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Cajun Chicken Spaghetti

Cajun chicken spaghetti with blackened chicken and bell peppers tossed in a smoky, deep-red Cajun cream sauce. Spaghetti gets twirled with thickened cream, then finished with parmesan and parsley for a one-pan feel.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Cajun-American
Calories: 820
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and pasta
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast sliced
  • 12 oz spaghetti
  • 2 tbsp cajun seasoning divided
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1.5 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup parmesan grated
  • salt to taste
  • fresh parsley for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook spaghetti
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the spaghetti until al dente, about 8–10 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, drain, and set aside.
Blacken chicken
  1. Pat the chicken slices dry and season with 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat and sear the chicken for 4–5 minutes until blackened, then set aside.
Make Cajun cream sauce
  1. Melt the butter in the same skillet, then cook onion and bell pepper for 4 minutes. Add garlic and the remaining Cajun seasoning, and cook for 1 minute.
  2. Pour in chicken broth and heavy cream, then simmer for 5 minutes until thickened. Stir in parmesan until smooth.
Toss and finish
  1. Add the cooked spaghetti to the Cajun cream sauce and toss until coated, adding reserved pasta water as needed for a silky cling. Top with the blackened chicken slices.
  2. Garnish with fresh parsley and extra parmesan before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: reserve pasta water and add it a splash at a time so the sauce emulsifies and clings to every strand. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stove with a splash of broth or cream. Freezing isn’t recommended due to cream-sauce texture changes. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream (sauce will be slightly thinner but still coating).