was not all one pot? It’s been one of my favorites and (although I am sure this one is delicious) I would love to make it again but am having trouble finding the recipe.
I made this for my boyfriend and we both agreed that it slapped
This is our 3rd time making it and its still as amazing as the first time! This recipe tastes great and is relatively easy to make!
Pretty good! This was the first recipe I have ever followed, and I’m glad this was my first meal. I basically followed as is, except 1/2 cup less stock and simmered longer. Note: don’t worry if the pasta sauce seems wayyy too liquidy. Just let it simmer longer and the cream cheese will add a LOT of the richness. So good!
This was DELICIOUS! I doubled the recipe and have no regrets!
The only change I would make is to season the chicken overnight.
Agreed! I definitely do that as well!
A fun and fast meal – I happened to have gumbo filé here, so I used that to thicken the stock. Also used porter ale instead of something i was surprised was not on hand, chicken stock. Terrific dish…. and I had a bit of crusty bread on hand to wipe up what little was left of it.
This was really delicious and flavorful. It turned out pretty soupy looking at first, but if you let it sit a little bit, the sauce will start to thicken up, I think simmering it uncovered will help. I added a bit of Parmesan in the end too.
Is there a way I can make a lactose free version of this and still have it be creamy? I’d love for my dad to have some too, but the cream cheese will hurt his stomach.
If your dad can tolerate a small amount of lactose, try adding a tablespoon or two of Greek yogurt to make it creamy. We do this often in my household because we almost never have things like heavy cream or sour cream on hand.
Really good pasta dish and well-balanced flavors. Love the Cajun seasoning. Will make this recipe again!
My kids loved this. I didn’t have fire roasted diced tomatoes so I used diced tomatoes with chile.
I’ve tried this recipe for the first time this week. All I have to say is YUMMY!!!!. My husband came back for a second plate. I doubled the chicken for extra protein. Also double to Cajun seasoning since I used extra meat. I kept everything else the same. I had to remove the lid covering wok after 10 minutes to let the sauce reduce (take about 15-20minutes for penne to soften and sauce to reach creamy texture).
I really enjoy this recipe. I’ve made it many times already. The first time I made it exactly as is. I have since made some changes.
I prefer to cook the pasta separately so that I don’t have to use two cans of broth. I just add some pasta water to the can of tomatoes. I also prefer to use angel hair pasta. To me it is a lot better than penne
My entire family LOVED IT. I used leftover grilled chicken and follow the recipe to the T. Thank you!
Deeeelicious. I was looking for a recipe to mimic the Citrus Pear meal we had. I did it in the slow cooker; tomato sauce (bc that’s what I had) and onion, topped it with frozen chicken breasts and seasonings. Left it on low for 5 hours and then pulled the chicken out to shred. I added the cream cheese, melted, and added the shredded chicken back. I’m going to leave it on warm for an hour before serving with pasta. The taste test after adding the chicken back is perfection. Thanks for the recipe!
Omg it was good added fresh garlic and fresh Thyme I also added fresh parm & cream cheese My kids went back for seconds.. will definitely make again
Hmmm, mine ended up being soup! Did you simmer uncovered? Drain the tomatoes? Tasted great just super liquid.
Simmer the pasta uncovered. Tomatoes do not need to be drained.
Did you by chance cook the pasta first? If so, that was the mistake. The pasta has to be put in dry and cook in the liquid. The dry pasta absorbs much of the broth and juice from the tomatoes. It also gives the pasta great flavor. If not, could be you needed to simmer it longer uncovered.
I am very disappointed in this recipe.. came out extremely soupy. I was expecting cajun chicken pasta..this was not it at all. No depth, no flavor.
Did you by chance cook the pasta first? If so, that was the mistake. The pasta has to be put in dry and cook in the liquid. The dry pasta absorbs much of the broth and juice from the tomatoes. It also gives the pasta great flavor. If not, could be you needed to simmer it longer uncovered.
soooo easy. ended up being a bit spicy so i added more cream cheese and i also added some parm at the end. delicious!!
This was really, really good. I made a double batch and since we have picky eaters, I made the chicken separately from the pasta and didn’t add the cayenne. Since I wasn’t cooking everything in broth, I added a little more salt to the sauce. And then my husband and I added some frank’s hot sauce to ours. This was delicious and I was able to freeze some of the leftover sauce and chicken to use another night. This is a really easy, really versatile, and incredibly delicious recipe.
So I tried out this recipe and I had to make a few tweaks to make it taste the way I like. First of all, I added beef broth base and combined it with the chicken base. It deepened the savory flavor. Secondly, I added Parmesan. Definitely a necessity. I added cream cheese as well as whipping cream. Instead of salt, I used creole Cajun seasoning. This made a huge difference. Most importantly, the pasta I used took much longer than 10 minutes to become tender. I thought I was finished, but the noodles were stiff and chewy. So I had to recook the pasta, which was frustrating.
In the end, the flavor was AMAZING. Definitely recommend this recipe.
This was really good. I didn’t have chicken but I had ground sausage so I made it with that instead. Also, I had cajun seasoning. I am not a measure it out type person, so I just coated it and it was a big hit. Cooked everything like normal and it was a hit with my boyfriend!
Made this last night and YUM! Super easy and so flavorful! We cut back on the cayenne pepper to 1/8 tsp, and ended up using sweet Italian sausage instead of chicken because we forgot to defrost it. It was delicious!
This was a quick, easy, delicious dinner to throw together! Perfect amount of mild heat for the kids. Used heavy cream instead of cream cheese, worked out fine. May throw in some diced red pepper and add a few slices of andouille sausage next time to bump the cajun flavor up. Thank you for this recipe.
I loved this. I used ricotta since I didnt have cream cheese. Used a can of diced tomatoes and added jalapenos diced up really fine. Turned out great.
how many cups is 1/2 pound pasta?!
It’s about 2 cups of dry pasta.
Recipe sucked lol. I followed this to the T and it took a loooooooot longer than 20 minutes and it was not spicy at all
I don’t have a 4 qt skillet- would this work in a large pot?
Ok it worked! This was delish- I’d add even more cream cheese next time
It was pretty tasty. Will make again. I added canned corn and southwestern black beans. Thank you for the recipe.
I love this recipe. It’s a true staple in our household.
The flavor is too bland. No kick at all. Very disappointed.
First time commenter and first time making one of your recipes… this is definitely going to be a fave!! Your instructions are so clear and so easy to follow! Looking forward to making more recipes of yours.
If I’ve got a jar of Cajun spices (rather than making your mix), how much should I use?
About 2 Tbsp, just keep in mind that some store bought Cajun seasonings contain a lot more salt than my blend, so there is a danger of making it too salty.
Delicious! I substituted the cream cheese for heavy cream and half the tomatoes for salsa and it worked out great! New family favorite!
The sauce is terrible I can’t see how anyone enjoys this. Creamcheese makes the sauce too thick and the flavor isnt quite right.
This was a huge hit with everybody in the family. I used rigatoni since it’s what we had on hand, we really liked it with the bigger noodles to hold the delicious sauce. I also added some sliced mushrooms along with the onion, they soaked up the sauce and became perfect flavor bombs.
Cooked this for the family tonight and it went down a treat. Absolutely delicious, and really tasty. I’m a novice in the kitchen, and found this recipe easy to follow.
Well chuffed to be able to make something that had my missus and mother looking for seconds, and that my 2 year old had some as well.
Cant wait to try more of your recipes, great site. Thank you..
I made this recipe tonight and it was a big hit! is there a way to make it cheesy? what cheese would you recommend?
Parmesan or a cheddar would be delicious additions.
I’m looking forward to trying this, but the stores were out of penna pasta could I use thin spaghetti?
Can I use spaghetti?
Can I swap out salsa for the tomatoes thats what I had on hand
We haven’t tested it with salsa yet, however a previous reader noted, “Used 2/3 of 16 oz salsa jar instead – also, used whole wheat pasta and extra cup of water – turned out amazing. That cream cheese shines through beautifully.”
My boyfriend doesn’t like tomatoes can I leave them out?
Unfortunately, I really feel like the tomatoes are an important part of this one.
I would like to try this recipe without the chicken and onions, but would still like to add all the seasoning for flavour. Would you suggest frying the peppers in the seasoning and just leave out the chicken and onions? The recipe looks delicious, I can’t wait to try it!
Thank you for this recipe! Could I use tomato purée instead of the diced tomatoes? Also is there a substitute for the cream cheese?
Hi Yara! Tomato puree is quite thick and not the same as the diced tomatoes. I wouldn’t suggest swapping. And you can always swap a vegan cream cheese if dairy is a problem.
So yummy!! Added chicken sausage and a little more cream cheese (to make it exxxtra creamy) and it was delicious! Will continue to make this. Thank you!
Absolutely Delish! Don’t worry if it looks like there is too much liquid when you go to add the cream cheese, try turning off the burner and letting is sit for another few minutes and all the liquid will absorb! Thanks for the great recipe!
Made this tonight and it was really good! I accidentally cooked the pasta separately before reading through the whole recipe. Nonetheless, it came out great. Just the perfect amount of spice and flavor. Def will make again!
I made this today for my birthday quarantine meal it was so good and was the bright spot in an otherwise bad day…thank you 😊
Happy birthday Becky!
This is one of our favorite recipes! It tastes perfect every time without needing to make any changes to the recipe. It’s quick, easy, and delicious! Thank you :)
It is a fantastic recipe also tasty
Can’t wait to make this! If I have cajun seasoning already, how much would I use to substitute? Thanks :)
About 2 Tbsp, just keep in mind that some store bought Cajun seasonings contain a lot more salt than my blend, so there is a danger of making it too salty.
Hi! This looks fantastic. Can I use regular canned diced tomatoes if fire roasted tomatoes aren’t available (Covid 19 grocery store shortage issues!)? Any recipe adjustments I need to make?
You can definitely use regular. It just may not pack as much flavor, but will still be delicious.
Could I swap the cream cheese for ricotta? I don’t mind the difference in texture, and they are both rich ingredients?
We haven’t tested it that way but you could certainly give it a try. I think it would be delicious.
This was absolutely delicious!! I ended up needing to add a bit more broth while it was cooking since the liquid seemed to boil off before the pasta could fully cook, but it wasn’t a big deal. I added shredded Parmesan at the end and it turned out great! Super easy and quick recipe as well!
Made this with kielbasa subbed for the chicken, and whole wheat pasta since it was what we had. Easy, and everyone loved it! Topped with some plain green yogurt for the toddler to bring the spice down a bit. We’ll certainly make this again and again!
10/10 would recommend! It came out better than I thought. Had to tweak the seasoning to my liking but that’s expected
I’ve been following the blog since I was in college almost 10 years ago. Recently my boyfriend and I have challenged ourselves to only eat out once or twice a week. We have made several things from the blog (my picky boyfriend actually asks for your spinach feta turkey meatballs). I really like this one pot pasta. I switch out the oregano for basil because I don’t like oregano. I added a little extra cream cheese and some Asiago at the end. I’m Always afraid there is too much liquid but it ends up perfect! I also don’t like extra dishes so after the butter is melted with the oil I throw the chicken into the pot and just dump the spices in and give it a stir before the chicken starts cooking. And I cut the chicken in larger chunks so they don’t over cook. Thanks!!
After making my rounds through many of your one pot recipes, I’ve come back to this one for the second time. This time I used rigatoni (as my store was out of penne due to the current affairs) and sliced some serrano peppers to saute along with the onions.
I reduced the chicken broth to 1 cup this time as last time there was a lot of liquidy sauce at the bottom of the pan when I was done. However, I still had that issue this time despite adding in a little more cream cheese and allowing it to simmer with the lid off for an additional 5 or so minutes before serving. Is there something I’m doing wrong or is this expected?
Either way, it still tastes fantastic. I used to only do carry out and ready-to-eat meals for the longest time. Finding this site and the efficiency and simplicity of the recipes inspired me to start cooking!
Made this the other night, it was a hit!
My partner is gf, so I used Banza chickpea rotini, worked great! Bell peppers were on sale for 88 cents each, asparagus was on sale for $1/lb, so I added peppers in with the onion, and diced asparagus at the end. I also included a diced hot link, and a diced andoui sausage. My cooking tends to be of the “everything but the kitchen sink” variety lol.
Delicious! I’ve been told that I should definitely make this again :)
Ten stars. Beth, your recipes give my girlfriend more pleasure than I ever do. Thank you.
When simmering this, do you leave the lid on or off? Seems like the answer would be off, if you were trying to reduce, but not sure if it is needed for the pasta to absorb the stock.
Lid on, to hold in the steam. :)
Mine came out a little bland. There’s a mild zing, but no depth of flavor in the back of the tongue. I may try a little added garlic or parmesan cheese to broaden the flavor a bit. Otherwise, not bad.
This was amazing. I used store bought creole seasoning on the chicken and did not include the green onions. I will definitely be making this again!!
What if I were to use a pound of pasta to double it, what other ingredients should I double?
You can adjust the servings on the recipe to accommodate the extra pasta and it will help you see what else you need.
I’m keto so I had to adapt this recipe but not a ton, which is why I made it. I used chicken *thigh* filets (a thing I didn’t even know existed before) to bring up the fat factor. I followed the instructions to the letter but used unsalted broth I had on hand, so I had to add more salt than the recipe called for to compensate. Instead of adding pasta, I simply simmered the chicken for an additional six minutes or so, pulled the chicken out, added more salt and some red pepper flakes to the sauce to taste, hit the sauce with my immersion blender (just to bring all the flavors together), added the cream cheese and then a splash of heavy whipping cream to take up the fat factor (though it tasted just fine without the HWC), then put the chicken back in. I’ve served it over riced cauliflower thus far and may serve it over spinach later in the week but I think this will be a consistent staple for me because it’s quick, easy, delicious, and doesn’t require a lot of obscure ingredients.
Made this recipe today. Really delicious, family loved it. Added diced green and red peppers. Also added sausages.
Definitely will add to family menu.
I make this at least once a week. It may be one of my favorite foods ever. I like it best as written (except I use Trader Joe’s brown rice penne), and I tend to add a little more spice since I like things spicy. I’ve also made all sorts of substitutions depending on what ingredients I have on hand and how many calories I want to consume. In place of cream cheese, I’ve successfully used heavy cream, half and half, greek yogurt and sour cream at different times. I once used some shredded pork I had. It was okay, but chicken is better. Thank you for all the wonderful recipes you create.
Fantastic!!!!! I made the recipe as written and my partner and I both devoured it. Would be really good to try with Shrimp too!
What a good idea! I will definitely do this when I have some leftover shrimp
What if you already have Cajun seasoning, how much of the seasoning would u use?
About 2 Tbsp, just keep in mind that some store bought Cajun seasonings contain a lot more salt than my blend, so there is a danger of making it too salty.
Love the receipt
What if i dont want to use the diced tomatoes ?
Thanks! They’re pretty key ingredient to the recipe but you could swap with crushed tomatoes if you prefer.
This is one of my family’s favorite recipes! So delicious!
Made this for dinner with just a few changes- used elbow noodles because I was out of penne, and doubled the cream cheese (to 4 oz). Otherwise, kept everything the same. It turned out super delicious! I will definitely be making this again.
Loveee this! Everytime I make it I’m so satisfied. Packed full of flavor. Bonus points? My husband hates creamy anything and since you add the cream cheese at the end (or just to your bowl in this case) everyones a winner! So far I’ve added veggies and used linguini instead of penne and it was still just as yummy.
I just made it. It’s fabulous. So easy!! I’ll make it again for sure.
Made this recipe today. Really delicious, family loved it. Added diced green and red peppers. Also added sausages.
Definitely will add to family menu.
I made a ton of substitutions to use what I had on hand and it came out great! I used some shrimp I cooked in premade Cajun seasoning, a can of chicken plus juice, a can of rotel and chickpea penne. So easy and my family loved it.
Love this recipe! So easy and yummy! I added some garlic, peppers and sweetcorn for some extra veg, and covered it in cheese and baked it at the end. So good!!
Yum! How long did you bake it for? And did you put the veggies in with the rest of the stuff?
Love this recipe! I’ve made it a couple of times now, and I’ve loved it every time. It takes adjustments really well. For example, I subbed in some pre-cooked chicken andouille sausage (it’s what I had on hand) and shortened the saute time, and it tasted fantastic!
So happy to have found this recipe! The spice level was perfect and my husband thanked me for my effort. Gotta love 1 pot meals!
I was worried that the sauce wouldn’t be thick enough after reading some of the contents, but that was totally not the case. Along with the 2c chicken broth & juice from the tomatoes, I added about 1/8c heavy cream at the end so that it would have more sauce without thinning it
My husband LOVED this recipe. Really easy and REALLY yummy!
LOVE this recipe. I make it almost once a week. I use a cajun spice blend and kinda just go heavy handed with it because I love spice.
Sorry if this has been asked before, but what kind of skillet are you using for this one-pot dish? Thanks!
Hi Lauren! The deep skillet I use is a 4-quart capacity.
My family LOVES this. Winner, winner chicken pasta dinner. I modified the cream cheese with jalapeno flavored cream cheese and it was divine. Reminded me of the chicken ramano dish at carinos. Sooooo good.
Sadly not a winner for me. The small number of ingredients resulted in quite a plain taste.
This is pretty good. I love spicy food and I find most recipes are spicy only to people who aren’t into actual spicy food. I end up adding extra spice to almost every recipe but this one is solidly spicy by itself.
I panicked the first time I made it thinking it would need more water and I added some. It was a mistake. I made it a second time the way the recipe states to and it’s much better. If anything I might even consider removing a half-cup of water to see if it makes it even better.
I made this for my husband and his cousin for dinner last night and it got devoured. This was so easy to make and has a ton of flavor. Thank you!!
This is amazing. I just made it for the first time and used whole wheat penne and served with steamed broccoli, and we’ll definitely make it again. Affordable and simple!
I love this dish because it’s packed with flavor! A few tweaks I made: reduced the chicken broth by 1 cup and added a can of black beans. This made the sauce thicker and creamer. I think there is plenty of liquid that comes from the canned fire roasted tomatoes. I made this for my weekly lunch meal prep so I cooked the pasta separately to avoid soggy noodles.
I loved this! Super easy too
I wonder how it would be w goat cheese instead of cream cheese?
Oh definitely worth trying! Let us know!
I made this it was a hit in my home
I was excited to find this recipe, b/c I never thought of putting smoked paprika. It really makes the flavor perfect. I usually take the best elements of several recipes and make something of my own. Your recipe has so many good elements. I do use smoked beef sausage instead of chicken, and heavy cream instead of cream cheese. I also add a cajun seasoning mix. I also boil my pasta separately, which I did adjust the recipe for. But this is a really great base recipe. I highly recommend adding sauteed onion and red bell pepper.
Smoked paprika really does change it in the best way!
This is a great and easy recipe! I used elbow instead of penne, Italian herb blend instead of fresh herbs, half and half instead of cream cheese. Also used more chicken than asked for and adjusted the spices accordingly. Tastes great! I am gonna add some lemon zest too next time to bring out the acidity!!
Way to make it work with what you had on hand!
I tried this last night and loved it. I had to make some adjustments, including reducing quantities because it was only for me. I didn’t have penne so used macaroni; nor green onions or cayenne pepper (not being a big fan of hot and spicy food). I’ve never heard of fire roasted tomatoes (don’t know if they’re available in the UK) so used a tin of good quality chopped tomatoes; and I used a ready-made Cajun seasoning mix to which I added the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt. I also left out the herbs. It tasted great despite all my changes, but it was the smell that really sold it – was out of this world!
Next time I’ll make a big batch and freeze it in portions, but I’ve found pasta can go a bit claggy if it’s frozen so will leave that, and the cream cheese, out. It’s no problem to cook fresh pasta in stock to add it later and stir the cream cheese into the finished meal just before serving.
Good to know that it worked for you Debbie!!
Hi ! I want to make this tonight and I actually already have McCormick Cajun seasoning , do you know how much of this I should use instead of making my own ? Or do you suggest I just make the recipe one you have ? Thanks !
About 2 Tbsp, just keep in mind that some store bought Cajun seasonings contain a lot more salt than my blend, so there is a danger of making it too salty.
I know you didn;t ask me, but it depends on the seasoning. Sometimes, it’s as little as 2 tsp. Sometimes you need more. I would start with 2 tsp. and taste it with a tasting spoon. Add more as needed and keep tasting. If 2 tsp. is like nothing, add 2 more. If it’s close, add is by the tsp. full until it tastes right. Always taste your food when you are cooking. ALWAYS. That is my best advice for sooking from someone who has been cooking for 35 years.
I made this tonight, and it was good. I really liked how easy it came together. I added red peppers and just threw them in when I added the onions. I had to simmer the pasta for about 13 minutes.
I will make this again but I will definitely cook the chicken fully in the pan, then remove it and set it aside, cook everything else and throw it back in at the end with the cream cheese. I may also try this with heavy cream instead of cream cheese – many possibilities.
Very nice recipe, thanks Budget Bytes.
Glad to hear you liked it!
Do you think this meal would crockpot?
Hi Michelle! We haven’t tried it in the slow cooker. I’d worry that it may over cook since it’s such a quick recipe.
I’ve cooked similar recipes where the pasta is cooked in the slow cooker. One I can think of is chicken noodle casserole. It kind works, but the pasta is never the right texture–it’s always a little gummy.. I would make it on the stove. It is a quick and easy recipe. If you make it in the CP, I would definitely leave out most of the chicken stock (maybe add 2/3 cup) and add the cream cheese when you get home. Boil the pasta separately. If you want to try it though, make it as listed, but stir the cream cheese after the pasta is cooked. Add the pasta near the end and cook for 30 minutes, the add the CC. The only problem I can see is that crockpot pasta isn’t always perfect.
I definitely want to try this!! Is there any way I can turn this recipe dairy-free, but keep the creaminess?
Hi Sol! We haven’t made it dairy free ourselves but a previous commenter followed these steps. “This recipe seemed so easy and flavorful that I just had to veganize it. I used extra firm tofu in place of the chicken and pressed it for about 20 minutes before adding the seasoning. I let it brown and crisp up in the skillet for as long as I could stand before I added the onion, and this allowed the tofu to really hold it’s shape and have some bite to it. I used Tofutti cream cheese, Earth Balance butter, and vegetable broth as other vegan substitutions. I also used whole wheat pasta and added some finely chopped spinach and kale, since I needed to use those up. My husband and I loved this dish, the tofu really absorbed the flavor of the sauce and the sauce itself was delicious.”
Pressing and baking the tofu at 350, for 20 minutes or so works well too. You can buy several brands of “no chicken” broth, including Better than Bullion that are better than veggie broth. If you don’t want tofu, add sauteed mushrooms, onion, and red bell pepper. There are also some great vegan chicken subs out there. If you have a good vegan smoked sausage you like (Field Roast makes great Vegan Sausages,) you can sub that for chicken.
I’m thinking about trying to make this without meat, but thinking I’d need to cut back on some of the ingredients. Any suggestions?
Hi Kimberly! I’ve made it without chicken a few times. I’ve simply sautéed some hearty veggies, portobello mushrooms and bell peppers in with the cajun seasoning and then followed the rest of the steps with good success. Enjoy!
Those ingredients are perfect. Sauteed onion is also really good.
It was a hit at my house! I have 2 adult children who work long hours. They came home to this hot dinner and both thought it was delicious.
That’s amazing! Great work Maureen!
Used 2/3 of 16 oz salsa jar instead – also, used whole wheat pasta and extra cup of water – turned out amazing. That cream cheese shines through beautifully.
Thanks for letting us know Gina!
Do you think if I made this tonight (Monday) and were able to control myself, I could throw this into meal prep and have dinners for the rest of the week?
Ha yes it would be a great meal prep!
Can I use linguine instead?
You certainly can!
Made this and my fiancé loved it. I’m going out of town for several months. Would this be something I could make and freeze for him while I gone. Just not sure about the pasta. Any input? Thank you!
I haven’t tried freezing this one, unfortunately. Creamy sauces don’t always hold up so well, but there is so little cream cheese in this one that I’m not sure how much it will be affected.
I’m at a loss as to what I did wrong. When I put the pasta, canned tomatoes, and 2c. broth in, my chicken was incredibly juicy and tender. After 10 mins. the “sauce” was still all liquid, and noodles hard, so I stirred again and put the lid back on for 5 more mins. Once I lifted the lid again, the noodles were tender, but my “sauce” was still complete liquid, and upon tasting my chicken, I discovered that it had completely dried out in the process. I still tried adding the cheese to see if that might help thicken it up some, but nothing. I turned the heat back up to med/high to see if that would help, and finally after about 15 more mins. the sauce did eventually thicken, but ultimately, the chicken was pretty chewy and unpleasant, and even the pasta had become overdone by that point. I’m just so disappointed in myself, and was really looking forward to this meal. I’m hoping you might be able to shed some light on what it is that I could have done wrong, so I can fix it for next time around. Thanks
I’m so sorry Maggie! What size pot were you cooking in? And were you stirring it often?
Very good but I would recommend grilling the chicken separately, slicing it, and putting it on top of the finished pasta. This will keep the chicken juicy and flavorful rather than overcooked.
Great tip Matt!
You can also thaw it before you reheat it, then reheat it and add the cream cheese when you reheat. The chicken won’t overcook that way. You can thaw it in the fridge over a couple of days.
I would freeze it without the cream cheese. I might even do it without the pasta, since pasta can get wonky when frozen. I you like frozen pasta though, do the dish and when you reheat on the stove, add the cream cheese fresh.
Wow! Even my kids loved it.
That’s a BIG WIN!
Wow!!! A really satisfying slow cajun burn for fall/winter that you can pull off in one pot with a mininum of fuss <3 I will be returning to this recipe often in January and February when the snow/slush outside is deep, and frozen toes and noses make one want to grow wings and fly South!! Feels like the best cajun version of mac and cheese – my comfort food!! (with definite hints of the summer barbeque). Thanks for sharing! As an aside, I used about half as much cream cheese (what was left in my fridge) and it was still sastisfyingly creamy for those looking to pinch their pennies!
Thank you Catherine!
If I already have Cajun seasoning and I decide to use it instead of combining all the other spices to make a homemade seasoning, how much would you recommend I use for the recipe? I’m very excited to try this recipe out! :)
About 2 Tbsp, just keep in mind that some store bought Cajun seasonings contain a lot more salt than my blend, so there is a danger of making it too salty.
Could you use Greek yogurt in place of the cream cheese? If so, how much do you think would be needed?
I personally don’t like to use Greek yogurt in things like this, but if you were to try it you’d probably want to use about 1/4 cup.
If I double the recipe should I double the seasoning for the chicken?seems like alot of seasoning thanks!
You could start with just the amount called for and see what you think! :)
Is there any nutrition for this dish?
We do get that request a lot, but unfortunately we don’t have a reliable source for the nutrition information. The calculators and databases that most bloggers and websites use to calculate the info can be extremely inaccurate, and for something that can so severely impact the health of people with health conditions, we just don’t feel comfortable publishing unreliable numbers. We prefer to leave it up to the reader to use the database or calculator they trust. I’m sorry and I wish accuracy were easier than shipping the food off to a lab for analysis!
Can the pasta be cooked separately in a pot if we don’t have a deep skillet?
Yes that could work quite well!
I do it in a larger pot I use to make pasta in (instead of a skillet) and it works great!!!
Made it for dinner this evening… absolutely delish!! Just me on my own though so loads left over… would you recommend reheating for lunch tomorrow?
Yes it would be fantastic for lunches!
This is such great comfort food!
Thank you Sarah!
Directions were so clear and I made it in a wok and it still came out perfect!! So so spicy so will need to put more cream cheese is next time!! Thank you
Lived this. Mad a few modifications. I used linguini noodles instead and I was out of chicken broth so I used a little seasoning from ramen noodle packet and dissolved in water before adding. I also gave it a squeeze of lemon juice and a splash of Chardonnay. Thanks for sharing.
Oh that sounds delightful! Thanks for sharing Kristin!
How many calories is this per serving ?
I do get that request a lot, but unfortunately I don’t have a reliable source for the nutrition information. The calculators and databases that most bloggers and websites use to calculate the info can be extremely inaccurate, and for something that can so severely impact the health of people with health conditions, I just don’t feel comfortable publishing unreliable numbers. I prefer to leave it up to the reader to use the database or calculator they trust. I’m sorry and I wish accuracy were easier than shipping the food off to a lab for analysis!
This was sooooooo good!! Question- if I want to omit the chick could I still cook it as is or should I cut back on some of the seasonings?
You could definitely keep the seasonings as is, kick up that flavor!
Loved it. Used sun dried tomatoes, put a couple of sun dried peppers in too. Whole family loved it too. Will be making many more times.
Yum!
This is SERIOUSLY DELICIOUS!!! I WOULDN’T CHANGE A THING! A recipe for the whole family to enjoy!
Thanks Bree!
Hello! Love this recipe! Do you have a non-dairy recommendation for the cream cheese?
Thank you!
You could use coconut cream.
It has quite a few ingredients but it’s worth it! Only change I made was I added the whole package of cream cheese 😁. So so good!
Hi…are you using ground thyme and oregano, or are you using leaves?
Thanks!
Ground :)
Can I make the sauce without the pasta and adding pasta at end when sauce is thickened? I prefer to use fresh pasta instead of boxed. thank you, sounds like a delicious recipe.
Yes you definitely could!
I have the amount of chicken, substituting bell peppers and mushrooms for the other half. I also increased the amount of spices. It came out absolutely delicious and I would definitely make it again. Reheats really well too.
Oh that sounds like a great plan!
Whoa this recipe was NOMS and so easy in one pot. I had some kielbasa I needed to use so I subbed it for chicken and I didn’t have a whole onion so I added some finely diced bell pepper and mushroom. I’ll definitely be cooking this again this Fall!
Happy to hear it Caitlin!
So GOOD! I doubled the recipe with no problem. Didn’t have a can of diced fire roasted tomatoes but had fresh ones that I diced up. Worked just fine. I like my food really spicy and wished I had doubled the spice blend. Adding hot paprika in addition to smoked would be fantastic. A keeper for sure!
I’ll have to try the hot and the smoked paprika next time!
could this be refrigerated and heated up later? I thinking as a casserole dish?
Yes it’s a great leftover dish.
Made this tonight with gluten-free pasta and it was delicious! Even my non-pasta loving husband said it needs to go into our rotation!
Well that’s good to know!
It was amazing!! Which is a first for us. Most recipes we find are too bland for our tastes. I can’t wait to try different ways of tweaking this recipe. It’s definitely a little on the spicy side for some of my family. Goin to surprise him by making more for dinner. He LOVES chicken and this feels like a great way to make his day end on a better note after a rough day at work.
When you find good comforts you stick to them!
This was amazing and so easy to make! Just the right amount of heat and I threw in some sliced red pepper I had in the fridge. I also added a few garlic cloves but we love garlic in this house. This ones a keeper for sure!
Could I add shrimp to this recipe while still using the chicken? I love shrimp with anything Cajun
You definitely could!
There are a lot of incredible recipes on this website – I come back over and over for both old favorites and new inspiration – but this is easily one of the most delicious recipes Beth has created. Can’t wait to make it over and over! Also, if you’re looking for a veggie to pair it with, the Aldi Southwest chopped salad kit is perfect with it!
Whoops, I was so excited to rave about it that I forgot to post the rating!
Thanks Kylen!
Made this the other day and it came out weirdly bland? It was alright but I would definitely be reducing the smoked paprika and maybe add chili powder instead. Paprika may simply not be to my tastes. It was alright and I’d make it again with adjustments to our own tastes
Sometimes spices can get bland over time. Check the expiration date too.
It tasted great! What would I add if I wanted more sauce overall ?
You could double the tomatoes, broth and cream cheese for more sauce.
It was really good. I took me a little bit longer for the sauce to thicken but it was really easy to make. I love it!!
Could I cook this without roasted dice tomatoes?
This recipe works amazing with gluten free pasta and dairy free cheese!
My partner is allergic to almost everything (I’m exaggerating but still) so it’s awesome to find something that works with substitutions that she really enjoys! This has been added to the top of our favourites list!
Do you pre cook the pasta?
No :)
Great recipe! I did make some changes to fit my dietary restrictions. I’m on low FODMAPs so I used gluten free noodles and omitted the garlic, onion, and cream cheese. We added cilantro, green onion, and shredded cheddar to taste. I also subbed a smoked turkey sausage for the chicken since I’m all chickened out at the moment. Delicious and easy one pot meal. Perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Also in case this helps anyone, I found there was still a lot of liquid after 10 mins and the noodles were overcooking so I added some tomato paste. It thickened it up well and added a little creaminess to the sauce.
I love this recipe, but I actually prefer it with leftover chicken. I find my chicken gets overcooked when I follow the original recipe. I have tried it with leftover chicken and turkey, with a variety of seasonings, and it works great every time! Just add the cooked chicken about halfway through the noodle cook time. I also use ghee instead of the olive oil/butter combo. So yummy and easy!
Looking forward to trying this next week! Could I substitue Tony’s cajun seasoning instead of making my own? Do you know how much I would use? Thanks in advance!!
I’m making this now with some Tony chacheres in place of the salt. But I still added garlic powder onion powder pepper paprika oregano and thyme and parsley. I also sprinkled some lemon pepper on the chicken too.
Will reply when I know how it tastes and if the kids like it but I know it’s good!!
The only issue with substituting Tony’s is that it has a lot more salt compared to spices than the homemade mix has. So you’ll probably have to use less to prevent it from being too salty, but then you’ll also be cutting back on the spices.
Hi Beth,
Thanks for this recipe. I keep coming back to it.
I have made a vegan version of this a few times as well, where I substituted the chicken with some button mushrooms, and just left out the cream cheese. Tastes amazing!
If I used 1lb of pasta instead of the 1/2lb would I have to double everything else?
Yes, I would.
I’m not a cheese fan–does the cream cheese flavor come through? Is there something else I could use to get the creaminess?
You can add a splash of heavy cream or half and half to achieve a creaminess. :)
I just made this for dinner and it was delicious. I added frozen broccoli, otherwise I did not make any additional changes. It was very flavorful and easy to prepare. I am new to your website and will be trying other recipes for meal prep. Thank you!
Thank You sooooo much, I really Love your recipes. They are so easy to make
You are the best.
I had to feed a rather large family so I used more ingredients, and did not add the can of roasted tomatoes only because I have a lot of anti tomato family members lol. I added some mozzarella and mild cheddar cheese. And still turned out really well!
how long will it last in the fridge?
About 4-5 days.
Yes! This is so bomb. Spicy, cheesy, creamy. So good. I did sub out a handful of the spices for just creole seasoning for simplicity and cost reduction.
I cooked this with full cream milk instead of the cheese. It came out amazing! My family came back for seconds! Great reciepie
This was so delicious, next time I will add more spice into the sauce though!
Can you use sun dried tomatoes, would it affect the flavor?
I suppose if you wanted to add some in there you could. I will probably make the dish a lot more tangy. I wouldn’t use them in place of the other tomatoes, though.
I used 1.5 lbs of chicken and added more salt. Other than that, I kept the recipe the same. My husband LOVES it. He was literally licking the plate (please don’t tell anyone we know … so embarrassing).
Thanks for an awesome recipe!
I did the half and half. Added some flour and Italian style cheese! Was fantastic!!
can this be made with cooked chicken?
Yes, but I’d probably add it in at the end so that it doesn’t end up over cooking.
My favorite recipe from your site! I will make this over and over!
what is the nutrition value on this?
I’m sorry, I don’t have nutritional information.
Great recipe!!!!!! Thanks a lot !!!!
This was amazing. I didn’t have fire roasted tomatoes. Used petite diced. Still so yummy!
Oh man, this was delicious. I did everything exactly as stated, but added maybe one more ounce of cream cheese. ABSOLUTELY the best pasta dish I’ve ever made, and easily one of my top three favorite recipes from your site. Husband devoured his portion, and humbly requested a seafood variation one day. This will 100% be made again.
Excellent flavor and so easy..❤
Yum! Made this tonight. Replaced the chicken with Tofurky Italian Sausage and chicken broth with vegetable broth to make it vegetarian. It was delicious!
If I omit the tomatoes will it completely ruin the recipe ??
Yeah, I really feel like the tomatoes are an important part of this one.
My 3 kids loved this! I substituted shells and double the cream cheese because they are whiny about spices, and it was a hit. My three-year-old asked for more of that delicious soup. Apparently he doesn’t understand what soup is but he liked it.
Looks divine! A couple quick questions: I can’t have onion powder. Should I do a bit more of each of the other seasonings to compensate? Also, I don’t have a skillet big enough…. Any chance an enameled cast iron dutch oven could do the trick?
Yes, a Dutch Oven would also work great. :) As far as adjusting the other spices to compensate for the onion powder, I suppose that’s an option, but not sure if it’s really necessary without trying it both ways. :)
I keep cajun seasoning on hand. How much do I need to use?
My Cajun seasoning mix in the recipe is approximately 1.5 Tbsp total, so you could use about that much. Just be aware that if your seasoning contains a lot of salt, you may need to use less to avoid over salting the dish.
do you need to boil the pasta before adding it? Or just add it to the mix straight from the box?
Straight in from the box. :)
Love this! I have a dairy allergy so I added some vegan butter + nutritional yeast instead of cream cheese. It was delicious! Thank you!
The recipe itself made my mouth watering and your step by step image was actually made me tempted to taste the recipe.
ooooh lady! I made this last night for my meal prep, I did use the high protein chickpea pasta and threw in some spicy andouille sausage. It’s incredible! This is definitely going on my rotation. Such a quick and decadent meal.
Could you use rice instead of pasta?
The recipe would probably need some tweaking to make that work, but I’m sure there’s a way to do it. I’d need to run a few tests to know the best method, though.
Because of the creamy pasta this is like an adult comfort food for me. SOOOOOOOO good! Even my husband (super-picky eater) commented that it was good. I made it as instructed, but left out the onions because said husband is “allergic.” The only thing was that the liquid did not reduce after 10 minutes of simmering with the pasta for me. I ended up going another 6-8 minutes with the lid off, checking every two minutes. I’ve made a bunch of Beth’s one pot/skillet pastas before and never had that happen. It was at a good simmer the whole time. Who knows? Maybe my pasta was weird…no biggie!
I actually had the same problem, no onions as well and had to cook the sauce longer and add more cream cheese and some shredded Italian cheese as well, we LOVE cheese at my house lol. I think I’ll use less broth next time so as to not have to over cook the pasta to get the sauce right.
Absolutely Amazing!! I made this recipe tonight for dinner and it came out SO well! Every bite adds an even bigger smile to my face! This will surely be my go to pasta staple going forward! :)
This dish was absolutely incredible!!! I didn’t have Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes so I roasted cut tomatoes and drizzled olive oil on top, popped it in the oven for about 25-30 mins and blended it all together and it worked out just fine. I most definitely recommend this and 100% try this recipe again. Everybody loved it and kept wanting more. It’s quick, great and doesn’t require multiple dishes ;)
I made this and LOVED it. I did have to add 8oz extra broth to get the pasta to finish and a splash of milk at the end (prefer a looser sauce). Other than that no changes. It would be good with almost any meat or no meat. Next time shrimp or andouille.
Making this tonight for the second time!
Easy, quick, and big on flavor. We made this without the chicken, and it came out perfectly. Thank you for sharing!
This recipe was really good and satisfying. We used chicken thighs, jumbo macaroni, canned whole tomatoes. For the canned whole tomatoes I just chopped off the tougher ends and then sliced the rest and added it in with the juice. I will be making this again!
I’m vegetarian so I made this with vegetable broth and mushrooms instead of chicken! Just as good!
Can I freeze this meal?
I haven’t tried freezing this one, unfortunately. Creamy sauces don’t always hold up so well, but there is so little cream cheese in this one that I’m not sure how much it will be affected.
Hi Beth,
Do you think adding light ricotta cheeses instead of the cream cheese would work? Just trying to cut the calories! Looks relish :)
Many thanks
Honestly I don’t think it will be at all similar. :( Cream cheese and ricotta are just too different in both flavor and texture.
I gave this recipe a try, but tripled it, added 8oz of cream cheese for a really creamy sauce and topped it with Parmesan cheese along with green onions. Served French bread on the side. It was a big hit!!! I will definitely make this again!
This recipe seemed so easy and flavorful that I just had to veganize it. I used extra firm tofu in place of the chicken and pressed it for about 20 minutes before adding the seasoning. I let it brown and crisp up in the skillet for as long as I could stand before I added the onion, and this allowed the tofu to really hold it’s shape and have some bite to it. I used Tofutti cream cheese, Earth Balance butter, and vegetable broth as other vegan substitutions. I also used whole wheat pasta and added some finely chopped spinach and kale, since I needed to use those up. My husband and I loved this dish, the tofu really absorbed the flavor of the sauce and the sauce itself was delicious.
Another GREAT, simple recipe with real ingredients. Made this last night and loved it! Had to add about 4 oz of cream cheese to thicken the sauce up, but it was perfect. Thanks Beth!
Truly remarkable recipe! Tried it out tonight with my wife and glad to say that it has come out well… Bring it on…
I’ve made this recipe a few times and it has been delicious every time. The only additions I’ve made after the first couple times were a little red wine to deglaze after the chicken saute step, and at the last minute of the onion saute step a couple cloves of thinly sliced garlic + a couple ounces of sundried tomatoes.
Awesome Recipe! I had to add about a half cup of water at around 5 minutes and then boil for a total 15 minutes to get the pasta done enough, but it turned out great. have made 2 times already!
Would this recipe be good to freeze . It looks delicious- can’t wait to try it.
I haven’t tried freezing this one, unfortunately, and a lot of times creamy sauces don’t do so well with freezing.
Wowzer! This was really really good! I read some reviews and the only addition I did based on the review was to add in roasted red peppers with the onions. And there was a comment saying to add a squeeze of lime….weird, but it worked so well, I just squeezed in my bowl . Best ,earl I ever made according to the s/o!
This is one of my favorite foods to make for my fiancé and I. We both love it. I often do 3/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper rather than 1/4 because we love spicy foods. It turns out amazing :).
I have some shrimp I’d like to throw into this recipe. When do you recommend I do that? And should I marinate it with the same cajun spices as the chicken? Thanks!
Yes, you can coat it in spices, just like the chicken. Then I’d sauté the shrimp first until it’s cooked through, remove it from the skillet so it doesn’t over cook, then add it back in at the end.
Hi! New Orleans native here, really excited to make this recipe tonight but just wanted to add that if you truly want to make it cajun make sure you add bell peppers and celery at the same time that you add the onion! This is called the maurepas/holy trinity of cajun cooking and its what trademarks things as Cajun. I also am going to probably saute the maurepas first in bacon grease and then add some garlic and then cook the chicken in the sauteed maurepas before adding the tomatoes (which actually make the dish creole, not cajun because cajuns typically dont use tomatoes in their cuisine). I will also, like a lazy cajun, be using Tony’s instead of all the individual spices, mostly because i’m cooking this dish in a hostel so I won’t have all the spices but also to anyone out there feeling particularly lazy, you can probably get away with using a pre-bought cajun seasoning. I have Tony Chachere’s Extra Spicy :)
Being from just a bit northwest of New Orleans I have to agree. This is more Italian than Cajun. It’s good but does need to be tweaked right to make it Cajun.
I’ve made this 4 times now, it is delicious! I found for me (maybe because I cut my chicken to small) that if I pull the chicken off before adding the broth and pasta and let it rest while the pasta cooks, it avoids overcooking the chicken and making it tough. Thanks for a great one-pot meal!
This was awesome! Great for lunches. I added a sliced green bell pepper in with the onion, and some fresh spinach at the end because I needed to use it up.
Recipe-wise, I think it would be worth noting if you use ground thyme or whole dried thyme leaves – in the video it looks like whole leaves? I think a lot of people only know/use ground thyme, which would make 1 tsp way too overwhelming. I used 1 tsp whole leaves, which tasted like the right amount to me.
Thank you. Was wondering the same thing. Will use the whole leaves :)
Made this tonight for the first time and it was absolutely delicious. I used wholemeal penne, and extra light cream cheese. I also added roasted red peppers at the time time I added the onions. Finished the dish with a grating of Parmesan cheese! Definitely recommend and will be making again.
This sounds dumb probably but do you pre cook the penne? Or could it in the skillet with everything?
It cooks right in the skillet with everything else. :)
Instead of cream cheese can you use whipping creme
Yes, it will just be slightly less tangy, but probably still awesome.
After a too-high simmer for 10 min, it was saucy (not liquidy-y) but pasta was not cooked through, so I added 1/2c broth and continued cooking. I suspect at a low simmer, pasta would cook without running out of liquid but would need closer to 15 min to become saucy. Notably, we like our pasta well-done (not al dente).
I would do 1/2tsp thyme and 1/2 and 1/2 smoked and regular paprika next time, but that’s a matter of personal taste.
Fantastic, easy dish that the whole family loved – even dad who hates cream cheese and mom would who would’ve said it was too spicy had she known there was cayenne!
I am planning on making this tonight and just realized it says 1/2 lb of penne. If I wanted to increase that to 1 lb of penne should I double the broth to 4 cups? Or would that be too much? Any other recommendations to accommodate 1 lb of penne?
That should work, in theory, but I can’t say for certain without testing it.
Hello! I just made it a few minutes ago and what you described works just fine, same cook time and everything. I also doubled the cream cheese and spice mixture, but didn’t double the tomatoes/chicken (though I imagine that would have been great if I had it on hand).
We added a can of black beans. I like the other suggestions I’ve seen for adding more veggies, too! My daughter (as usual) was not moved by the chicken, but did OK with the rest of it, which some nights is good enough!
I was hoping to use the app while cooking this recipe, but I can’t seem to find it in the app. Are some of your recipes not available on your app?
Yes, it can be found in the app’s marketplace. The app comes pre-loaded with 500 recipes and everything I’ve created for the blog since the app was launched is loaded into the marketplace where you can pick and choose which recipes you want to download into your app. Just tap the little shopping bag icon in the bottom center of your screen, tap over to “recipes” (instead of “bundles”), then in the search bar at the top type “cajun” and it will come up. :)
Thanks! I was able to find it. Great recipe! I took out most of the Cayenne for my little kids, and topped with Parmesan cheese.
I made this today with cauliflower instead of chicken. Very tasty! I didn’t have any cream cheese, so I used some sour cream, and it added that nice touch of creaminess. Thanks for a great recipe, Beth! I loved the Best of 2018 article and plan to try most all of them.
Made this tonight and it was so delicious! Thank you for an easy recipe that my whole family loved! I’ll be making it again!
It’s dying for some lime! Just squeeze a few slices on top, makes a world of difference. I also added some sliced bell peppers, which worked nicely.
Very nice, very quick, just a little bland as written.
Ooooh, that sounds SO GOOD!
This was a really great base recipe and I hope next time to actually have cream cheese on hand- I had already started cooking before I realized. So I used chicken thighs instead and made sure they were cooked through before adding the other ingredients. I added green bell pepper in with the onion. Delicious, even without the cream cheese and adding a bit of milk and cornstarch to thicken it up a bit. I know, lots of tweaking but I really think this recipe will turn out awesome as originally written.
Oh my gosh. Absolutely delicious! Will serve to company!
A fantastic addition to our menu. I come from Louisiana and I like add a true Cajun flavor with this dish by adding andouille sausage and using Crystal’s hot sauce to flavor the dish. I will experiment by adding broccoli next time to add more vegetables to the dish.
Good base recipe. Tweaking it a bit, to your own personal taste, makes it awesome. Im not a huge fan of really spicy food, but I like a little bite. I like a little sweet after-taste, when it comes to pasta, so I added a little sugar. I also put a splash of basalmic vinegar to give it a more pronounced flavor. Along with the green onion, I topped it off with some fresh diced tomatoes. Tastes great, not too spicy, but still gives it that cajun bite.
Do you think greek yogurt would work instead of cream cheese?
Personally I don’t think that would be a good substitution because both the flavor and texture are quite different. But I know a lot of people sub Greek yogurt for a lot of different ingredients and enjoy it, so it might just be a personal call.
This was amazing! I loved it so much! It’s definitely going to be a household classic. Everything about it was perfect. Next time I’ll add some more veggies to make it a little healthier.
My sauce didn’t really thicken (had to add closer to 4 oz of cream cheese) but the flavors were amazing! So yummy.
Used a storebought spice mix (without added salt) and added a green bell pepper and a handful of spinach for some veggies. This is a very easy dish to prepare and tasty. The spicy and creamy make for a perfect comfort food.
Maybe I should give up on one pot pastas. The texture was really strange. It seemed like the pasta was sticky and the cream cheese made it worse. Or maybe I did something wrong because it didn’t have very much flavor at all. I had to cover it in red peppers until I finished it.
Recipe was very easy to make and follow.
Unfortunately, too much thyme seasoning for my taste. Will add more garlic and onion powder next time.
THIS IS SO AWESOME! I cooked the pasta separately in the broth, and wanted more veggie action so sautéed a diced red pepper and a couple brocolli crowns in with the onion…added the tomatoes and let everything bubble until the pasta was done. We served it over the pasta and more steamed broccoli along with a handful of torn fresh spinach (because we needed to use it up).
Another favorite! Thank you Beth!
SO GOOD! I did have to make a few changes though. College student here, and going home next week for Thanksgiving … which means I’m trying to use up the groceries I have in the refrigerator before then.
I didn’t have thyme or onion powder, but I did have a cajun spice so I used a bit of that and added more garlic powder and oregano. I’m from New Orleans, so a good cajun spice mix is a must!
I only had chickpea pasta, and that still worked with the time listed in the recipe. I didn’t have any fire roasted tomatoes (and don’t like actual tomatoes bc of the texture), but I did have tomato paste, and added some in. It really worked to add some color and taste.
I didn’t have cream cheese, but did have some heavy whipping cream , and I used a bit of goat cheese mixed in as well. It really did work, and tastes great.
I love this recipe. I also added some andouille sausage I had in the fridge. Gave it even more zest and flavor.
Honestly, this was one of the tastiest meals I have ever made for myself. I am so in love with this recipe. Going to do it again as soon as possible. Thank you so much for that!
Does the pasta need to be cooked before adding it into the skillet with the tomatoes and chicken broth? Or are you letting the pasta cook during that process? Thanks.
The pasta is uncooked when it goes into the pot and cooks as everything simmers together. :)
I made this last night and thought it was great. I added some frozen peas at the end because I had a small amount left over in the freezer and thought it would work. I will definitely add this to my regular rotation. Thank you!
Hey just wondering if this can be freezed ok?
I haven’t tried freezing this one, so I’m not sure. Sometimes creamy sauces don’t hold up so well to freezing.
Should the lid be on or off during the 10-minute simmer?
Lid on, to hold in the steam. :)
This was really easy and yummy!! Husband approved!
Made this tonight & YUMMMM!!! My entire family loved it & my husband gets tired of eating chicken lol Used the recommended amount of cayenne & thought it was spicy, but not too much!! Thanks soo much!
This dish looks packed with flavor and yumminess!
I tried this last night and my family just loved it. I added mushrooms. Thanks for the great recipe.
April in GA
I was going to comment, I added mushrooms too! Chunky slices of baby portobello. Yummmm…
This looks really good. I’m in NZ so unfortunately we can’t get “fire roasted tomatoes” and my experiment last summer making them didn’t work, so I used one of my oven roasted tomato sauces. I also used “proper” sour cream (like creme fraiche) instead of cream cheese because, again, it’s what we had.
I might try it without chicken next time to make it an even easier weeknight meal
I loved it. Made it without the cream cheese, but it tasted really good. Thanks!
I made this last night. Easy to throw together, only one pan dirty, all usually on hand ingredients, and it was very tasty! That checks off a lot of boxes for me. I also have leftovers to enjoy later and I bet it freezes well. Thank you for this recipe, it is certainly a keeper!
Thanks for this! We just tried this tonight after the trick-or-treaters went home, and it was really good! I left out the chicken, just added the seasonings to the onions at the end of sautéing, and added chickpeas instead at the end along with some frozen peas. Super cute on the plate and super easy for weeknights!
Also, this worked fine in my electric pressure cooker. No changes to the liquids, set the time for 2 minutes less than the shortest time listed on the package for cooking the pasta (or actually for penne I tend to like only 1 minute less, so for me that was 8 minutes). Quick release.
Great idea! Next time I will have to try this in my instant pot with your instructions.
Good day Beth, could I substitute cream cheese with low fat or Greek yoghurt for a lower calorie option?
Personally, I don’t think that low fat Greek yogurt would be creamy enough for this, and it definitely won’t melt into the sauce the same way. But I wouldn’t be surprised if someone says they’ve made that substitution and enjoyed it. Sometimes it’s just a matter of personal preference. :)
Hallo Beth, just prepared your recipe and really loved it, I did add salt at the end because I felt it needed it, could be just my taste buds or my chicken broth has less salt than yours, I also added some mushrooms I had left in the fridge as someone else suggested but didn’t feel that it made much of a difference since the spicy sauce made it completely unnoticeable, I also added about a teaspoon of Sriracha sauce because I really like my food spicy and a squeeze of lemon juice and Table spoon of peach chutney because I prefer a stronger acid/sweet balance, the tad of sweetness made all the difference, thanks for your recipe.
Hallo Beth, if I wanted a lower calorie version can I replace the cream cheese with low-fat plain or Greek yogurt?
I’m really not sure how the yogurt will melt into the sauce, but I’m sure it won’t be quite the same as the cream cheese. If anything, I would try regular and not low-fat. You need that creaminess to balance the heat.
Do you think it would taste good with tofu? :)
I think it would taste pretty much the same, but you’d just have tofu texture instead of chicken. :)
Hi. can I use fresh tomatoes?
It won’t turn out the same, unfortunately. Canned tomatoes have a more concentrated flavor and you need the juices from the can to provide enough liquid to cook the pasta.
Super yummy! However 1/2 lb
of penne didn’t seem like enough. I added a big handful more and it was perfect in the end.
Wow! This is a keeper. Just the right amount of heat paired with the delicious, creamy sauce. Shop at Aldi and you’ll get the cost down even more.
Thank you, Beth, for the recipe. I made the pasta dish last week and thought it was very good. I especially like the Cajun seasoning and the way the chicken tasted. This week, I decided to take the tasty Cajun seasoned chicken and turned it into a chicken salad and it was awesome. I added celery, onion and mayo to the Cajun spiced chicken and it put a nice flavor to my plain chicken salad. Thank you again!
Could you substitute the homemade spice mix with Tony Chacheres?
The only issue I can see happening with that is that Tony’s has a LOT more salt than my mix did, so you may either end up with too much salt, or too little spices if you add less to control the salt.
Don’t do it! I tried to cut that corner, and it was sooo salty I couldn’t handle it, and I love salt. Beth uses these seasonings often, so it’s worth it to just buy them if you make her recipes often. Plus I had to add to it anyway, because Tony Chacheres doesn’t have thyme or oregano.
Seeing as this is fairly similar to your version of pastalaya (mostly just missing the rest of the trinity), would this also be good with some andouille or other sausage in place of the chicken?
Yes, absolutely. :)
Absolutely delicious!! So easy and cheap. I LOVE this recipe. My husband loved it too! Thanks, Beth!
Delicious! My 10 year old declared “Mom, this is really good” after a few bites and my husband went back for seconds- he’s normally not a fan of pasta. I used the full amount of cayenne and was worried it would be too spicy for the kids, but my two year old cleaned her plate. Loved the addition of the cream cheese, I definitely would not skip that step.
Any suggestions for replacing the chicken in order to make this vegetarian?
Tempeh would probably be good!
What’s a good substitute for cream cheese? Where I live it’s surprisingly hard to find at store in varieties other than the flavored tabs you’re meant to eat with crackers.
Sour cream, heavy cream, half and half, mascarpone. :)
mascarpone <3
Just incredibly delicious and so cheap and easy!!!
Oh dear my diet…I tried this last night and it was so delicious! I ate too much! My family loved it too! It’s one of many of your recipes that we try and fall in love with. Lovely flavors and so easy too.
Made this last night…delicious!
Can I substitute mascarpone for cream cheese? I have just now a half-used tub in my fridge I don’t know what to do with.
I think that would work. :)
My husband is allergic to tomatoes, is there something I could use instead? Thank you in advance.
You could probably just do it without the tomatoes, although you may need to increase the broth by about a 1/2 cup.
Delicious! By chance do you know what adjustments to make for cooking in an instant pot?
Unfortunately I don’t know. I think that would take some testing to see how to make it work.
Love love love this! I didn’t have any green onions, so I added some frozen peas. Turned out great!
You have THE BEST recipes Beth!
Awesome! Will make again.
It was so good and easy but I used my own Cajun seasoning and it way so hot
My mistake
SO GOOD! Commenting again so I can add 5 stars. 😀
THIS WAS AMAZING. Probably my fav recipe of yours now. It tastes straight from a restaurant. I used veggie penne noodles instead to make it a bit healthier and it turned out perfect. Thank you!!
I don’t have a skillet that deep. Would a 6 qt copper bottom sauce pan work
That should work, as long as the pot is a bit wider and not tall and skinny. It needs a good wide base to make sure the heat transfers evenly throughout.
How much cajun seasoning would you use if it was the pre made stuff?
Just use enough so that it covers the meat like in the picture above.
The seasoning I made is roughly 2 Tbsp, but store bought seasoning may contain a lot more salt, so it’s hard to say. If you add 2 Tbsp of store bought you might end up with waaaay too much salt in the recipe.
This looks fantastic!
This looks great, I’d like to use whole wheat pasta – anything I should do differently ?
Yes, whole wheat pasta cooks a little differently and usually needs a bit more liquid. It’s hard to say just how much more without testing the recipe with that type of pasta, though.
For step 5, when letting the pasta simmer for 10mins, is that with the lid still on or off?
The lid is on so the steam stays in and helps cook any pasta that might be poking up out of the liquid, but you’ll be lifting it briefly a few times in order to stir.
Do you think sour cream could work instead of cream cheese?
Looks delicious!
Sure, that would work too!